Why Do Dogs Bite Their Tails? – 5 Home Remedies To Stop Them From Biting

Why Do Dogs Bite Their Tails?
Many dogs bite their tails out of boredom, to get rid of tail parasites, and to seek owners’ attention. Tail biting and chewing are typical behavior in dogs and should not be a sign of worry for pet parents.

Dogs are known as logical creatures, but have you ever wondered why some of them bite their tails?

Almost every pet owner has seen their dog biting their tail regularly. While it’s hard to figure out why they’re chewing their tail by just seeing them doing so, there are some possible causes behind this behavior in them.

Today, we’re going to look at some potential reasons behind their tail-biting habit and discover some ways to stop them from doing so. Let’s dive straight into the topic…

Related Articles You May Like:

• 5 Tail Purposes You Didn’t Know About
• 20 Fun Facts About Dog Tails

Why Do Dogs Bite Their Tails?

Dogs use their tails to communicate and convey their message to the outer world. But when they do weird stuff like chasing or chewing their tail frequently, it becomes annoying to see them. Sometimes, this tail biting behavior even turns into destructive behavior in dogs.

The fact is, not every dog breed is fond of chasing and biting their tail. Some dogs bite their tail to comfort themselves from pains like parasites, fleas, underlying injuries, allergies, etc. And some of them chew their tail just out of boredom and anxiety.

This behavior is also known as Compulsive Behavior in dogs. Compulsive behavior occurs when a dog starts suddenly racing, circling, freezing, staring, and performing other self-mutilation actions. 

What Does It Mean When A Dog Bite Their Tail?

Normally dogs don’t bite their tails unless they’re struggling with pain in their tail area. If your dog has suddenly started biting their tail, there could be various reasons leading to this behavior in them. The chances are that they might be suffering from stress, anxiety, injury, or any other underlying illness. Sometimes, dogs also bite their tail hard to get rid of parasites and fleas on their tail.

So, to stop them from chewing and biting their tail, first we need to find out the possible reasons behind their tail biting behavior.

5 Reasons Behind Constant Tail Biting In Dogs

Dogs seem adorable when they chase their tails, but when tail-chasing turns into biting, it looks they’re out of control and need some help. So, as an attentive dog owner, it’s your job to find out why your furry friend is so obsessed with their tail that they’ve even started biting it. 

As already said above, there could be various causes associated with dogs’ tail-biting behavior. Below are the five possible reasons that will help you understand why do dogs bite their tails.

1. The Tail Has Presence Of Parasites

One of the most common reasons behind tail-biting in dogs is the presence of parasites, fleas, and ticks on their tail. Our little furry friends can get these bacteria from various things, such as from eating raw meat or coming in contact with infected animals.

Dogs usually bite their tail to get rid of parasites from their bodies and relieve themselves from the insects. If your dog has parasites on its body, you may notice them losing sudden weight, having a poor appetite, or constantly scratching their skin. 

Related: How To Clean Your Dog’s Ear Naturally At Home

2. The Tail Has Bacterial Infection

If your dog has a bacterial infection and is biting its tail, you should take him to the vet right away. Bacterial infection in dogs is spread by coming in contact with infected animals, open wounds, cuts, and needs to be treated immediately. In some cases, dogs suffer a lot due to parasital infections on their body, just because they were not given proper treatment at the right time.

3. The Tail Is Injured

When dogs wag their tail too much, it sometimes results in pain and swelling. This further leads to cuts and bleeding and turns out to be an injury. Sometimes, dogs also injure their tails while fighting with other pets or walking roughly on the roads.

Tail injuries can be of various types:

• Open Wounds: Excessive biting, licking, and chewing can inflame a tail injury, causing a dog’s wound to worsen. For that reason, it’s crucial to monitor your dog for any signs of infection or other worsening conditions after they have injured their tail.

• Broken Tail: If your dog is frequently biting their tail and showing signs of pain, it might be a signal that they’ve broken their tail. However, it’s not a common sign and happens rarely. Still, If you notice your pet struggling to lift its tail, make sure to take your doggie to the veterinarian as soon as possible.

• Tail Itching: Just like humans, dogs also like scratching their skin whenever they feel uncomfortable with some tickling senses. If your dog is constantly scratching their tail, there’s a possibility that they might have developed an itching tail which needs to be addressed quickly.

4. Your Dog Is Seeking Attention

Sometimes dogs like to wag their tails very fast to seek attention from you and other people surrounding them. And, if they feel that no one is giving them the proper attention, they start licking and biting their tail in order to grab the crowd.

This behavior is very common in dogs and should not bother you. It’s better to give your pup proper engagement so that they will stop biting their waggy tail to seek your attention.

5. Due To Boredom And Anxiety

There is a myth that dogs don’t get bored. However, as per the studies, dogs show signs of boredom and anxiety when they don’t have anything meaningful to do. So to get rid of their anxiety, they find ways to deal with this, including chasing and chewing their tail.

So if your pet is relatively healthy and fit and suddenly starts biting their tail, that means they are doing it out of boredom and should not be a reason of concern.

