"Happy Tail"

Food, Fitness and how to keep them healthy.

Postby hugapitbull » November 10th, 2010, 7:23 pm

Oh, No! Good thoughts to Baby Chicken. Hope he stays quite and they get the tail calmed and on the mend.
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Postby DemoDick » November 10th, 2010, 8:50 pm

BigDogBuford wrote:
amazincc wrote:He got stitches, and promptly reinjured it while still at the vet, by banging his tail against the steel table and the walls... they are keeping him overnight, to try to keep him quiet and "non-wagging".

Jeanine... I just got done discussing docking his tail w/our vet. It's a definite possibility in the future, even though I hate the idea myself. I LOVE his crazy tail... :cry:


Well, the nice thing is.....you don't have to dock a lot, just a little bit.


The more you take off, the less there is to get re-injured. After dealing with Connor's split, I very much prefer a docked tail. Banding them as very young pups is the best option.

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Postby amazincc » November 10th, 2010, 9:19 pm

Connor used to have a long tail? :shock:

How old was he when he got docked? What's involved with this kind of surgery, exactly?

I do agree w/taking off a good amount IF it becomes necessary - Faust wags his tail in a wide and powerful arc from side to side, so just removing the tip of it wouldn't prevent him from injuring himself over and over in the future. It would have to be docked pretty short to be effective... :cry2: :cry1:
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Postby BigDogBuford » November 10th, 2010, 9:27 pm

If I'd had to do it with Buford I probably would have chosen to dock about half of his tail, which is what I was recommending. Docking a tail as an adult comes with a lot more risk of complications than it does when you dock puppies. Having Boxers, happy little nubbins don't bother me. With puppies you normally do it around 2 or 3 days old and it requires about two stitches. As an adult there's always a risk of complications with sphincter tone and possible damage to the nerves of the spine. It's rare but it can happen.
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Postby DemoDick » November 10th, 2010, 9:59 pm

amazincc wrote:Connor used to have a long tail? :shock:

How old was he when he got docked? What's involved with this kind of surgery, exactly?

I do agree w/taking off a good amount IF it becomes necessary - Faust wags his tail in a wide and powerful arc from side to side, so just removing the tip of it wouldn't prevent him from injuring himself over and over in the future. It would have to be docked pretty short to be effective... :cry2: :cry1:


He was docked when he was neutered. He was about a year old. His tail was sprung hard and we tried everything to avoid it but it was inevitable in his case. What's involved? They amputate the tail and sew a skin flap over the opening.

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Postby DemoDick » November 10th, 2010, 10:00 pm

BigDogBuford wrote:If I'd had to do it with Buford I probably would have chosen to dock about half of his tail, which is what I was recommending. Docking a tail as an adult comes with a lot more risk of complications than it does when you dock puppies. Having Boxers, happy little nubbins don't bother me. With puppies you normally do it around 2 or 3 days old and it requires about two stitches. As an adult there's always a risk of complications with sphincter tone and possible damage to the nerves of the spine. It's rare but it can happen.


Pediatric banding is the way to go if at all possible.

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Postby BigDogBuford » November 10th, 2010, 10:15 pm

I remember talking to this old crusty Cocker Spaniel breeder lady who told me she used to bite the puppies tails off. :shock: I had to excuse myself from the room. How creepy.
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Postby DemoDick » November 10th, 2010, 10:25 pm

BigDogBuford wrote:I remember talking to this old crusty Cocker Spaniel breeder lady who told me she used to bite the puppies tails off. :shock: I had to excuse myself from the room. How creepy.


Good thing dog's don't get circumcised.

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Postby BigDogBuford » November 10th, 2010, 10:30 pm

No doubt she would have taken care of that as well.
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Postby amazincc » November 11th, 2010, 6:17 pm

So... Faust is home. Tail got stitched and wrapped AND is covered by a syringe case. He has to wear the cone of shame 24/7 for a week, and he brought home enough Ace to keep him *sedated* for ten days... we'll see how THAT works... :rolleyes2: lol
I replaced the cone w/the inflatable e-collar during the day while I can keep a close eye on him, but I'll probably have to use the cone during the night... and he will have to be crated. :(
Poor Baby Chicken - but the tail is banging away, regardless... *sigh*

He goes back to the vet in a week for a bandage change/follow-up.
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Postby pitbullmamaliz » November 11th, 2010, 6:35 pm

Poor kid. Hope it gets under control so you don't have to dock.
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Postby CinderDee » November 11th, 2010, 8:03 pm

Poor baby Faust. :( I hope he doesn't have to have his tail docked.
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Postby call2arms » November 12th, 2010, 12:39 am

What about a tail theter? Use some medical tape, around the leg, some length (not too much) to allow tail to move a bit, and the end of the tape piece solidly wrapped like, mid-tail or something? Assorted with syringe case, or bandage... It's not as drastic as taping the tail to the leg, but might work.

