A Happy Tail is a straight, narrow tail with the tail spine going from the base of the tail. There are several breeds with happy tails: Carolina Dogs (Willa); Pittbulls; Labs; and Great Danes. An injury occurs when a Happy Tail dog repeatedly hits a solid object with force during a wagging session, resulting in the thin skin of the tail splitting open.
Willa had a habit of swinging her tail at me, leaving bruises on my thighs. I had a client call me in a panic, as his Labrador was hitting his tail so hard on the kitchen cabinets, that his tail split open and it looked like Al Capone shot up the room with blood splatter everywhere. I advised him on how to deal with the injury, as well as what to do in the future, including when he returns home, to immediately go in the big room, instead of the kitchen, so when his dog is wagging his tail to greet him, it won't hit a wall or cabinet. This method worked well for both of them.
Yes, Happy Tail injuries do bleed quite a bit and can be difficult to treat, as they tend to get easily infected. The problem with treating a happy tail injury is that the dog is still wagging their tail at 100 mph.
When dealing with a happy tail injury, there's a couple of things you can do:
● dip the tail in a pan of cold water for several minutes. This technique
will rinse the wound and help stop the bleeding and reduce
inflammation.
● clean the wound by rinsing it off and hold a Steriled 4x4 pad on the tip
to control the bleeding. There are products that are available to help
control the bleeding, including quick stop, etc.
○ after you have control of the bleeding, clean the wound with water
or saline, ensuring you get any blood and dirt off the wound. Now
place several 4x4 Steriled Wound Pads on the tip and begin
wrapping with 4" Rolled Gauze (several layers, going about 1/3 up
towards the base of the tail).
○ now wrap using vet wrap (coban) using the same method as
above.
○ Take a strip of duct tape and place where it sits half on the wrap &
half on the tail hairs, as this will prevent the dog from flinging it off
the tail.
○ check the wound in 24 hours and rewrap. Do not rip off the duct
tape, as they won't be happy with you. Place a wet paper towel
over the duct tape to loosen up the glue. If you have any signs of
infection, immediately contact your veterinarian.
Happy Tail dogs will always be wagging their tails at 100 mph, but we can do a few things to prevent injuries:
● when returning home, go immediately to a big area to greet your dog,
so the tail isn't slapping any hard objects.
● if your dog injures its tail, immediately clean and wrap, following the
steps above.
● if your dog continues having happy tail injuries, your vet may want to
dock the tail. Discuss fully with your vet, on your options, and know
there are many former happy tail dogs now happily wagging their
stubs.
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