Related: Teach Your Dog To Roll Over To Kill Their Boredom

How To Stop A Dog From Biting Their Tail?

Seeing a dog chasing and biting its tail at regular intervals can be a sign of worry for many of you. As we have already discussed many reasons why dogs chew their tails, it’s time to find solutions to stop them.

So, here are 5 ways to stop your dog from biting its tail:

1. Get Rid Of Fleas And Parasites

If you’re observing the presence of ticks, fleas, and parasites on your dog’s tail, your dog will bite its tail more often. What else can they do to get these bacteria removed? So, they take the only known approach, biting their tail super hard, making the condition worse.

In order to remove fleas from your dog’s fur, you should use some anti-flea drops to get rid of them completely. You can also use anti-flea shampoos to eliminate fleas from your dogs’ tail.

2. Treat Visible Wounds & Cuts On the Tail

It’s simple. Get rid of the visible cuts and wounds on your dog’s tail, and stop them from biting or licking it. In case of minor injuries, you can take the help of any antiseptics or OTC ointments to help cure the wound. However, if the damage has spread up, it’s advisable to visit your vet as soon as possible. An open wound is an invitation for fleas and other bacterial infections, which will harm your pet more than anything.

3. Protect The Tail From Further Injuries

You can protect the injured area of the tail by bandaging it properly. There are dog pads available in the market, which help protect any injury wounds on the dog skin. By using precautionary measures, you can safeguard your dog’s infected area from the reach of parasites and other troubles.

4. Stop Your Dog From Reaching Their Tail

You can also restrict your dog’s mouth from reaching their tail’s area and control the biting to some extent. It can be done by using muzzles or mouth covers to protect the tail from the dog’s teeth. You can also cover your dog’s tail with a cloth to protect it from direct dog’s teeth or paws contact.

5. Reach Out To Medical Assistance

When nothing works out and the situation seems out of control, it’s best to reach out to your vet. The vet will closely examine the possible reasons they’re biting their tail and suggest some ways to stop them from doing so.

5 Natural Home Remedies For Dog Biting Tail

Now there are some natural home remedies as well to help your dog control their tail biting. The home remedies might not always work on every breed, as each dog acts differently for a particular disease. However, you can still try them to give your dog some comfort as home remedies rarely have any downsides. So, below are 5 home remedies to stop dogs from chewing their tail.

1. Give Them An Oatmeal Bath

Oatmeal baths are a great way to relieve dogs from itches and rashes. Oatmeal soothes the dog’s skin and controls the itchiness to a great extent. It also reduces inflammation and eliminates the parasites and fleas that are stuck under the dog’s fur.

To prepare an oatmeal bath, take some preservative-free oatmeal and powder it. After that, add this powder to the lukewarm water, and bathe your dog with the final product.

2. Use Coconut Oil Rubs

Another good natural home remedy to get rid of allergies and itches is coconut oil. Coconut oil helps reduce the inflammation of the cuts and helps in moisturizing the dry skin. You can rub coconut oil to your dog’s tail area, which has infected wounds. Make sure to use clean cotton for rubbing the oil drops.

3. Providing The Balanced Diet

A properly balanced diet is very essential for a dog’s health. The nutrients and vitamins in the food help them fight any allergens and boost their immunity level. To get rid of excessive itching in the tail area of your dog, feed them with fish or sweet potatoes. Fish has omega-3 fatty acids, which are a great source of protein to fight itching symptoms.

4. Proper Exercise And Stimulation

One of the best ways to help stop your dog from biting its tail is to provide them with plenty of exercise and stimulation. Taking your dog for brisk walks or playing games with them can keep them occupied and prevent them from biting their tail out of boredom.

5. Making The Environment Calm

Sometimes a dog starts to bite their tail because they are feeling stressed. You can help relieve them from anxiety by providing them with a calm and peaceful environment. You can also try training your dog by using positive reinforcement techniques, which can help them to improve their biting behavior.

Treatment For Dog Biting Tail Until It Bleeds

Most of the time, when a dog bites their tail excessively, the tail gets sore and swells up. The infected area becomes damaged and starts to bleed. While many dog owners panic by seeing blood in their dog’s tail, one must calm themselves and seek the proper treatment.

It would be best to visit your veterinarian to help treat your dog’s tail wounds and injuries. And, it’s advisable to always consult with your vet when the situation gets worse and seems out of control.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

There are a few common questions that many dog owners have asked, and we’ve tried our best to cover them all to help you out. If you’ve any more queries regarding your pet’s tail injury, please let us know in the comments section.

---

Final Words

It’s not that hard to understand the reasons why your dog is chasing and biting its tail. With all the reasons listed down above, we’re sure you’ll find it easy to catch the root of the problem.

After finding the real reasons, you must treat your dog with the help of the home remedies suggested above or by consulting it with your vet. 

Make sure you never scold your dog if they’re biting or chewing their tail. They’re just dealing with some problem, and it’s our job to help them out with a proper solution.