Is it a normal dog behavior or the result of anxiety or something else? Sometimes, a dog chasing their tail can just be a normal behavioral act. Puppies tend to partake in this behavior more than adult dogs, as they are still learning about their bodies. In general, puppies are also more prone to playing and can turn practically anything into a dog chew toy , which sometimes includes their tail. Tail-chasing might also be caused by boredom or lack of exercise, says Dr. Dogs require a lot of stimulation and exercise to keep themselves in peak physical and mental condition.
If your dog is feeling a little bored, he might just come up with a fun tail-chasing game to keep himself occupied. Make a regular habit out of taking him outside with his favorite dog toys a couple times a day, and take him on an extra-long walk a few times a week.
Tail-chasing can be caused by medical issues, such as allergies, fleas, and trauma to or diseases of the tail or spine. Liff says. Your vet can also ascertain if your pet is stressed or anxious and can offer help with those issues as well. Compulsive tail-biting can also be caused by canine compulsive disorder CCD , says Dr. Just like obsessive compulsive disorder OCD can manifest in humans as obsessive cleaning or counting, CCD in dogs can lead to compulsive tail-chasing, fur-licking, or fabric-sucking.
An obsessive dog suffering from separation anxiety may chase his tail to help calm himself while his owner is gone. Or, your dog may chase his tail when he feels overcome with anxiety when a stranger approaches the house or during a loud thunderstorm. We do know that drugs like Prozac SSRIs , which increase serotonin levels, seem to help — but only in some people. Whether you believe in a dog model or not, one thing is becoming clearer in human OCD research: serotonin is not the complete story.
Dodman had concluded from work with horses with the s that glutamate seems to be important. Recent neuroimaging of people with OCD has shown increased blood flow and activation in the cortico-striato-thalamocortical CSTC circuits, a network that loops from the deep centres of the brain to the prefrontal cortex.
This area is dominated by glutamate pathways that are thought to generate controlled movement and thought, and to modulate behavioural routines. Further work testing the cerebral spinal fluid levels of people with OCD found that they had significantly higher levels of glutamate.
When he first met Dodman, Ginns had been studying bipolar disorder and depression in genetically closed populations such as the Amish. Their first collaboration was a genome-wide analysis on 92 flank- and blanket-sucking doberman pinschers compared with 68 control dobermans.
They got one strong statistical hit called neural cadherin or CDH2. In the brain, CDH2 is involved in the development of glutamate receptors. This was the first behavioural gene that had ever had anything to do with OCD, and one of the few behavioural genes that have been discovered. The next step was to look for CDH2 in people. The results were inconclusive. Wendland thinks that sequencing has advanced enough for it to be more beneficial to study humans than to redo any dog studies. In , Dodman decided to move his theories to a clinical setting.
For many years, he had been discussing his work with Michael Jenike, founder of the obsessive compulsive disorder institute at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts.
In a group of 44 patients , everyone got a drug to increase serotonin levels, but half were given memantine as well — and it worked. In brain imaging of his compulsive dobermans , Dodman found that they had structural abnormalities associated with OCD in humans. In February , a group led by Dan Stein, head of the department of psychiatry and mental health at the University of Cape Town, published the results of an examination of the CDH2 gene in humans.
In a genome-wide analysis, he found two areas of interest. The first, in humans, is associated with an increased risk in schizophrenia, and the other harbours serotonin receptor genes.
What you learn to do is appreciate the sameness. The day after Sputnik, I meet Bella, another bull terrier who used to spin but after treatment has almost completely stopped. Rowe-Varone tells us that Bella is also obsessed with balls — and she has to keep balls hidden in the garage. Generally, you can verify that this is the cause by giving your dog more stimulation. If your canine friend is doing it at the park, consider playing fetch with them, walking them, or petting them.
If you see this behavior go down with attention, you can be almost sure that it was nothing but boredom. On the other hand, sometimes chasing can signal something more serious. If you notice your dog biting tail, there's a good chance that something is amiss.
Since dogs cannot scratch themselves, they typically use their teeth for this purpose. Fleas and other parasites e. So you might notice your dog trying to bite their tail when this happens. If you see this behavior, you should first try to inspect the tail yourself. If you don't see anything and the behavior persists, consider booking a trip to the vet. A trained vet can look at the tail and figure out why your pup continues to attack it.
Sometimes an itchy tail which causes biting and chasing can be a result of allergies. In dogs, like most pets, allergies can frequently show up as skin issues. For example, if you recently switched your dog's food, you might be causing some form of allergic reaction. Or, perhaps they accidentally got their tail stuck in some poison ivy. Usually, when this happens, you'll see some red skin or other markers to denote issues. You might see scales, welts, and other apparent signs of allergies.
If you see these, you should book a vet appointment ASAP. The faster you isolate and identify what's causing the reaction, the better off your canine friend will be! If you have young puppies, you might notice this chasing behavior. In this case, the chasing tail meaning is not that serious or profound. A new puppy doesn't always understand that the tail is part of its body. As such, it's fascinating to chase! You might notice your puppy furiously trying to catch its tail, not knowing that it's attached!
If you notice this behavior, keep an eye on the chasing action. If you have a dog that can catch its tail, your pup may try to bite it. Of course, if they do that, they could be in for a world of pain! You're better to step in and stop the behavior early rather than spend a significant amount of time at the vet later!
The last reason why dogs chase their tails is stress.
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