[Superpup]

I have posted here before about Cody chewing on his tail... well I thought it was stress related, because there were things that changed in his life and he started chewing... now there is NOTHING new or changed in his life and I noticed that he is chewing on his tail again.. just a little spot on his tail, same spot as before...
could it be allergies? Should I give him Benadryl? Why is it happening only every now and then? Last time this happened was a few months ago, he sometimes also chews on his back paws, on top of them, he had a hot spot there a couple of months ago, now it is gone, but now this again...
I just don't know what to do.. I feel so bad for him. I have taken him to the vet several times, they keep giving me antibiotics to give him, and I just put neosporin on the spots..
If you guys have any suggestions, it would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[natalie559]

Do you use flea prevention?

 

[Superpup]

YEs I do. I give him Frontline.

 

[VSellar]

Paivi

have you tried Neosporin for pain - apparently it has a mild analgesic (or something) that helps calm the itchiness too - my vet recommended it to me for Q. As for the scratching... could it be pollen allergies - lots of tree and flower pollen around now - unless you are in PA where it is raining so hard even the birds can't get in the air!!!

Hope you find an answer soon...

 

[Superpup]

Yeah I have. I put it on his spot twice this morning and some yucky stuff on top so it would deter him from chewing.. But he continues still chewing... someone suggested, maybe he is just bored. He gets plenty of exercise and training each day, he has two Kongs and bones for the daytime when we are gone..
I am gonna wash his tail tonight with an antibiotic shampoo, put more neosporin on it and just hope he stops it. I am also gonna give him more salmon oil.

 

[MLinn730]

My shep X does the same thing, and it is related to allergies. I give him some Benadryl and it gets better.

Be careful how much neosporin he injests because it has made my dog sick in the past.

I would call your vet and ask about the appropriate dose of benadryl for a dog his size,

 

[kshort]

Max would do this on occasion also. I was a little worried about him licking Neosporin also, so I got a topical ointment from the vet. The only thing that kept him from chewing was wrapping his tail. I would start with gauze, then cover with vet wrap, then athletic tape at the top and bottom of the wrap. And yes, it pulls a little hair out when you take the tape off. It should stay wrapped for at least a week to 10 days. Just don't wrap too tightly.

 

[JKlatsky]

Argos is chewing his thighs again now that spring (and pollen!) are in the air. He doesn't usually chew down to the skin, but his back legs end up looking very tan, because he chews all the black tips off his hair! I don't really like neosporin for that because the itchies arn't just localized and I'm not dealing with open wounds...I found a spray at the local holistic store that has calendula oil in it, along with some other stuff like aloe and that seems to keep the skin soothed and less itchy. After a good brushing, I just spray a bunch on his legs and rub it in down to the skin.

 

[spartshep]

Try Wholistic Canine Complete enzyme supplement along with their salmon oil. The website is http://www.thewholisticpet.com I use this for my dogs and they are the rock of well being and exceptional health.

 

[Superpup]

Thanks everyone. I am gonna try a combination of things... I just went to the store and got Benadryl (in case it is allergies -how much should I give him?), I got a Benadryl-ointment, neosporin.. I am gonna go after work to the holistic pet store and get salmon oil...he may just need more omega 3's in his diet.. who knows!?!

 

[BowWowMeow]

I don't use Neosporin for my dogs because it is dangerous to ingest. Instead I use calendula. It works great and is safe. You can find it in a creme at the health food store. If you can find calendula-hypericum blend, that is even better. It is very soothing and also helps hot spots heal.

This does sound like allergies to me.

 

[JenM66]

Gracie chews her tail and licks her girl bits. When she was sleeping on the couch last night (upsidedown in the most non-girly of poses) I noticed she is red/irritated. I gave her benadryl this AM. You can give 1mg/pound. Even though Gracie is 64 pounds I only give her 50 mg and that seems to be enough. I give it to her twice a day. Check with your vet for dosage just to play it safe. You can also use a very mild hydrocoritsone cream to stop the itchies.

 

[JeanKBBMMMAAN]

Sometimes it can be indicative of parasites/worms or anal gland issues.