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Ask the Veterinarian/female dog is whiny ,cant get comfortable and tail is going to side

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Expert: - 5/29/2010


Question
My female dog of 1 year is acting strange she is whiny and can't seem to get comfortable and is biting at tail end but yet she still plays ,is this a sign of heat and or a sign of blockage

Answer
I don't know what kind of blockage you are referring to. She should already be spayed but it isn't a sign of heat.

Usually when a dog is whining and biting at her tail it's because she has hurt it somehow, or she has a lot of fleas and that's the main place they congregate and they are biting her.

We have seen dogs walk sideways like sidewinder snakes from fleas driving them nuts. We have also seen dogs that have broken their tails do this.

Check her for fleas really closely and have someone else look also. Get her wet back there and see if the water runs off red. If it does she has flea dirt all over her back end. It is the most common thing that causes this.

But like I said, if they hurt their tails or their lower back they will act this way.
If she is flea free then call the vet because she has injured herself somehow.

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

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PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

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Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

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Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

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Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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