Max

PaleRider

Hi

Max is a very good German Shepard, one year old. He is a much loved dog. However he has started to bite his tail for no reason we can understand. Can anyone advice as to what we can do to address this. Thanks

SillyMangoX

Have you treated him for fleas or worms lately? They could be a cause for scratching around the hind area, or he may have a bot of dermatitis, or even a cut or nettle sting, bee sting... list goes on! But if you havent given him flea of worm treatment in a while I'd start there.

PaleRider

Max had a full check up with vet recently. He is up to date with with worms/fleas etc.

SillyMangoX

Its probably just something like a bee sting or something then, if he's at it so much it bleeds I'd being him back to the vet though just to rule out allergies.

PaleRider

I'm going to bring him to a new vet for second opinion.

littlebug

Did he get his anal glands checked when he got a check up? My dogs tail was a mess when we got her and she was constantly chewing it. it all stopped once her glands were emptied.

PaleRider

Hi
I will mention to vet when I take Max. How is this procedure done?

DBB

Hi OP,
When a German Shepherd starts biting its tail, it's time to get worried. Having eliminated it being anal gland problems, the next avenue that must be explored with this breed is the horrible condition, anal furunculosis. They are prone to it and it can be difficult enough to get to grips with.
It is also important to eliminate hip dysplasia, or spinal problems (not necessarily spinal problems near his tail either), as biting parts of the body can be a symptom of referred pain, or pain in another part of the body that the dog can't access with normal grooming or self-protective behaviours.
Sheps are also rather notorious for developing compulsive tail-chasing disorders. This may not be entirely unrelated to the anal furunculosis problem, as many compulsions develop as a response to a response to pain. the behaviour itself becomes self-comforting and it eprsists long after the original medical condition has been dealt with.
The problem is, you're going to need a very good vet. There are some vets out there who deal with this problem by amputating the tail. This rarely gives a satisfactory outcome, because it doesn't deal with the underlying cause of the problem, and IMO is a disgraceful response to the problem. Dealing with tail-chewing, tail-chasing, or any other unusual behaviours can mean thinking outside the box from a veterinary point of view, and some vets are better at this than others.
Did your vet give any theories as to why the dog is chewing his tail? If any of the above explanations were not offered as possibilities, you probably need another vet!
If this turns out to be compulsive behaviour (e.g. has it got worse? Does it happen in more scenarios than it used to? Will he stop doing it, and remain stopped, after being distracted from it? Does he do it when people are present and absent?), then you're going to need a good behaviourist, and a vet who has really good knowledge of the proper medications to use for compulsive disorders. I've seen vets make unforgiveable mistakes in this regard, so you need to be really happy with your vet!

PaleRider

DBB. Thanks for your detailed reply. The vet offered little advice. I will go to another vet. Max will do it when your their next to him. Mostly when your being good to him. Plenty of times he will happily laze around the garden, sleeping. I need to study your reply in more detail. I can't thank you enough for your help. And also the other posters.

I need to think about this more.

DBB

PaleRider wrote: »

DBB. Thanks for your detailed reply. The vet offered little advice. I will go to another vet. Max will do it when your their next to him. Mostly when your being good to him. Plenty of times he will happily laze around the garden, sleeping. I need to study your reply in more detail. I can't thank you enough for your help. And also the other posters.

I need to think about this more.

It is always possible that it could be an attention-seeking behaviour too. But even this can cause the biting to become a self-appeasing repetitive behaviour. ONe thing you probbaly need to do: set up a video camera so you can see if he's doing this when he's alone. It is important to know! If he's doing it on his own, then it's not an attention-seeking problem in all likelihood.
Also, consider whether he's doing this a lot or a little. Does it take up more of his time than it should? For example, most dogs will have the odd tail-bite, but that's all it is, a quick scratch and they're done. So, perhaps time the bouts, see how long they last, and see if you can see how many times he tends to do it in any given period.. e.g. x nibbles per hour, on average.

gregers85

This is great advise from DBB - I keep German shepherds, I would definitely recommend getting Max's Hips and Elbows tested! It is always recommended to get them checked after the dog turns 13-15 months! If it does turn out to be dysplasia I would highly recommend looking into hydro therapy! One other thing to ask the Vet about is eczema! 2 of my friends with GSDs have recently had there dogs diagnosed with this! both noticed the dog started by chewing its tail which escalated in one of the cases into the dogs tearing all her hair from the hind area!

PaleRider

Hi
I already keep a diary of Max. Food he eats/likes how he generally doing. I will keep an eye on the duration of tail biting. He has passed all the checks re Hip etc. A lot of times in the day max will be very happy barking at cows in the field.Patrolling his perimeter around the house.

Assassins Creed

Any chance its just plain boredom. Does he get walked, played with.

PaleRider

He gets walked once a day. He also goes to dog training. He is getting on well at his classes. But I think he may be board.

He gets attention from everybody in the family - visitors & friends.

We were thinking of getting a small house dog to keep max company during the day. But we would have to be careful about what kind.

The teenage family are off during the summer so they are always outside. Their is another problem with attention he will do the tail biting/chasing when there is a crowd or just now when I closed him in for his food. His tail was wet when I came back.

Max is our first family dog.

I'm not sure. Thanks to everybody for your help/interest.

DBB

PaleRider wrote: »

Their is another problem with attention he will do the tail biting/chasing when there is a crowd or just now when I closed him in for his food. His tail was wet when I came back.

This bit interests me. How is Max with people generally? By this I mean, does he clearly adore all people and act affectionately with all comers, or is he more reserved around some people? And when you say he does it when there's a crowd... does this mean simply when there are lots of people about, or are they all doing something that involves Max at the time? Is Max used to being part of a large group of people, or is more used to a quiet life with just family members around him?
Sorry OP, for all the questions! But more specifics may help give you, and your vet, something to go on.

Assassins Creed

Also can you elaborate on the " closed him in for his food".

PaleRider

Thanks
What I mean by a crowd is just that family members. For example maybe two adults out gardening with one child you go to pet him / a few nice words will start him chasing tail, but not always.

Max is introduced to all visitors in the house or outside. He is very good with people extremely friendly kind. Not nervous. He clearly adores people and is affectionate with everyone.

When he meets people on walks he is friendly.

DBB

Hi OP,
I asked because I wondered is he at all anxious about being in a crowd, or around people he doesn't know. But it sounds from what you say that he's a amiable, happy chappy in these situations.
However, there is something going on that these specific situations cause an "episode". This needs thorough investigation. For example, does it happen no matter where the dog is? Does it happen more when a certain person/people approach him? Is there a pattern to the way people approach him when he starts an episode? Does it happen at a certain time of day? How do people react to him when he starts?
And again, I think it's important, if you haven't already, to establish via video whether he ever does this when he's alone.

PaleRider

There is no pattern. He does the chasing alone, or in your presence. I'm able to observe max now from my window. He is laying on his side chewing an old plastic bottle, he look so happy. I bought him loads of toys but he likes anything but these.

A.Creed.
I close max in for feeding because he would neglect to eat for himself. But his weight is fine.