Karl's Not So "happy Tail"

[Guest suzyQpublic]

Hello:

We have had Karl home for 2 weeks now. He is a wonderful gentle dog, but his tail problems have become our biggest problem. When we picked him up his tail was bandaged and we were told to check the wound in a couple of days. And that was it.

We removed the bandages in two days and rebandaged with supplies in the first aid kit. Of course the bandage came off and the blood baths started! We searched the internet and a couple of Greyhound forums for info, bought more first aid supplies, dermagel and vet wrap.

But he keeps taking the bandage off. He will ignore it for hours, and then it's off. We have tried all kinds of bandaging tape on top of the vet wrap, but he still removes the dressings. We even tried duct taping the bandages to his tail, but her rips those off too. The cone will not work because he and his tail are too long.

Does anyone know of anything that will keep the bandage on long enough for the wound to heal. He did not remove the tape that was on when we got him, but I don't know what type of tape that was. Maybe hockey tape will work, (the kind you use to wrap hockey sticks), maybe if I spray the bandage (outer layer) with something that tastes horrible??

Please any tips would be appreciated.

[Neighsayer]

AimeeBee posted a link to a sling on another happy tail discussion today. Check her posts, or look for the topic of prayers for tail and toenail. I can't find it on my phone but there were new posts today. There are also many happy tail discussions in this forum, with good and bad experiences. Good luck!

[KellyandKris216]

If he's chewing on the bandage can you try putting his muzzle on with a stool guard? A stool guard is a plastic cup that fits inside or outside the end of the muzzle that keeps them from sticking their tongues through the holes. This was the only thing that kept River from going after his foot when he injured it, and we tried everything! Good luck!

[smurfette]

You can use these little plastic tubes women use to make curls (I don't know the english word - Lockenwickler). First you bandage the tail. After that you put this curl making thing over the bandage and tape it.

[shawna]

^^^Curlers, or a feminine hygene product's insertion applicator.

[JohnF]

You can use these little plastic tubes women use to make curls (I don't know the english word - Lockenwickler). First you bandage the tail. After that you put this curl making thing over the bandage and tape it.

I used that for Peggy's tail for a while 'hair-curlers'. But what was best for the tail was a 4-pronged plastic tail splint from the vet and micropore tape to wrap around the bandage and hold it to the tail. As it steadily healed I bought some baby/toddler socks and taped one of those over the end of the tail to prevent damage. Stool guard is a good idea, so might be one of those blow-up collars, or even a cone collar, but the latter is definitely not liked... at least they can lay down comfy with the inflated collar as a pillow.

[Houndtime]

We had success with 1/4 pipe insulation. Tape the tail first, then tape the insulation to the tape. You can't tape to the tail, nothing will stay on. Check every few days to make sure that it is healing. Wrap the wound with bacitracin or something like that, gauze, tape and then the insulation. The insulation is open at the bottom, so the air can come in. Some people have luck with manuka honey as a healing agent. I would. suggest a muzzle with a stool guard. Good luck