A dog may be biting its tail because of allergies, stress, malfunctioning of glands, or even as an anxiety coping mechanism. A dog owner must try to stop the dog from biting its tail behavior to avoid future permanent complications, which may end up in the dog losing its tail.
If you want to know more about why your dog might be chewing its tail, head on over to Dog chewing tail: reasons, remedies, and prevention methods. There, we discuss on this prevalent problem and why dogs bite their tails.
Here, this article shall discuss ways and steps on how to stop the dog biting tail habit and some home remedies for the same.
How to stop a dog from biting its tail
Your dog biting tail may have many reasons behind its behavior. To stop your dog from chewing its tail, you have to know why it is doing so. It would help if you learned the reasons for the habit before going through with the treatment. Some of the solutions for how to stop a dog from biting its tail are as follows:
Solution for food allergies
Food allergies can cause your dog to get dry patches or itches, which they will try to relieve by chewing or gnawing on the area. The only way to stop food allergies is to eliminate the specific food from the dog’s diet. Running sensitivity and allergy tests on your dog with the help of a vet will help to point out which food is causing the allergies.
Solution for parasites
Ticks and fleas are the main reasons why a dog chews on its tail. If you root the problem to parasites, a flea and tick exterminating treatment will be necessary. There are several parasite infestation treatments that you can try after getting the recommendation and approval of a vet. If there are other animals in the house, those will need to get treated too. Fleas multiply very quickly, so you may need regular flea treatments in and around the house as well as on the animals.
Solution for hot spots and other skin problems
For treating hot spots, a doctor may recommend medications like antibiotics to prevent the wound from getting secondary infections. The hot spot is prone to further infections because it becomes a favorable breeding ground for bacteria and other harmful microbes.
Sometimes, doctors will recommend anti-itch shampoos to stop or relieve the itch. If dry skin is the culprit for your dog biting tail, you might want to make sure that the shampoo is for dry skin. Flea or tick allergies may cause skin irritations, which you can treat only through eliminating the parasites.
Solution for anxiety and stress
A stressful situation may make your dog anxious, and it may start panicking. Chewing on the tail or paws is a widespread reaction to stress in which dogs partake. If the vet diagnoses your dog with stress or anxiety, you will need to try some behavioral treatments. Giving it a chew toy is an excellent substitute for chewing its paws and tail.
Solution for boredom
Active dog breeds like German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers need a lot of daily exercises to stay healthy and entertained. If a dog is bored, it might chew its tail or paws to keep themselves distracted and busy. You can stop this behavior by taking your dog out on walks and giving it the required amount of daily exercise.
Mental stimulation through the use of puzzles and dog toys will also help to keep your dog away from boredom. Last but not least, give your dog a lot of love and affection that it deserves. Sometimes, they may be engaging in destructive behaviors to get your attention.
Solution for glandular problems
The glands that dogs have at the base of the tail are responsible for emitting a scent that helps to identify the dog’s sex, health, and age. If these glands start to malfunction, the dog feels a lot of uncomfortable sensations. As a result, it might begin to chew at its bum or base of their tail.
To identify and treat this problem, you will need the help of a vet. They will prescribe some antibiotics to tackle this issue.
Home remedies for dog biting tail because of itching
In most cases, dogs bite their tails because it feels itchy. Some home remedies for a dog biting tail habit which any owner can effortlessly try are:
Oatmeal baths
Oatmeal baths help in soothing your dog’s skin and controlling the itchiness. It also helps in reducing inflammation and getting rid of allergens stuck inside the fur. This bath is very easy to prepare; all you have to do is get your hands on some sugar-free oatmeal and grind it until it reaches a power-like consistency. Add this oatmeal powder to the bathwater, and it is complete.
Since oatmeal is edible, your dog will not suffer from the stomach flu even if it ingests some of the bathwater. Adding some Epsom salt to this mixture is also useful in treating skin irritations on dogs.
Vinegar rubs
Rubbing some Apple Cider Vinegar on your dog’s tail helps with the itchiness, and it keeps bacteria and fungus away from the wound caused by chewing. A one-part apple cider vinegar and one part water mixture can do the job of treating the itch as well as discouraging the dog from biting on its tail since most dogs do not like the taste of vinegar.
Another recipe with vinegar is to mix two parts of apple cider vinegar with one part of white vinegar for an effective anti-itch remedy.
Coconut oil rubs
Dry skin is a common reason for itchy skin. What you can do is apply some coconut oil on the dog’s dry skin to keep it moisturized and avoid dry skin problems. Coconut oil is edible and has multiple nutrients and benefits.
Baking soda paste
Adding a bit of water to baking soda to get a paste-like consistency helps in keeping the skin dry, thus, avoiding hot spots. Hot spots thrive and spread under warm and wet conditions. Baking soda can help in eliminating this condition.
