Why does my dog bite himself till bleeding?
This is a question that we often get from sitters and owners who work with Rover. Help the community out by answering them in our forum!
2 Answers
That sounds really painful. It seems that if the dog is inflicting that damage to himself, it's due to some significant discomfort or pain that needs to be addressed and resolved. It could be due to allergies, infection,fleas, ticks, or other parasites. Please bring it to a vet's attention.
If no physical medical reasons are found, this often is a result of anxiety. I have seen dogs actually chew themselves to death so this needs to be addressed and very fast. I would take the dog to the vet but choose a vet who is also a behaviorist. First see if the chewing is due to a physical issue such as itching or pain. If not physical, get a full psychological evaluation done. The vet might suggest medication or some form of behavior modification therapy. Either way, this is an issue that unfortunately does require urgent veterinarian attention.