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  • Happy Tail... Very long...Help needed

    Hi All, I've been a lurker of DOL since I got my first Dane in 2006. I have usually been able to find whatever information I need in the threads on here and have learned quite a bit. About a month ago I adopted a 60ish lb Dane mix who is a real sweetheart.

    But now I have a question that I need help with that I can't seem to find an answer to in the archives.

    My new rescue (with me for about a month) came with happy tail. It got worse pretty quickly because I live in a small place with not a lot of room for exuberant wagging on an injured tail.
    So after consoluting this forum we put together a sling for her. That has been great...for the most part.
    Here's the problem-I'm worried it will never really get to heal. We've put honey on it to help it heal (vet recommended), but she always finds a way to lick it off and get the wrapping off her tail. Even with an e-collar she's had a lot of success getting to it. We've tried differerent size collars but she has a long thin head and a delicate neck. So it's either tight enough but not long enough or long enough but not tight enough.
    Because honey seems to be a lost cause, we've just been doing that when we're home and just keeping her tail slinged at all times unless we're outside. But sometimes she gets to the tape holding her tail to the sling and we've tried bitter apple, hot sauce, and vinegar to keep her from eating the tape. No luck with any of the above. Another option is padding the crate when we're gone, but she eats everything we put in there (beds, blankets, etc). So don't want to keep giving her things to eat until she gets clogged with something bad. And I've tried tiring her out and giving her a kong to keep her busy and focused elsewhere but no interest in the kong so far. So here are my questions:
    1) Are there any tricks to keeping an e collar up on a long skinny neck? She's only 65 lbs, but long.
    2) Any other suggestions on something to put on the tape to keep her from eating it?
    3) Any ideas on how to pad a crate without her being able to eat the padding? And I mean the sides, for when her tail bangs them, not the floor necessarily.

    Thanks! All help or hints is greatly appreciated. I really want her to feel safe and help her heal as quickly as possible.
    **Lindsey and Zinn**

  • #2
    It's too bad she got a "taste" for her tail with the honey, but I understand why it was suggested.

    What type of tape do you use?

    I had to use the sling method for THREE SOLID MONTHS on one of my Danes. I seriously doubted she'd ever heal, the tip of her tail was a MESS. But, she did, and (*knock on wood*) she has never had another episode since. I never put anything on her tail. I'd clean it with dilute chlorhexidine or betadine every few days, but I generally left it alone and open to the air as much as possible. To do that, I used DUCT TAPE wrapped about 2" above where the tail tip was injured. I taped onto heathy fur, and made two wraps, each the width of the duct tape and overlapping by about 50%. I'd then take another piece of duct tape and split it lengthwise in half. I'd pass a "quick link" through this half-wide strip, then use the tape to stick it on to the duct tape base on her tail. I used a large collar around her midriff and hooked the quicklink to the collar ring. This worked like a charm, and she never bothered with chewing the tape (but she wouldn't leave it alone if there was a dressing on her tail tip itself).

    I also, over time, taught her to sit or lie down when in a cramped area of my house so that she wouldn't constantly beat her tail tip against the wall. She is now considerably less "exuberant" indoors, but I have to manage her proactively & carefully to prevent future happy tail episodes.

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    • #3
      My first rescue Justice came from the humane society to me with a badly damaged tail and we tried SO many things and nothing worked. Eventually the tail turned icky and we had the last six bones amputated. It was quick, easy, less than $200, and it worked perfectly.

      And here it is all healed up--looks almost normal. (This was just a couple of weeks before we lost Justice--he was 12 years old)


      Sometimes it's better for the dog to just stop with all the messing around. All the preventative measures are tough on them.

      Good Luck!
      Tracy
      sigpic
      Mouse April 2010
      Echo -- run free, Sweetie! Jan 9, 2007 - April 24, 2014 Lost to osteosarcoma at 7 years, 3 months. RIP.

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      • #4
        I was going to say, I think if it were my dog .. I too would just have the tail amputated. Seems like the less stressful, most prevenative solution.

        Luckily my danes tails seem to be tough as nails (especially Quinn, she bangs hers on everything) .. but I do believe should one of them ever develop this unfortunate ailment .. I would just have the tail removed and remove the problem all together.
        sigpic
        A backyard breeder (BYB) is someone who has been deemed not a reputable breeder.

        A "Responsible Breeder" supports their buyers, supports their own dogs, and supports the lives of any fututre puppies by having (and keeping up with) all the appropriate health testing suggested by the GDCA.

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        • #5
          We had a Gordon Setter with this when I was young. We tried to heal it for a long time and in in many ways mainly because he was a show dog, but he would just damage it again. We ended up amputating almost half of it and he never had any problems after that so I would recommend this approach.

