bleeding tail

[Red]

One of my fosters, Jack, had the tip of his tail raw when I brough him home.
I managed to keep it clean and bandage it but as he starts to heal, he pulls the bandage off and wacks everything getting hurt again.I think it happened when he was crated for a long time in rescue.
He can't wear a tight bandage cause the blood still has to circulate, I bought him one of those sponge thing for the fingers to protect him but of course that comes off too, after a while, especially in the morning when I get him out of his crate.He wags that dang tail constantly! He would probably do better if I did not crate him at all but at leats at night and when I am at work, I have to.
Unfortunately he shouldn't be walking around so I am left with few options.
I used some powder to stop the bleeding too but he isn't getting better.
The vet suggested to amputate the tail but this boy already had a broken foot and when the cast will come off , most likely he will limp.Who would adopt a limping pit bull with an amputated tail??He is so cute and sweet it should not better but...
Any idea or suggestion?Anything I can do to help him and avoid to amputate?

[Hondovious]

If it is breaking open again repeatedly you may have no choice. If my boy ever splits his open I am almost sure we will have to remove it because there is no way we could stop him from smacking it on everything. Crate, cabinets, chairs, walls, people, everything.

Here is a thread that discussed tails a bit, with some stories of docking.

http://www.pitbullforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=9517&highlight=perpetual+motion

[Red]

Thanks for the link.It might be what I have to do, sigh.
Poor boy, he also has some raw spots right under the line of the cast.The cast rubs into the same areas causing bleeding despite the non stick gauze I tried to stick down there.
He needs air to dry out the area quicker, I blow dry it with an hair drier like the vet told me to do but it isn't enough.This guy looks like he has been to war, with his bandage on the tail and his cast! :roll:

[Hondovious]

Aww.. he is cute as hell though!

[X-girl]

He is adorable! Poor little fella. I hope you can save the tail but, of course, doing what's best for him overall is most important.

I hope he feels better real soon!

[pocketpit]

Here's a good bandaging tip for tails. I put stirrups of tape on the tail (like you use for a splint of bandaged leg) then cotton padding followed by brown guaze to snug everything down tight. This will tighten it up with out cutting off the circulation. Then pull the stirrups of tape up and adhere them to the bandage material. Then use a large syring casing (like a 20ml) over the tip. Tape it to the tail at the top and cover everything with vet wrap.
This type of bandage usually stays on better than alot of other tail bandages and the syringe casing gives extra protection when that wagging tail gets going!

[gooeydog]

If he's just pulling the wrap off by the tail sliding along things, wagging too hard, or the dog bothering it just a bit (not talking about "eat my tail off to get rid of this thing" sort of dogs), you can even use a piece of duct tape at the top of the wrap to secure it. When you need to change the wrap, warm soapy water will get it off with no pain. The tape holds pretty well, and doesn't have to be tight to stay put, but if the dog is determined to get rid of the wrap, the tape won't help.

[mnp13]

That's why we docked Connor's tail, it would not heal, and we gave it 8 weeks to do so.

We had it docked when he was neutered.

The limp might impact adoption, but the tail won't - not many people ask about Ruby and Connor's lack of tail.

You have to be VERY careful with this, if it won't heal over time it can become necrotic (the tissue dies and begins to rot), then you will have a much larger problem to deal with.

If you dock it, just have it done short. The vet offered to take only a few inches off of Connors, but we figured he could just do it again and then he'd have to have surgery again and it wasn't worth the risk.

His is 4 vertabrae long, Ruby's is 2. I would go with 3.

Michelle

Michelle

[Boo439]

Toda has broken his tail open twice. Once very badly. We were away on vacation and the neighbors were watching him. He beat it across the wire cage and sprayed blood EVERYWHERE on the couches, walls, carpet, CEILING, TV, entertainment center, bed, you name it. The couches still have some blood spots on them years after the fact. If he does it badly again, I'd consider docking it. It can't feel good when they slap it across stuff...

[Red]

The vet offered to take only a few inches off of Connors, but we figured he could just do it again and then he'd have to have surgery again and it wasn't worth the risk.

I was wondering about that.We did not talk about the lenght to take off but I did not even think of taking off only the tip, I figured he meant docking.
He has to go take x- rays soon to see what is going on with his foot so I will have a talk about the tail, thank you.

Christie, I use one of those light bandages (ACE brand I think) that let the blood circulate and on top a put paper tape cause it is the only kind that seem to stay on.I tried the regular tape for bandages but it comes off easily.I did not think about the siringe thing, good idea.

[LoveABull]

if he's pulling the bandage off and not wagging it off... try some bitter apple or some other deterrent applied to the bandage...

Luna got a little tiny split on her tail right after we got her, but fortunatly for us it was so tiny it healed on its own