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This information is provided by Provet for educational purposes only. You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet. Dogs are frequently (and cats occasionally) presented to veterinarians because they are biting or licking at their flanks or tailbase. Sometimes they cause severe damage to themselves resulting in bleeding, red raw areas with hair loss. Why do they do this ? When a dog or cat turns around the nearest it can get to it's rear end is the base of it's tail or the flank. So, sucking or biting at the flank or tailbase might be caused by local irritation, or by something irritating anywhere in the pelvic area, or in the anal region. The animal will attack the side nearest to the irritation. Common causes include :
Less common causes are :
Whatever the primary cause of the irritation the self-trauma creates a local area of injury with infection and so it and the underlying problem must both be treated simultaneously. The earlier veterinary attention is obtained the sooner the progression of the condition can stopped, and relief can be provided for your pet. If the biting or sucking continues for a long time it can develop into a habit which can be very difficult to stop. You might also be interested in Updated October 2013 | |||