Somebody tell me! my Chihuahua has been biting his own tail...

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Answer by Amanda
Submitted on 1/26/2005
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I have a Lhasa Apso and he always bites his tail and spins around just after he comes back from having his hair cut. A couple of weeks ago he actually bit the tip of the tail off. In the past this behaviour was put down to him catching fleas from there. However, we now think it is a stress related problem, due to having his hair cut, and attention seeking at the same time. What triggers the behaviour off? It's a nasty cycle for the dog to get into and it's so habit forming. I still as yet do not have any quick solutions apart from distract the dog as much as you can, leave him for shorter periods of time, and use a buster collar when its really bad. Sounds silly but remember to reward only the good behaviour as often we reward the bad without knowing it! Good luck.

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Question by g-mac
Submitted on 7/17/2004
Related FAQ: rec.pets.dogs: Chihuahuas Breed-FAQ
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Somebody tell me! my Chihuahua has been biting his own tail when we were not around, when we got home, we found his tail with bite marks and it seems to get worst like fur has been bitten off and like blood mark and stuff, Please somebody tell me if we can do somethin' about it or is it ok. Thanx.

Answer by Willa
Submitted on 7/18/2004
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Sounds to me like your pup needs some Frontline for small dogs. In the summer months ,fleas can be a serious problem for pets. They will ruin their coat trying to get the fleas from their fur. Fleas like to cluster at the tail of dogs. This is driving your dog crazy. Your pup need flea replellent and some medicine for the skin he/she has been biting. The area under the fur your pet has been scratching is most likely red and irritated.

Answer by pituiri
Submitted on 10/31/2005
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I have the same problem with my German Shepard, she is 3 years old and bites her tails since I can remember I can't make it stop... Can there be some sort of anxiety problem?

Answer by Morning
Submitted on 11/1/2005
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I have two Chihuahuas that do this, too. I use Frontline monthly and I see no fleas. I worm them every month, give them their heartworm prevention pill, and they get baths in gently shampoo from the Vet's. They are blown dry, nails clipped, and they also have meds to flush their ears. So, they have excellent care, but they bite their tails like crazy! I have begun to wonder if is not some type of allergy.

Answer by Molly
Submitted on 7/23/2006
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Hay Dont Worrie my chihuahua has the same problem!!! Put some frontline on it!!

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