Bleeding From Tail - Are There Any Solutions?

[Guest TBaxes]

Hello everyone, we have just adopted 4 year old Dutch DaLisa. She has a helicopter tail like none we have ever seen. She gets excited easily, especially when taking walks. The very tip of her tail has a wound, and we just can't get it to heal. It just continues to reoccur. As soon as gets excited, her tails waves like crazy and hits just about everything in sight, mostly walls, and the wound bleeds. Just when we think it has healed, she hits it against the wall again, and it bleeds, again.

 

We have tried keeping it wrapped in gauze and tape, but it never stays on for more than 24 hours. She is aware of a wound there, and wants to lick it, so any gauze and tape is removed by her, or falls off on the next tail wagging adventure.

 

What are our options? Will we have to have her tail cropped? Is this the only solution.

Thank you everyone for any and all help you can give us.

Tom

 

[a_daerr]

Search "happy tail" on this forum. You'll find loads of threads about it.

[Batmom]

You might need to put an anchoring bandage further up her tail. Anchoring bandage = starting 2-3" above the wound and extending further up the tail, put a 6" strip of Elastikon (very sticky tan athletic-type tape); if one piece isn't wide enough to go quite all the way around her tail, use two pieces; doesn't need to be tight, just kinda smooth it into place; it'll be hard to get off and that's OK. You're going to leave it on as long as it sticks or until you no longer need to bandage the tail tip.

 

Now when you put another bandage on -- or perhaps an old-fashioned hair curler, piece of pipe insulation, or large syringe cover to protect her tail tip -- tape it to the anchoring bandage.

[Houndtime]

Keep in her tail wrapped in 1/4 pipe insulation until completely healed. We might be talking 3 or 4 weeks here. We kept out little Idol's tail wrapped for about 5 weeks. Her tail was awful, but, we healed it and she never had a problem again. You are going to have to be dilligent; checking her wound, keeping it clean and dry and "WRAPPED". Wrapping is the only thing that will let it heal. Good luck.

[Guest TBaxes]

What a magnificent resource this forum. The responses have given us a solution that seems so simple in hindsight. To use pipe insulation to protect the wound is brilliant. To use Elastikon a few inches up the tail as an anchor is brilliant. We have all the supplies with us, and it will work I am certain. Of course, the recommendation to be diligent in changing the bandages and keeping the wound clean will be headed. We had also searched on Happy Tail and have read other threads regarding this issue. One hour later, we have a solution, and now have her tail wrapped and protected.

 

We also have the knowledge in one hour of years and years of experience that is represented in this forum. You all should be very proud to be a part of it. I will going foward. I cannot say enough how thankful we are for all the input and history posted on this forum. You are all wonderful.

 

Our hearfelt thanks!!

Tom

[Neighsayer]

I just went through this with Gigi. It was doing great for three weeks. I used curlers and pipe insulation, and changed the bandage every two or three days. On Tuesday of week three, it looked great. It was dry and a very healthy looking pink color. On Friday, it was black and dead. The skin was falling off, with black/brown/foul smelling yuck further up the tail. I had been expecting it to look great! She now has a very cute six inch stub! I have another grey who came to me with a matching tail! Sometimes the tail can't be saved! Good luck!

[Guest TBaxes]

It definitely looks like we have our work cut out. We also have an 8 year old boy who had his tail shortened by five inches, but from an injury acquired at the dog park when he was five. So yes, we are prepared to do the same with DaLisa, but we must try to save it first. But yes, our two may just have to have matching stubs. It seems so futile sometimes, especially after hearing your experience. What would you do differently, if anything?

 

Our firsattempt using pipe insulation failed. She managed to chew off just the end so she could get at the wound to lick it. We have a good anchor in place, and it is holding everything on. However, I am concerned that it may be taped too tight. The pipe insulation is too soft, and she just chewed right through it. Next up is a large diameter plastic syringe. We'll put that on tomorrow.

 

Best,

[Batmom]

Is she wearing a muzzle when you can't watch her? Might at least slow down her removal attempts. I would also spritz some bitter apple into my hand and pat that over the outermost bandage ..... Good luck!

