What if you see your pet biting its bum without no end? Don’t neglect that signal, as it might indicate a more serious concern for your dog’s health.
Let’s join in this article to find out the reasons for a dog biting base of tail but no fleas.
Furthermore, there are also suggestions on how to help your furry friend feel more comfortable and prevent it from engaging in injurious chewing behavior.
Why Is My Dog Biting Base Of Tail But No Fleas Found?

Most pet owners tend to think of fleas as the main culprit, but it’s not always the case.
Allergies, internal parasites, contact dermatitis, or problems with anal gland, hormone, and mental health are to blame.
Here are the details of possible causes.
Food or Environmental Allergies
It is possible that your dog gets allergies to food or environment-related factors.
The fact is food allergies can occur easily all year round without your anticipation due to a change in daily food or intake of environmental allergens such as pollens, grasses, dust, etc.
Meanwhile, specific environmental seasons cause allergic reactions in less frequency.
Although these allergies mostly differ in symptoms, both share a common result of your dog biting at the tail base or other areas because of irritation.
In this case, a veterinarian will offer some treatment options, such as taking supplements, allergy shots, or prescribing oral medications.
Internal Parasites
Another reason you can consider when detecting your dog chewing on the tail base is the presence of internal parasites, such as worms.
Roundworms and tapeworms are two types of tiny residents commonly dwelling inside dogs.
The former is usually carried from mother dogs to their puppies or when dogs take in the waste of other animals.
On the contrary, the latter is passed through the ingestion of fleas or eating infected prey like rabbits.
As a result, your dog cannot stop scooting its bum on the ground to comfort itself.
Other symptoms suggesting the living of parasites I noticed on my canines are weight loss, digestive issues, or swollen tummy.
Unlike external spots on dogs’ bottom by flea bites, parasitic infestation only shows up through the pets’ feces.
Hence, you should pay more attention whenever your dog poops if your dog keeps biting the base of its tail.
On spotting any suspicious worms in your dog’s solid waste, take a sample and bring it to the veterinarian to identify the exact type of parasites.
Then your dog can be given the corresponding medication.
Contact Dermatitis

Contact dermatitis may sound related to environmental allergy at first glance, but it refers more to a local allergic reaction.
It occurs when your dog directly contacts an irritant by its skin. Some irritating substances include grasses, plants, soaps/shampoos, rugs, etc.
This response is similar to when you feel irritation in your legs after passing through a patch of weeds.
Your dog tends to get skin redness and itchiness on his hot spots (exposed part of his body), for example, the rear end, abdomen, feet, or even face.
If your dog chews the base of its tail because of contact dermatitis, you can relieve their discomfort by wiping the irritated area with a wet and warm cloth or applying any soothing cream/lotion you have.
You should also consult the vet for a suitable pet shampoo/soap to prevent your pet from undesirable sensitivity.
Problem Of Anal Gland
In case you witness your dog chewing the base of its tail and scooting around non-stop simultaneously, consider the chance of full or infected anal glands.
Dogs have two anal glands on both sides of their behinds, which release fluid or paste with specific smells for marking their territory.
Normally, they can empty the anus simultaneously during a bowel movement. Otherwise, their anal glands might get clogged or infected.
When this happened, I saw my dog not only biting at the base of its tail, but also smelling a fishy or metallic odor from its rear body.
If not diagnosed early, your pet would suffer from swollen sacs, resulting in difficulty and pain in passing feces. Hence, they will need support from a vet to express themselves properly.
Hormonal Imbalance
An imbalance of hormonal production in dogs is a potential factor of a dog biting the base of its tail excessively.
Hormones play an important role in many functions in dogs and directly affect their healthy skin and hair coat.
Hence, any conditions related to hormonal imbalance, for example, Cushing’s disease, diabetes mellitus, and hypothyroidism, can make dogs feel physically uncomfortable.
As a result of skin or coat problems, your dog keeps biting at the base of its tail due to itchiness, and struggles with other discomforts like vomiting, diarrhea, increased urination, or fluctuating appetite.
If you realize any one of the above signals, it’s high time you brought your dog to visit a pet clinic for medical tests and treatments. Or else, he/she could face a more life-threatening problem.
Mental Issues
Sometimes, a dog keeps biting the base of its tail just because it feels bored.
It likely happens in high-energy and sociable pets. When they don’t get chances to move or play enough, boredom might drive them to lick themselves as a time-killing activity.
The others might choose to destroy toys or furniture instead.
However, such compulsive behavior indicates dogs’ anxiety or stress in some cases with signals of excessive whining or barking, sleeping disorder, and loud noise oversensitivity.
If you observe any of those symptoms in addition to continuous lickings, your dog is possibly suffering from a behavioral issue.
To identify whether your furry friend is stressed or anxious, you must carefully observe them and consult a vet for an in-depth breakdown of their daily behaviors and actions.
How To Make Your Pups Stop Biting His Tail

Dog rashes are very common, but the determination of causes requires a certain amount of knowledge.
The diagnosis and treatment plan should be made with the help of credible veterinarians, especially in case of a dog biting base of tail but no fleas treatment is applicable.
Besides, there are several easy-to-do measures to prevent your dog from developing repetitive behaviors, including excessive licking or biting its bum, as follows:
- Feeding dogs with comprehensively nutritious dog food and maintaining a balanced diet.
For example, I feed my pet with special lamb dog food for allergies when he is suffering from such a situation. I also recommend taking some supplements to boost dogs’ overall wellness in compliance with a vet’s advice.
- Groom and bathe your dog regularly but not too much to avoid skin diseases and irritation. Choose a shampoo/soap with pet-friendly ingredients that help clean and nurture dogs’ skin health.
- Try to give your pets sufficient physical and mental stimulation. They are social animals and must be active enough to keep them cheerful and not committing destructive behaviors.
Above all of those preventive care, your furry partner needs your attention and love the most. I usually set aside time for my pet regardless of how busy I am with some plain activities like cuddling, or going out for a short walk.
FAQs
When Should I Go To The Vet After Finding My Dog Chewing At Base Of Tail?
If you observe your dog chewing the base of its tail at an unusual frequency, patiently seek for other symptoms and refer to the reasons for tail biting I mentioned above.
If it is just a minor problem, then you can take suitable remedies at home.
Otherwise, you should not leave him/her alone for more than 24 hours since your first detection of the itching. Although skin rashes are not usually so urgent, early treatment is still the best.
Don’t wait until the issue gets worse.
What Can I Do At Home To Relieve The Itch For My Dog?
In case specialized medical treatments are unnecessary, you can conduct the following home remedies to soothe your pets’ itchy skin:
- Aloe Vera: People tend to use this natural product for soothing skin. Likewise, you can apply aloe vera gel to relieve dogs’ skin irritation without harming their health.
- Oatmeal Bath: This is another non-toxic method. It provides skin moisture and helps to ease inflammation.
- Coconut Oil: It is a great ingredient to treat dog eczema and reduce reactions to their skin allergies.
Conclusion
It might get you worried and uncertain about seeing your dog biting base of tail but no fleas. Hope my suggestion of possible causes and relevant symptoms in this article helps you to identify the issue.
In case of minor problems such as contact dermatitis or boredom, you can relieve your dogs’ irritation with easy home remedies.
However, if you suspect your pet has an anal gland issues or parasite hypersensitivity, you’d better bring them to a vet as soon as possible.