My dog's pulling hair from tail & not eating post-eye surgery. Help!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. The hair is expected to grow back when the allergies and infections resolve. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. This is actually a very common location for flea allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The signs you are describing can be related to your dog's anal glands - these are structures that create lubrication for the feces and can become impacted or infected. You may be seeing redness around the anus because your dog has been scooting or licking/chewing the area. Another cause can be a bacterial or fungal infection. I recommend having your dog seen by a vet as soon as possible, they can perform a rectal exam to determine if there are any anal gland issues. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If the hair is growing back in the area, the original problem has likely resolved. It could have been from an allergy that caused Buddy to chew the hair off of the tail. This could also be due to a skin infection, skin parasite or hormonal disease causing the hair loss. I would monitor this for now and if it does not resolve or if it worsens, I would have a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. 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. Please remember to rate this answer as helpful or not. Thank you!

Hello. Thanks for contacting us about Scarlett. Biting the tail could be due to a few things. She could have an allergy which is causing her tail to itch, or she could have impacted anal glands which causes general discomfort around the tail area. Anal glands can be emptied by your vet. Hair loss in younger dogs like her is usually due to the dog biting the area as you suspect. I would have your vet check her skin and anal glands and go from there. I hope that helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.