Itchy dog.

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi Erica and thanks for your question. While I won't be able to say for sure what is going on, I can give you a few ideas.

When I see a dog who is chewing at the base of their tail it is almost always because of fleas. Some dogs can be very allergic to fleas. It is really common for a dog to have fleas and for us to not be able to see them. But there are some things that you can look for.

Have a look at the skin around this bald area and see if you can find any little tiny black flecks. If so, take them and put them on a white paper towel and then put a drop of water on them. If you can get them to smear a rusty color then this is flea dirt.

However, even if I didn't see flea dirt I would be treating for fleas...especially because some of the other dogs are itchy as well.

The best thing you can do is to get a prescription strength flea product from your veterinarian such as Revolution, Advantage, Frontline or Comfortis. The products you can buy in the pet store do not work well at all.

You'll need to treat all of the pets in the house and treat them for at least three months in a row.

There are other things that can cause itchiness in this area. It is possible that Chloe has something called a hot spot. A hot spot is a skin infection that has started with a break in the skin. These need to be treated with antibiotics and steroids, both of which would be prescribed by a veterinarian.


While allergies can cause itchiness, it's rare to have itchiness over the base of the tail.

I hope that helps! And I hope everybody is better soon!

Dr. Marie.


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