My dog is licking his tail area raw. Is it fleas, pain, or skin?

Hi. Poor Luci. The fleas may have started her licking, or she could have a skin infection in the area. Some female dogs (especially if overweight) dribble a bit of urine and can develop urine scald or yeast infection in that area. It may be a combination of all of the above. You can treat for fleas and gently bath with medicated dog shampoo but if that doesn't help Luci needs to see the vet for exam and approriat medication.

Allergies can be frustrating to diagnose since there are many potential allergens. They can include flea bites, environmental/inhaled allergens or food allergies or sensitivities. It can also be caused by behavioral issues, such as boredom or anxiety. Place an e-collar (cone) on Lou to prevent licking. Discuss allergy testing, food elimination trials and hydrolyzed diets with your veterinarian. A short course of steroids followed by antihistamines may help stop any itch and prevent it from returning. This may be a seasonal issue or it could be year round. You can also discuss anxiety medications and behavioral modification with your veterinarian. When you see Lou licking, distract him and offer a task, exercise or treat to redirect his attention. If he complies, praise and reward him. Be patient and be consistent. Limit his exposure to chemicals and cleaners to see if it makes a difference. Remove any candles or air fresheners from the home as well.

Hello, thank you for your question about Jamar. Chewing/licking/itching can be signs of underlying skin disease in addition to fleas. I would recommend having Jamar evaluated by your veterinarian so that they can examine his skin and discuss the need for skin testing such as an impression smear or gentle skin scrape. This will look for signs of infection or allergies. Depending on the results of these tests your veterinarian can discuss treatment options with you. Hope this helps, good luck!

I am sorry rascal is not feeling well. I would recommend taking him to a veterinarian to determine the cause of discomfort with the tail. Dogs have glands inside the rectum called anal glands that can cause inflammation and irritation. I would recommend having a vet examine these glands to make sure they are not the problem. Also skin allergies or fleas can cause irritation. You can try an over the counter anti histamine to decrease inflammation. Hope that helps and he feels better soon.

Poor Tobias! Thank you for providing pictures of his back. This behavior is commonly caused by flea, and if he isn't up to date on his flea medications, I can give you a flea treatment program for him. First, I would give him Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash his bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. If Tobias is up to date on his flea treatment, then he could be suffering from allergies or mites causing his symptoms and I recommend taking him into the vet for an exam tomorrow. The vet can do blood tests and skin scrapings allergies and mites. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment.

Poor guy. This sounds like he may have a common condition called “happy tail” and likely injured the end of his tail due to hitting it on hard surfaces. Another possible cause is a fungal infection, but typically this causes hair loss as well. The hair needs to first be shaved to get a better look at the skin and also allow the area to be cleansed antiseptically and apply topical ointment or spray if needed. Oral antibiotics will also likely be needed if the infection is deep. This would be best taken care of by visiting your vet. Proper wound management is essential for wounds like this to heal well and since it is the tail area it already proves difficult to shave without causing further harm. Your vet will be able to do this quickly and efficiently and also be able to provide a prescription for antibiotics which is often needed for tail wounds to prevent the infection from seeping into the bone and causing further issues. Until you can get Louis seen, you can clean it with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water. Best of luck with your pet Louis and his tail wound. I hope this heals well soon! Take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This can be a classic sign seen with flea allergy dermatitis. If he is otherwise doing well, you can go ahead and start him on a flea preventative. I like Bravecto and Frontline though there are many products available in the market that are also good. If there is no improvement or he actually has a wound associated with this, have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment. He is adorable! Have a nice day!