my staffie chewed his own tail off

hi everyone! could really use some advice please...my staffie caught fleas a few months ago and we think this is why he started chasing his tail. we got rid of the fleas and discouraged him from chasing his tail but he then started chasing his tail and bighting it. he even chewed some of the bone off. we had to take him to the vet and they amputated the end...they said they thought it could be behavioural (sp). he did stop for a little while and then he started again..first just going round in circles and then chewing the tail again.
we take him for walks, the kids play with him we have given him toys. the vet said to give him a smack when we see him doing it to try make him stop...but that hasnt worked either...im at my wits end now!
any advice would be gratefully apreciated...sorry if i dont answer bk straight a way but i have a hospital app soon :o)

I dont believe in smacking dogs as they dont understand human behaviour such as that, think the vet was wrong to advise this. It can add to the problems.
How old is he? Also fleas pass on worms to dogs, is he wormed regullar?
This can be a pshycological problem, an obsessive disorder. How much exercise does he have each day?
Make a loud noise as soon as he starts( ie. pebbles in a plastic bottle and shake loudly) to avert his attention, then engage him in play say fetching his ball. It will take time and patience if its OD.
Does he do it out on walks? or just at home?
I will search for some info and get back to you

You can't just stop an unwanted behaviour, you have to replace it with something more acceptable. If possible you really need to find out why he is chasing and biting his tail. Does he have fleas, worms, etc.

Does he like playing with a ball? if so you can play ball with him for 5 minutes when he starts to chase his tail then give him something like a kong to eat so he doesn't go back to it. If he has kibble for his feeds, you can put his feeds in a Buster cube and let him work for it.

It will take a lot of hard work to stop this, but by distracting him with something more rewarding it can be done.

Mattie wrote:You can't just stop an unwanted behaviour, you have to replace it with something more acceptable. If possible you really need to find out why he is chasing and biting his tail. Does he have fleas, worms, etc.

Does he like playing with a ball? if so you can play ball with him for 5 minutes when he starts to chase his tail then give him something like a kong to eat so he doesn't go back to it. If he has kibble for his feeds, you can put his feeds in a Buster cube and let him work for it.

It will take a lot of hard work to stop this, but by distracting him with something more rewarding it can be done.

I would not reward bad behaviour with food/treats, Mattie as this creates the wrong impression.

i have heard of this happening in bullies & bully minatures with them it was a neurological problem.

the outcome wasn't ideal i'm afraid.

thanks for ur replies everyone...he's nearly a year old now. we worm him regulary...i think it started when he had the fleas. my husband used to take him to work sometimes and when diesel got fleas he stopped taking him for a bit. thats when he started chewing his tail so hubby started taking him back to work...but diesel kept going round in circles and chewing his tail when my hubby was on the roof which stressed my husband out as he had to keep climbing down to stop him. so then diesel was left with me too look after...but at that time i was heavily pregnant with 3 other kids too look after and i'd badley broken my arm so it was hard for me too keep an eye on him constantly. the kids play with him in the day and he goes on a long walk in the evening...but the minute he is left alone he starts the chewing again. we try to spend as much time as possible with him but as soon as we go out he's doing it again.
my husband takes him out in the eve i cant walk him at the day at the mo as i broke my arm which now has a bone infection...but he gets played with.
thanks guys :o)

Hi Allie, i have posted some info i found for you on OD

staffsrock wrote:

I would not reward bad behaviour with food/treats, Mattie as this creates the wrong impression.

You are not rewarding bad behaviour when you distract them from an unwanted behaviour, you are replacing it with a behaviour you want which is different. You only reward when you get your dog away by giving the Kong. Once you have your dog away from what you didn't want him to do, he has forgotten it and concentrating on something else.

I used to think the same but got so desperate with one dog I tried this way and have been using it every since because it was so successful.

Having worked this way for many years now with many dogs, I know it works.

Mattie wrote:

staffsrock wrote:

I would not reward bad behaviour with food/treats, Mattie as this creates the wrong impression.

You are not rewarding bad behaviour when you distract them from an unwanted behaviour, you are replacing it with a behaviour you want which is different. You only reward when you get your dog away by giving the Kong. Once you have your dog away from what you didn't want him to do, he has forgotten it and concentrating on something else.

I used to think the same but got so desperate with one dog I tried this way and have been using it every since because it was so successful.

Having worked this way for many years now with many dogs, I know it works.

I agree with Mattie, It would not be rewarding the behaviour it would be distracting him from the unwanted behaviour and giving him a behaviour which you can praise him for and he can find rewarding enough not to return to his tail. He is chewing his tail for a reason, it could be stress,boredom, or because it is itchy, punishing won't work as he won't neccesarily know why you are smacking him and smacking him is likely to add to any stress and may make him chew his tail more. Also, if smacking him does seem to make him stop, it won't work when you are not there.....and he will continue to chew his tail.

It could also be flea bite allergy, even though he has been treated for fleas he could still be bitten and some animals are allergic to the flea saliva.
Did you treat the home for fleas? as they can live in the smallest of places even cracks in the skirting boards.
Dogs can still be bitten even though using say Advocate etc the flea wont live on a treated dog but will still bite to feed.

Flea bite allergy is characterized by being a seasonal allergy that is worse during peak flea times in the summer and fall. Even in temperate areas or in cases with home infestations, the symptoms of flea bite allergies appear to worsen in the summer and fall. Dogs that have flea allergies will bite at the base of their tail and scratch frequently. The bite of a single flea can cause hours and days of intense itching. Many dogs have a characteristic loss or thinning of hair above the base of the tail. In addition, fleas or flea dirt (feces) can be found on the dog the majority of the time. The feces, or flea dirt will dissolve into a red color when moistened; this is because it is primarily digested blood. However, if the dog is bathed or treated regularly, very little evidence of fleas may be found. Severely affected dogs may itch over their entire bodies, have generalized hair loss, and red inflamed skin. Hot spots are often a result of flea bite allergies.

If a product does not repel fleas, then all of the fleas must bite the animal before they die. Remember, the once-a-month pills that act as growth regulators do not stop fleas from biting pets. They just make the fleas unable to reproduce. Since a flea can live for months, a dog with flea bite allergies can suffer throughout an entire flea season with just occasional flea contact. Controlling the contact of fleas with the dog appears to be the most successful route. If a dog is on a good flea control program but occasionally still gets bitten and has a flair up, antihistamines, or in severe cases oral steroids, can be used to get the itching under control.

Treatment of Environment: Remember that good environmental treatment for fleas involves treating the house, yard, and sleeping area of the dog with a product that kills the adults (adulticide) and with an insect growth regulator as well. Other pets in the home should also be treated, as they could continue to bring fleas into the environment. While injudicious use of pesticides and growth regulators is never recommended, an effective flea prevention program is much safer and easier than dealing with a full blown flea infestation.

just wondering how things are going now.....

just to add that flees can lie dorment for ages,and now with the hot wether comen it will bring them out,
hope its getting better.....