Should I worry if my old dog suddenly starts chasing his tail?

Typically when dogs chase their tails in an obsessive manner it is because they have excess energy they need to burn off. When Jerry starts this behavior try to redirect his attention to something else that would be a better outlet for his energy like playing ball or going for a fast paced walk. If you think Jerry is doing this because his tail is painful or irritating him, then you may want to take him to the vet to be checked out. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

This type of behavior can be from anxiety, sure. But it is best to rule out a medical reason first. I have seen dogs do this behavior when their anal glands are full or impacted. I have seen them do this with urinary issues (like a UTI). Sometimes it is phantom pain from arthritis (in the tail). My suggestion would be to have Ruby evaluated by your vet before just assuming it is a behavioral issue. Just my opinion. If CBD makes her too mellow, and you want to try something else first, my suggestion would be to try a natural calming collar or something like D.A.P. (pheromones). If this doesn't help then talk to your vet about other options. ( # ) ( https://www.entirelypets.com/dapdogappher.html ) Best wishes!

A degree of tail chasing is normal but there is a condition where is becomes a compulsive disorder. Unfortunately it is incredibly hard to treat compulsive tail chasing and uf it becomes an issue it usually requires the help of both a vet and behaviourist.

At that age, he's exploring and figuring things out and just having fun! With an older dog, I'd be worried about it being more of an obsessive compulsive disorder if it was very frequent or hard to distract him from, but it's normal behavior for a baby.

Hello, sorry to hear about Jaxx. This can be associated with abnormal sensation at his tail either due to an old injury or something such as flea bites. This may also be associated with abnormalities of her anus, such as impacted anal glands or an anal gland abscess. More rarely, this may be associated with a main neurologic disease such as a seizure. Hope this helps and best of luck.

If your dog is not currently on any medication for fleas, this is the first thing I would recommend - chewing at the tail, in particular, is very common for dogs with flea problems. If fleas are not the issue, then he may have some other skin problem causing burning and itching in this area, such as a seasonal allergy or a bacterial or fungal infection. Less commonly, chewing at the tail can also be a sign of a nerve problem like lumbosacral stenosis, or a stress-related compulsive behavior. I would recommend having Charlue examined by a vet to determine the problem and get him started on appropriate treatment - usually, antibiotics and steroids or anti-inflammatory drugs are needed to resolve this kind of problem.

Poor Toby! Yes, this does sound like something that needs a vet visit. It sounds like his rear end is bothering him for some reason - the two most common causes for this are anal gland problems or flea allergies. If he isn't already on a good quality flea medication like Nexgard or Bravecto, this is the first thing I would suggest. If you're positive that he doesn't have fleas, then your vet will need to check his anal glands to see if they are overly full or infected - this is a common cause of discomfort in this area. In that case, the glands will need to be expressed, and he may need antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication if an infection is present.