# Crazy! chasing tail after bath????



## k0205 (Jan 8, 2010)

Every time I give Wilson a bath, (he's 2) he chases his tail to the point that
I have to put him in his crate until he calms down. Today, I gave him a 
bath, didn't put shampoo on his back end, I was careful not to do that.
Rinsed him well and dried him off. I let him run outside so he would
burn off some energy thinking maybe that was it. Nope. Still chasing
his tail. He chases his tail and whines when he grabs it. I expressed his
anal glands so it's not that. If it wasn't every time I give him a bath,
I would figure it was shampoo or something. It has to be something else
and there should be a way to help him. 

Well, he's been chasing his tail since noon! It's 9 pm. I keep putting him in
his crate and he's fine when he's in the crate, doesn't chase his tail. 
I let him out of his crate and it starts again. Any ideas? It's really getting crazy.

Thanks for any ideas!


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## Deb_Bayne (Mar 18, 2011)

karen0205 said:


> * I expressed his anal glands so it's not that.*


How do you do this? I've never heard of this before. 

Bayne will chase his tail too (not after bath time though), catch it and walk around looking like a donut. He will grab the base of his tail not the end or the hair. This looks really weird and I don't know why he is doing that, he'll do it first thing in the morning or after I touch his tail sometimes. Is it normal or should I be looking for something or is it the 'anal glands' as you say?


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## wmag (Mar 17, 2011)

Kasey chases her tail all the time. It drives me crazy because then she ends up ripping her hair out. I usually spray her tail with bitter apple to get her to stop. I can't figure it out either just hoping she grows out of it!


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## k0205 (Jan 8, 2010)

Hi Deb,
(for anyone who doesn't know, the anal gland releases a scent on the dog's stool. It is a marking scent. Normally it is deposited on the stool when it passes through their rectum but if their stool is small, sometimes it doesn't get depressed so it winds up accumulating in the anal gland. They sometimes scoot their butt across the floor or chase their tails because they are irritated back there and can't resolve it.) My vet showed me how to do it when Wilson had it a few times. I wasn't going to pay for an office visit every month or how ever often it needs to be expressed. My vet offered to show me, he told me he had one person who brings their dog in every 2 weeks for it to be done. I can't be at the vet every month with my dog for something that my vet thinks I can do at home. It's easy but you have to get your vet to show you how to do it. I can see why it bothers him because a couple times they have been pretty full and they get hard. There are 2 glands, one at 8 and one at 4 ( on a clock) from their rectum. Wilson's have been about the size of a small grape tomato when they are full. 

I put him in his crate when he starts that tail chasing. It can become an obsessive behavior and I don't want him ripping his tail apart. Sometimes they are playing but other times it's something causing them to notice their back end. Whether it's irritation or glands or something else. It drives me nuts though! I wanted to know if maybe anyone has linked it to something with giving them a bath as that's the only time he does it now. He's 2


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

Yes, I have read that tail chasing is related to the anal gland issue. Sasha chases his tail (he's 18 months) and has to have his anal glands expressed about every three weeks. Our vet showed my husband how to do it but you don't want to do it too often either.. can cause more problems.


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## Deb_Bayne (Mar 18, 2011)

Wow, will have to check this out as Bayne does this everyday and I also have to put him in his crate since he will destroy everything in the room with this chasing and catching becoming a donut. I haven't noticed scooting on his butt, but he does turn himself into a pretzel trying to reach between his legs. 

He's due for a checkup at the vet, sounds like an investment in latex/non latex gloves is in order?


I found these videos

http://www.ehow.com/video_2275318_express-dog_s-anal-gland.html






comments said that this is the most informative







I will still go to my vet for hands on instructions, at least these videos give an idea of what it is all about.


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## k0205 (Jan 8, 2010)

Definitely if Bayne does the scooting every day I would have the vet check him out. Tell him first that you want him to show you if he needs them expressed so he doesn't do both. My vet does it in a split second!


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