Guest RooMomma Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Every once in a while I have noticed blood flecks on the walls or the cabinets in the mud room. I have searched each and every dog all over, and never found a source. Today when I came home from errands, I saw it again, and more than before. Again, checked and checked, no one was bleeding!! Then Cricket lay down and was half roaching when I realized it was the tip of her tail!!! The area has always been "raw" looking, but never open. It was something I was going to have the vet look at during our appointment on Monday anyway. I have never dealt with "happy tail" personally, but I have heard others struggle with it. It is an area hard to bandage up, and there is no way to immobilize it. I have heard of cases that were so bad, the tail ended up being partially amputated. Does anyone have any advice how to keep this under control??? It is minor now, and I don't want it to become out of control. TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LittleGreys Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 At the vet clinic where I work, we see a few cases of happy tail (non-Greys). We have had sucess with putting the end of the tail in an empty syringe case and then taping it on. We have only had one dog that kept chewing it, and had to have an amputation. That wouldn't be a long term solution, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MorganKonaAlex Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 I haven't dealt with it either, but read about someone using plumbing pipe insulation (grey foam rubber type stuff) to protect the tail to heal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatricksMom Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 If it's a very small wound, you could use that bandaid wound glue. Patrick got happy tail, from the amount of blood on the walls I thought it was going to be a huge gash, but it ended up being very tiny and the wound glue kept it from reopening. Quote Beth, Petey (8 September 2018- ), and Faith (22 March 2019). Godspeed Patrick (28 April 1999 - 5 August 2012), Murphy (23 June 2004 - 27 July 2013), Leo (1 May 2009 - 27 January 2020), and Henry (10 August 2010 - 7 August 2020), you were loved more than you can know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest crazy4greys Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 Use a pink hair roller bought at any drug store and cut it lenth wise like a hot dog bun. Put on some neosporin and insert the tail and leave space at the end so the tail it not right at the end. Wrap it up with elastikon or another type of sticky bandage and leave covered for 3-4 days, then change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 Any of the above bandaging methods will work -- hair curler foam, empty syringe case, pipe insulation, or a gauze pad and some vetwrap. I put the Elastikon (sticky tape) @ 6" up the tail from the wounded area -- you will need BANDAGE SCISSORS to get it off. You want the bandage to be light in weight so that it doesn't try to fly off when pup wags. And, you want to keep bandaging for a good 3-4 weeks after you're 100% sure it's 100% healed. You want the scar to toughen up before it gets exposed to greyhound abuse again. Good luck! Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spider9174 Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 ditto to whats been said. i've been treating a foster of mine for happy tail. you have to keep it wrapped until there is hair on it and the scab is gone. if you unwrap the tail too soon, it will get reinjured easily. here is a website that's really good. http://www.grassmere-animal-hospital.com/b..._happy_tail.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RooMomma Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Thank you so much for all the great ideas. It is always good to have a few to try out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest albrodie Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 all great suggestions. just don't get frustrated. you're in for a long haul of bandaging. Dottie's tail was injured at the tip pretty badly when we got her but we kept it bandaged and it finally healed. i guess the scar is really tough or something because the tip of her tail is a major weapon now!! good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plepkowski Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 About a 1 foot length of pipe insulation keeps it cushioned and reduces the wagging speed and repition rate. Let it extend a couple of inches beyond the end of the tail. This stuff comes in four foot lengths and various diameters to fit 3/8 inch to 1 1/4 inch copper pipe. Buy an assortment of diameters. Quote Paul with Bill & Elmo & angel Happy in the beautiful Hudson Valley of NY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RV4Greys Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 One thing that we learned is that you need to be careful how much tape/wrapping you put on the end of the tail as not to make it too heavy for your pup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest charmsmom Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Our kennel director actually uses (TMI warning) tampons to protect the tail, absorb the blood, and let the tail breathe. It's not a bad idea if you think about it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Vinnie Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 (edited) We agree with Charmsmom as that's also what our trainer suggested as well. It stays on well, cushions it and absorbs blood and/or ooky stuff. Sending quick healing thoughts and scritches. Edited January 8, 2008 by Vinnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mom2two Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 My girls have both suffered with this from time to time since I first got them and it is incredibly frustrating to try to bandage (although the hair roller offered more protection, it also made the hound more aware of something being on their tail and therefore more determined to dislodge it) - what I did find however is that preventing it was the easiest option. Whenever mine have developed it; it has been because the place where they are most likely to get excited was quite enclosed i.e in a passageway near a door. I've avoided this by strategic placing of dog gates to ensure that when mummy comes home and those tails are going mad - they have nothing to batter against. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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