Why is my dog biting his tail, and what are these lumps? Mango worms?

Any lumps/bumps that you notice on your dog should be checked out by your vet. Lumps are usually one of these things: * abscess (infection) * cyst * tumor/cancer There is no way I can tell you what it is just by looking at a photo but I have a suspicion these are cysts. That being said, usually they don't cause the dog any issues so that fact that he is biting at his tail makes me think he needs to see your vet.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Toby and for providing a picture of his lump, it's very helpful. That is quite a big lump, and he will be biting his tail because it's bothering him. This lump could be a cyst, abscess, a benign tumor, or a malignant tumor. Unfortunately I cannot diagnose what it is without seeing him in person. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. Give his vet a call now to make him an appointment. Until he sees the vet, I would put an Ecollar on him to keep him from biting his tail further. If you don't have one at home already, you can buy one at a pet store. I hope this helps!

Hello, that looks like a local skin infection. This could be secondary to fleas or or some prior local irritation which causes itchiness and a subsequent infection, This could respond to antibiotics if the infection is bacterial. Other kind of infections include parasites and fungal infections which are less likely. I would recommend having the area looked at by your veterinarian as it may need either topical or oral antibiotics to treat. Additionally, ensure your dog is on adequate monthly flea prevention and in the interim, you can put an e-collar on your dog to keep the area protected from the licking which could make it worse. Hope this helps and best of luck.

It sounds as if your dog has a skin infection, most commonly caused by an allergy, a skin mite (Demodex) or fleas. 

The allergy could be a due to a protein in your dog’s food or an environmental allergy like to dust, pollens, grasses, etc. 

The allergy causes your dog to itch and chew at the skin which breaks down the skin barrier. This then leads to infection. Skin infections are typically characterized by large areas of redness, crusting, flaking, and pustules. A thorough skin examination by your veterinarian should be able to determine the cause of the itch so it can be treated appropriately. Your dog will most likely need antibiotics to help clear up the infection and possibly an allergy/anti-itch medication like Apoquel, Atopica, or Cytopoint to give some relief while the infection clears up. A medicated shampoo may be beneficial as well. I would also recommend he be on a good flea control routinely too. 

 I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

While it is nearly impossible to say what the original cause of this irritation was, Molly now has a full-fledged lick dermatitis lesion on her tail. The best things you can do are the following: -Clip the area surrounding the lesion so now hair is touching the affected part -Scrub the area with antiseptic like chlorhexidine or dilute betadine -Apply a triple antibiotic ointment and a topical steroid ointment -Put an e collar on her to prevent further mutilation of the area -Treat for fleas / ticks if she is not already on something for this, as this the most common cause for lesions on the hind end and tail If you believe there is truly a lump beneath that infected area, you should have it looked by your veterinarian once the area has healed up so that appropriate diagnostics can be made if necessary. Hope this helps!

It's hard to tell just from the photos because many lesions will look the same despite different causes. Those spots on Mara could be several things including fleas, allergies,superficial bacterial infection or endocrine disease. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. I do recommend to go ahead and treat for fleas just in case. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. You can wash the lesions once a day (not her whole body, just the lesions). Also protect the area from trauma by having your pup wear an elizabethan collar at all times. If the lesions do not start improving within a week or if they are getting worse, have her examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Based on the pictures you have provided, I would say that these bumps you are seeing are likely cysts. As cysts fill and become larger, they can become uncomfortable. I would recommend that you have a veterinarian examine these so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. The vet can insert a small needle into the bumps and look at the cells under a microscope to help determine what these could be. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.