My dog bites his tail and whines after grooming. What can I do?

Question

My dog has kept biting at his tail and whining after his last grooming appointment I don’t know if it’s irritated or maybe he has allergies to something or if it is something else, and is there anything to make him stop biting his tail? Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Male | neutered | 18 lbs

Andrea M. Brodie, DVM · Accepted Answer

Two causes come to mind: 1) Hachi picked up fleas at the groomers and now they are congregating in the tail area and are biting him. Check the base of the tail for fleas and fea dirt and use a flea preventive regularly. 2) Unfortunately many groomers think they know how to empty anal glands and when it is to be done (even when there is no need to!) and do it wrongly, squeezing hard from the outside. THis often bruises the anal sacs and the area around them and starts to get inflamed and hurts. If you can rule out fleas, I suggest you take Hachi to your vet for an exam of the anal glands. He may need an antiinflammatory to resolve the irritation and possible pain.

My dog bites his tail and whines after grooming. What can I do?

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