Poor Faust-y, please keep all you vertebrae.
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Postby amazincc » November 12th, 2010, 1:14 am

OMG, those boys are going to be the death of me... :swoon:

First, Sepp sat on Fausts tail, which nearly gave me a heart attack... then, while I was hiding an Ace in a piece of cheeseburger, Faust got SO excited that the tail went completely crazy, and the whole contraption flew clear across the living room. Syringe case, medical tape, gauze, and all. :nono:

Right now he's wearing a new-piece-of-gauze-wrapped-in-vet wrap-wrapped into-a-paint roller-tied-to-his-hind leg... he's not happy, I'm not happy - but it's the best I can do until tomorrow when he'll have to go back to the vet to get his tail rebandaged.
I am seriously about to cry.
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Postby Malli » November 12th, 2010, 1:36 am

make them show you how to bandage it, make them explain it. Then buy lots of supplies and give it a go :)
If it doesn't work, you'll have more supplies to try again, and you can redo it.
And I can help, too, if you want :)
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Postby plebayo » November 12th, 2010, 1:43 am

:hug3:

Oh Christine! That totally sucks... I can understand how defeating that feels. On the bright side, if there can be a bright side... at least he's really happy :| :neener:

I hope your new wrap job keeps his tail protected overnight. What a challenge...

I googled alternatives. Someone used pipe insulation but I think that would be too bulky. Someone else said a toilet paper roll was light enough that the dog left it alone. I wonder if you could tape some bubble wrap around the end, like large bubbles, not the small kind... but maybe it wouldn't offer enough stiff protection.

Here's an actual tail protector, not sure if the end is sealed or not, maybe it could be modified -
http://www.gundogsupply.com/lewis-dog-t ... ector.html

Hopefully your vet has some tricks up their sleeve!

Malli wrote:make them show you how to bandage it, make them explain it. Then buy lots of supplies and give it a go :)
If it doesn't work, you'll have more supplies to try again, and you can redo it.
And I can help, too, if you want :)


I definitely second this! That way you can just rebandage if he wags it off.
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Postby amazincc » November 12th, 2010, 2:13 am

Suzanne... :shock: :shock: :shock:
I totally just ordered two sets of those protectors!!! Who knew that such a thing even existed??? THANK YOU for that link! :D :D :D

Malli... I know HOW to wrap it, and they did a great job at the vet w/wrapping it as well. Also, Faust doesn't bother the bandage at all... but it's the FORCE of the wagging that torpedoes anything attached to his tail into the great blue yonder. :|
I've tried ignoring him - he'll stand in front of me and wag until he thinks I notice him, and harder wagging ensues.
I've tried being "stern/strict"... he'll wag like there's no tomorrow to try and appease me.
I've tried crating... and I can hear him thumping away, in the hopes of being "uncrated".

The ace is starting to kick in, and the paint roller thingie is still attached - I think we may make it through the night in one piece. :dance:

Again - thanks for the tips, and for not pointing out that I'm acting a tad bit insane today. :P
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Postby mnp13 » November 12th, 2010, 2:23 am

Like Demo said, we were offered the option to just take a few inches off of Connor's tail, or take the whole thing. The last bone of his tail was actually exposed and we gave up trying to get it to heal - we tried for a month. We decided to go for a full dock because we figured that he'd just end up springing it again if we only took a little off. Amputating the tail is like amputating a toe once they are adults, it's major surgery, but with proper care isn't all that risky. Connor wags his "stump" (his is a stump, Ruby's is a nub) like crazy. I can't imagine what his tail would have been like for the past 6 years! ouch!

We went with three bones for Connor, so his is one longer than Ruby's.

This is him with his tail on the day we got him, October 12, 2003
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Postby mnp13 » November 12th, 2010, 2:26 am

amazincc wrote:Right now he's wearing a new-piece-of-gauze-wrapped-in-vet wrap-wrapped into-a-paint roller-tied-to-his-hind leg...


Awww come on... where is the PICTURE????
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Postby amazincc » November 12th, 2010, 2:37 am

Awww... I have never seen a pic of Connor w/his tail still on. :heartbeat: :)

I have a feeling that this will be an on-going problem for Faust as well, and if it's going to become a medical necessity I'll have it done.
I'll hate it, but it beats the alternative of constant vet appointments, pain, and drugging him while he heals. :neutral:

Plus, he smacked me in the knee HARD this afternoon and that hurt even worse than my break... I almost took the kitchen scissors to him right then. :shock: :cuss:
Damned vicious Pit Bulls and their deadly tails. No wonder people want them banned.
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