[Tallgreydogmom]

You can check out this website. It tells you how to bandage the tail. Best of luck.

 

http://www.grassmereanimalhospital.com/greyhounds.htm

[Guest Scouts_mom]

You know we need pictures of your girl?!

[Houndtime]

What about an e-collar for her or a muzzle when you can't watch her? Don't give up yet.

[Guest TBaxes]

Duh, of course. No, we didn't muzzle her, and will next time we can't keep an eye on her. Should've thought of that...thanks. we'll stay in touch. Pictures will be on the way once I figure out how to post pics. Thanks again!!

[Neighsayer]

Gigi never bothered her wrapped tail until the last three days when the tissue became necrotic. It was probably itchy or sensitive at that time. She did lose her first bandage in the doggie door. I had to use the pipe insulation because she continued to whack her tail on walls and furniture, causing bleeding under the bandage. The insulation gave it enough padding to prevent this!

[a_daerr]

What would you do differently, if anything?

 

I would get frustrated that Truman's dressings wouldn't stay on, so I tried to wrap everything tighter. Big mistake. When it's wrapped too tightly, the tissue loses blood supply and becomes susceptible to infection. His tail eventually got infected, then it was all downhill from there. It's better to wrap higher up than necessary and really anchor it on.

 

 

Is she wearing a muzzle when you can't watch her? Might at least slow down her removal attempts. I would also spritz some bitter apple into my hand and pat that over the outermost bandage ..... Good luck!

 

This suggestion is also extremely helpful. We used a muzzle with a stool guard, and a little bit of Bitter Apple on the bandage.

[Neighsayer]

A towel wrapped around the neck and held in place with vet wrap can prevent the dog from reaching the tail. I agree with the need to wrap higher up to keep it on, and not tighter. None of those bitter sprays deter any of my dogs, but some dogs avoid the sprayed bandages.

[KF_in_Georgia]

I once saw a photo, but I can't find it now: Someone took a plastic drink bottle with a nozzle wide enough to fit the dog's tail into. They cut the base out of the bottle--that meant air could get to the tail--then taped the top of the bottle to the anchoring wrap on the dog. The dog could wag its tail--noisy, but it didn't break the tail back open. But I'd think that a bottle would keep teeth and tongue away from the wound, as long as the dog was muzzled to prevent it from going after the top of the bottle--where it's taped to the anchoring wrap--and getting the bottle off that way. Meanwhile, once the tail has stopped bleeding, it could be left unwrapped inside the bottle: no bandage that might be too tight, and you can see how well it's healing.

 

Just make sure that the anchoring wrap isn't too tight, and that the neck of the bottle isn't too tight for the tail to fit comfortably without restricting blood flow.

 

 

ETA: A-hah! Found it here on Greytalk: http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/290789-my-final-attempt-at-fixing-happy-tail/ See the photo on post #16.

Edited July 3, 2013 by KF_in_Georgia

[DonnaBehr]

If it keeps opening, your best bet is to have I docked. I FINALLY had to do it to Chica after 8 years and I am sorry I didn't do it like I wanted to when it first happened 8 years ago. It's cute and no more blood spattered throughout the house.

[Guest zombrie]

Keep in her tail wrapped in 1/4 pipe insulation until completely healed. We might be talking 3 or 4 weeks here. We kept out little Idol's tail wrapped for about 5 weeks. Her tail was awful, but, we healed it and she never had a problem again. You are going to have to be dilligent; checking her wound, keeping it clean and dry and "WRAPPED". Wrapping is the only thing that will let it heal. Good luck.

Minerva had "happy tail" for several months, it became infected and all her hair was falling out. I was seconds away from making an appointment for an amputation, but got the suggestion for pipe insulation and decided to give it one more try. It was a miracle!! I just taped the pipe insulation to her tail (no further wrapping) and it healed within a few weeks. It protected her tail but allowed the wound to breathe, and was lightweight so she wasn't constantly wagging it off. Once you *think* the wound has healed, continue to wrap for a little while