Why Does My Dog Chase His Tail

Sometimes albeit uncommonly tail chasing is a sign of obsessive compulsive disorder.

Why does my dog chase his tail. An obsessive dog suffering from separation anxiety may chase his tail to help calm himself while his owner is gone. If your dog is compulsively chasing his tail he can cause serious damage by biting and chewing on it when he finally does catch it. Watching a dog chase her tail is undeniably entertaining but when she does it constantly it can get worrisome. Why does my dog try to bite its tail.

Pacing can be in a circle or in a straight line. Experts recommend seeing a vet any time your dog suddenly starts to chase or bite his tail as dogs will chew at a painful area much like people rub an arthritic knee. If your dog exhibits any seizure type problems seek your veterinarian s help immediately. Steve weinberg dvm is the founder of 911 vets an in home pet medical service in california that provides on call animal emergency services 24 hours a day.

Continued common compulsive behaviors. As mentioned before dogs can often bite their tail as a means of discovery when they are younger or as a means of comfort when they are older. If chasing their tail calms their heart rate down your dog will correlate that with feeling better and this means that they ll start performing the same action time and again whenever they are feeling apprehensive. Tail chasing may include physical damage to the tail or just the motion of chasing it.

Pacing some dogs walk or trot along a specific path in a fixed pattern. Another dog may chase his tail when over excited by the presence of a visitor or an animal or bird in the yard. When your dog is biting its tail there is a much better sign that they are facing some type of medical issue or irritation with their tail. This could explain why your dog is licking or chewing on their feet or indeed chase their tail.

A dog suffering from separation anxiety may chase his tail like a nervous person bites his nails. In some cases tail chasing may also be a form of idiopathic epilepsy says dr. Dogs have been known to experience hair loss on their tails due to this kind of behavior and even cause themselves injury. Some dogs with anal gland problems flea allergic dermatitis or other medical issues have been known to chase their rear ends.

Or a dog may bite his tail after an injury find that it is soothing and continue to chew his tail after the injury is healed. Tail chasing a dog runs in a tight circle as if chasing his tail. Or your dog may chase his tail when he feels overcome with anxiety when a stranger approaches the house or during a loud thunderstorm.