Bleeding Tail - anything we can do?

ifreakshow

This is my first time posting and it's actually not about my dog, it's my in-laws' dog.... MacKenzie is a 6-year-old Yellow Lab. She's extremely well-behaved and happy. So happy that she wags her tail CONSTANTLY - literally every second that she's awake. When she's excited, it wags so hard that it bangs into things and starts bleeding. Then it continues to hit the walls (and furniture and people and other dogs...) and blood ends up everywhere. She stayed with us last week, and it looked like someone had been murdered in the house. There was blood everywhere - including on my new living room couch!

It doesn't seem to cause her any pain or discomfort, but it is a huge issue for us. I love the dog and love having her over, but I really can't keep spending all my time washing walls (and furniture...and clothes...and our dog...) Is there anything that can be done for a dog that age? Can still dock their tail? How about cautherizing it?

I'd be interested to hear any suggestions!

Danny'sGirl

When I was a kid I babysat for a family whose chocolate lab did the same thing. They tried wrapping it up themselves as a bandage, but did so too tightly. The dog's tail got infected, they had to take him to the vet and have about 3" docked. Poor dumb labs. I have no words of wisdom on how to calm down an exuberent lab. Try & tire her out early in the day so she snoozes more?

lovemygreys

Oh, yes...I've cleaned many a blood splatters off the wall from Happy Tail. It can be really hard to heal and if the dog has chronic Happy Tail (heals/breaks open/heals/breaks open...over and over again) the scar tissue on the end of the tail has a tendency to be much more fragile than regular skin.

If you want to save the tail, you can try wrapping it...just be sure the tail gets plenty of time to "breathe" and it isn't wrapped too tight. I've heard people use everything from hair curlers to foam pipe insulation to put around the end of the tail to protect it.

Our Harmony ended up having to have the end of her tail amputated b/c it just wouldn't stay healed. After a year of being "healed" it split back open again with a vengeance and we decided enough was enough. She is MUCH happier now being able to wag her stub and not have it bang into everything.

Before...


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