munch is munching on himself

i have a 4 yr old karelian bear dog similar size to a border collie . he has been chewing at himself at the base of his tail. We have just moved but we moved to a place with a bigger backyard so it shouldn't be stress. No diarrhea or vomiting,I have noticed him eating the grass there is no open wound just he s been chewing the hair on he does have some scratches but just from the chewing I suppose.

What type of food is he eating? Could be an allergy? Have you been to a vet yet?

Cindy

He eats pedigree dry food and on sundays he get can wet food mixed in it. he loves the wet food munches it down but the dry food he picks at all day he has always done it, he did find a hole in the fence few weeks ago and he came back all wet from the lake we've fixed the ho;e so i don't know if he should go to vet it costs alot so just trying to save the $$

Sounds like it could be a food allergy.:shrug:

I would suggest taking a look around the food forum. There are some really high quality food options given there that may get rid of the itchiness.

You may also want to check with a vet to rule out any fleas, mites, etc.

Is it possible your dog has some insect bites, now that the weather is warming up? fleas, mosquitos, flies, or even something from the lake (do dogs get 'swimmers itch?).

Also, would love to see a pic of your dog if possible... have only seen one bear dog in person, at the local dog park. They are beautiful!

The base of the tail is a favourite hiding spot for fleas. That would definitely cause itchies. Have a close look for fleas/flea dirt there...

Is it possible your dog has some insect bites, now that the weather is warming up? fleas, mosquitos, flies, or even something from the lake (do dogs get 'swimmers itch?).

Also, would love to see a pic of your dog if possible... have only seen one bear dog in person, at the local dog park. They are beautiful!


thanks for the info, can't see fleas but it could be mites or a tick or ants we have lots of ants black ones,can't seem to send a picture will try later when i have more time

my b/f had a yellow lab when we first met and she was allergic to corn. She's chew the base of her tail and sometimes get these little, hive looking bumps. What u are describing could be either buggies or food allergy. I understand the finacial strain of moving, so i'd say, maybe u can find a pet-friendly mosequito repellant or start on a flea medicine, just to cover those grounds, until u can go in for a full physical. Process of elimination, pretty much.

She always had I guess what they call a hot spot at the base of her tail. She would occasionally bite at it but nothing major. About a month ago we took her to the groomer for her summer/puppy cut. About a week later she had a little mohawk on her spine at the base of her tail from where she had pulled or chewed out the hair on either side. There were also dark red and brown spots, called mottling (mottle), from constantly chewing the skin and it trying to heal. My vet told me that it was definitely allergies, food or environment.

Did you say that you recently moved? To a new neighborhood or to a new city/state? It could be something outside in the air or garden.

The vet gave her a cortizone shot to help with the itching and told me to get a medicated pet shampoo and give her 3 baths within 5 days. Being sure to rinse the area well. This worked wonders for shotzie. Her hair is growing back good as new-although the mohawk was kind of cool, hehe!

Good luck! I hope Munch gets to feeling better!

I would definately head to the vet. Could be thyroid issues too , and you're gonna need a blood test for that.
But a GREAT start would be changing to a better food. IMO the food you are feeding is less than mediocre.

I had an issue with my dog after being in the lake similiar to what you are describing. The vet didn't know what it was but treated the dog (can't remember what it was) but basically it killed everything by going into the dogs blood stream.