Why Is My Corgi Obsessed With Chasing His Tail?
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Small Animal Veterinarian
Dr. Karyn is a small animal veterinarian originally from Australia, now based in the UK. She holds degrees in Veterinary Science (2010) and Zoology. When not helping pets, she tends to her 5 cats, 5 dogs, and garden!
The Question
Finn has developed an obsession with chasing and biting his own tail. It started as occasional spinning a few months ago but now he does it for 10-15 minutes at a time, multiple times per day, and has actually bitten his tail hard enough to make it bleed twice this week. I've tried distracting him but he goes right back to it. Could this be a compulsive disorder or is there something physically wrong with his tail?
Quick Info about Finn
📹 Vet's Video Reply (scroll down to see text answer)
Hi Katey, Gosh, this sounds like a bit of a tricky one! With everything you’ve described here, I think this tail obsession has multiple layers, and what might have started out as a simple distraction has turned into a psychosomatic, obsessive compulsive, fixation and coping mechanism. So for us to try to address Finn’s problem, we need to take a look at the different elements: Physical - I know that your vet has checked Finn’s anal glands and injuries, but there still may be something physical at work here and I would be recommending some imaging to rule it out, starting with some x-rays, and possibly even a CT or MRI in case there are spinal issues causing nerve pain or strange sensations. Boredom - as you mentioned, Finn is now left on his own in a smaller space, and this is going to be a huge transition for him. He is going to feel bored, trapped, and frustrated when cooped up for such long periods. We need to change up his daily routine and introduce some doggy daycare, a dog walker, and some boredom busting toys. Unless we can help keep his mind and body occupied during the day, things are likely to get much worse. Mental - this may have started as a physical issue, but it seems as though his tail fixation has become an obsession, and sometimes, medication is needed to help us break this habit so that we can replace this problematic behavior with healthy activity. You can introduce some calming pheromones or supplements, but I suspect you’re going to need more powerful medications to help get this under control. I would suggest making a longer appointment to talk this out with Finn’s regular vet, or you can head to Pangovet.com to make an online appointment with one of the vets there. I’ve included some links below for a bit of extra reading, and wish you the best of luck! Dr Karyn https://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/easy-dog-enrichment-ideas https://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/benefits-of-doggy-daycare