Why is my dachshund aggressively chewing her tail after back meds?

Poor Lola! She could be biting her back and tail because of fleas, mites, ringworm, or allergies. If she isn't up to date on her flea treatment, she will need a spot on treatment such as Advantage or Revolution. You will need to disinfect the environment as well. If she is up to date on her flea treatment, I recommend taking her into the vet for an exam tomorrow. The vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm. Once the cause of the biting is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment.

This is a common area for dogs to chew when they have fleas, and it is possible that is what is causing Princess's symptoms. If she isn't up to date on her flea treatments, I can give you one for her. First, I would give her 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 her 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 Princess is up to date on her flea treatments, other causes include mites, allergies, and ringworm. In that case, I recommend taking her into the vet for an exam tomorrow. The vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm. Once the cause of the biting and sores is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment.

It sounds like your vet has established a complete treatment plan for Honey. It is odd that these new symptoms have appeared. Bacterial infection, mites, or nerve disorders could cause this behavior. I would recommend that you have Honey re-evaluated by her vet to determine what could be the cause for this new behavior, since they are most familiar with her individual case.

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.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach, and thank you for the pictures! The lower back/base of the tail is a classic area for a flea infestation. Fleas make dogs incredibly itchy, causing them to bite or scratch at the area, and cause hair loss. This area can get very sensitive and painful to dogs. I recommend bringing Nala to your veterinarian at their next available appointment to have her examined. Your vet can do a test to check for fleas, and can perform a skin scrape to see if there are any other external parasites such as mites or lice, or a secondary bacterial infection, that may be contributing to her itching. Nala should be on a consistent flea and tick preventative that can be purchased from your veterinarian. We do NOT recommend using flea and tick products that can be purchased from a food or pet store, as these are not safe or effective for use in dogs. There are no effective "natural" or holistic flea and tick preventatives, either. I hope this is helpful - best of luck with Nala!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Itchiness in dogs, especially on the tail or tail base, can be caused by allergies, such as to fleas, food or environmental allergens. Other causes of itchiness include bacterial infections in the skin, mites such as demodex, and/or fungal infections. Please ensure that Cookie is on a consistent flea and tick preventative medication that was prescribed by a veterinarian. Flea medications/treatments that can be purchased from a food or pet store or online are not safe or effective in dogs. The house itself must also be treated for fleas, with very frequent vacuuming and even "flea bombing". If Cookie is already on an appropriate flea medication year round, I recommend having her examined by a veterinarian for an exam and skin scrape to evaluate for the presence of an infection and/or mites. I hope this is helpful!

Check your dogs for fleas. This is a typical area where fleas congregate. If you have not done so, start flea prevention on all of your dogs and regularly vacuum your house and furniture as well as non-carpeted areas, wash bedding in hot water. If the itching does not stop after a few days (after using flea prevention), take your dog to a vet for an exam as there may be other causes such as a fungal or bacterial or mite infection.