Whining and biting back left leg and trying to bite his back end.

[roamdawg]

My 7month old, Satin , is acting very strangely lately(more and more over last couple days with it getting worse in the last hour.) He is whining a lot and chasing his tail around in circles. He then drops down and bites his left lower leg and tries to bite his backside area.I have checked him and cant see any ticks or anything. He lets me handle all areas and does not cry when I do so.I gave him his first dose of Frontline Plus about 5 days ago. He is eating normally .What is going on?

[BostonRott]

You should call your vet and set up an appointment ASAP if you're that worried about it. No one here can see your dog and get a true picture of what's going on.

[roamdawg]

I called the vet and she told me it could be allergies or a reaction to his food. Satin is on Wellness PuppySuper5Mix and the vet had told us at his first checkup that a lot of the big breeds end up having issues with it after a while. I am supposed to give him Benadryl and feed him the Canine ID chicken and rice diet till she can see him next week. If this clears up the problem she would like us to gradually switch to another brand. Thank you for your great and quick responses BostonRott. You seem to be very experienced. Note; I talked to John about the responses I received about the Jimmy situation and I think I got through!

[BostonRott]

I have a 9+ yr old male who is VERY allegic to flea bites. Just one bite and he'll chew and chew at his rear quarters, and cause nasty scabs. Any chance he has a flea or two? Also, are there any new insects out? I know the girls have some nasty bites on their stomachs from black flies from this past week.

Benadryl will help with both insect bites and food allergies. It may also make him quite drowsy (depending on how much you give).....think of how it affects you, and remember to keep plenty of water avail to him while he's on it.

[groupieindenial]

My dog bites at his back paws, sort of. It's hilarious. He actually seems to try and chew on or scratch his rear dew claw scars. I've boiled it down to boredom. I was concerned for a while, cuz he'd whine, but I think it was out of frustration that he couldn't reach it. I think its an annoying itch (as wounds heal, deep ones take a long time, and do itch periodicially). He seems to do this when he's doing nothing at all, lounging by my feet, and his toys and chews are no longer interesting.

[moondog]

Sure sounds like fleas to me. They are not always easy to hunt down, especially on a black dog. My dog would let me know if there was a single flea on her, and sometimes it would take me a while to find it with the flea comb, but she never lied...if she said there was a flea on her, there was!

[C Ross]

I had a lab that was extremely allergic to fleas. One bite and he'd chew and chew. Definitely check for fleas.

Christine

[roamdawg]

I was advised to provide plenty of water while he is on the Benadryl. I have tried to get Satin to drink but he just laps a tiny bit and is done. Sleeping a lot!Should I be concerned about him not really drinking much water?

[BostonRott]

I wouldn't worry. Think of how benadryl makes YOU feel. Dry mouth, blah. But not necessarily craving water. Just make sure it's available.

[SonnyRott]

Also, the little black flies are out like crazy. I am dog sitting this week and both dogs are trying to lick/chew their back ends as the flies like to congregate in their private areas.

Darn things almost blinded me today! Does your dog stay in or out?

[roamdawg]

Satin stays inside with us. He seems to be doing better today. I think he was licking and biting himself so much he was probably aggravating a bite. You know how it is when you keep scratching a bite in yourself! The benadryl gave him some time for the irritation subside.We will take him to the vet next week anyway just to be safe.