Expert: Silva Mirovics - 6/17/2009

Question
My dog is a pure breed Japanese Chin and she chews on her hind end and tail to the point that she is making herself bleed. We think it is possibly anxiety but are not sure at the moment. Is there anything we can try for her? We've tried Tea Tree Oil, Itch Relief spray for dogs with Lidocaine, Vitamin E, and even a cone, but nothing has worked so far. Can you please help me?
Thanks
Becca

Answer
Hi Becca
It certainly sounds like stress of some kind.  Firstly make sure that the stress is not being caused because she feels unwell or uncomfortable.  If you can rule these out then have a look at some products that relieve her stress (not products that help her skin so much).  Dr Bach's Rescue Remedy is a great place to start.  You can drop 5 drops onto her skin and/or into her food and water 3 times per day.
There is also a great product called Pet Calm made by www.petalive.com which, with long-term use, should make a difference as well.
I would also look at diet - start adding real foods - raw and natural meats, vegetables, fruits, and stop giving her commercial food as this is highly irritating to the skin.  For more info on natural foods go to www.barfworld.com

I hope this was helpful.
Take care,
Silva.
www.roxysworld.com.au