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          • #6
            http://www.dogstuff.info/tail_healing_method_arndt.html

            Martha
            sigpic

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            • #7
              That's what I did, too, but the Zonas tape didn't hold. Duct tape, changed regularly & used over healthy furred skin worked much better. I also used an extra-wide, extra-large dog collar around the waist instead of fabric. The collar stayed flat on the dog's back and didn't bind the way cloth does. It was also much easier to take on and off. She wore this for 3 months, was able to potty in it (but I unclasped her tail for walks & poopies), and didn't mind it at all. I changed the tape about twice a week or as needed.

              Happy tail *can* be healed using this method in many cases. Amputating a partial tail is no guarantee that they won't reopen the amputated part, so it isn't always a cure.

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              • #8
                If you are going to use honey, try Manuka honey, it is known for its wound healing properties. They also have manuka honey gauze. Good luck!

                Em
                Last edited by Jazzandcompany; 11-26-2011, 05:41 PM.
                sigpic
                Emily
                Jazz - GD rescued at 5 months (september 27th, 2009)
                Blues - GD rescued at ? grew through 2012 (July 29, 2011)
                Preston - 8 y/o "grumpy old man" yorkie mix

                bluesfightscancer.com

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Jazzandcompany View Post
                  If you are going to use honey, try Manuka honey, it is known for its wound healing properties. They also have manuka honey gause. Good luck!

                  Em
                  Hey Emily, where do you get the Manuka gauze? I have been using Epsom salt, raw acv (with the mother) soaks and then rubbing some Manuka honey onto an interdigital cyst that Jade has going on. That thing is just about gone but I would like to try the gauze so I can rub the honey on the underside between her toe pads without getting honey all over the floors. I have been just using gold bond underneath but it does look sooo much better already. I also give her a teaspoonful to eat. She loves it!

                  Martha
                  sigpic

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                  • #10
                    What about the bite not collars? They look like neck braces. Would be better for a skinny neck i think.
                    sigpic
                    Crystal
                    Owned by:
                    Dexter 8 year old GD, CGC
                    CH xxx's Top Gear AKA Studebaker (Baker) 4 years
                    Bagel 19 yr old Maine Coon
                    Lox 11 yr old Russian Blue mix

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by daneowned View Post
                      Hey Emily, where do you get the Manuka gauze? I have been using Epsom salt, raw acv (with the mother) soaks and then rubbing some Manuka honey onto an interdigital cyst that Jade has going on. That thing is just about gone but I would like to try the gauze so I can rub the honey on the underside between her toe pads without getting honey all over the floors. I have been just using gold bond underneath but it does look sooo much better already. I also give her a teaspoonful to eat. She loves it!

                      Martha
                      I'm glad you are liking the Manuka honey, I am such a believer in it! I have never priced the bandages before, they are pricey!
                      http://www.honeyshop.co.nz/en/cp/Act...n_Manuka_Honey

                      I'd probably try soaking the regular Gauze in honey first then put on a clean/dry layer over it!

                      I'm interested in knowing how she does with it!

                      Em
                      sigpic
                      Emily
                      Jazz - GD rescued at 5 months (september 27th, 2009)
                      Blues - GD rescued at ? grew through 2012 (July 29, 2011)
                      Preston - 8 y/o "grumpy old man" yorkie mix

                      bluesfightscancer.com

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                      • #12
                        Hi,

                        Monroe battled happy tail for a while, and still gets a small bleeder every now and then, but we are out of danger of amputation! Here is what worked for us:

                        First, we stopped taping the tip of the tail. Some vets recommend a full cover with padding on the tip of the tail, but ours took that off and left the split tip to air dry and heal.

                        He made us stop putting any kind of softener or moistener on the tail. No honey, no Neosporin -- he wanted to dry the tail up as much as possible and help it create a callous along the way. Soft tail tip = vulnerable tail tip. Monroe's tail tip is now one big callous and it protects itself.

                        Third, we slung his tail up between his legs. We made sure that the tape attached to the D ring was plentiful but nice and loose. The loose tape made him much less likely to want to chew it off. We also used kinesio tape at the breeder's suggestion because it was breathable and less likely to trap moisture (moisture = licking/chewing).

                        Hope that helps! It can take awhile to heal, take heart.
                        sigpic

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                        • #13
                          You could try a basket muzzle, or full neck collar (keeps them from bending the neck to lick anything).

                          Other than that- tail amputation. I fought happy tail for a little over a year with my female dane. She now sports a nubbin and is just as happy wagging it.
                          sigpic
                          "Show me your dog, and I will tell you what manner of man you are."
                          ~Capt. Max von Stephanitz
                          Anubis CGC (RIP) , Cheza CGC, Schwarz Frost von Lichtefeld CGCA THD TDIA, Steele Gunner Goatsbane CGCA, and Professional House Dog Oliver.

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                          • #14
                            Thank you!

                            Thank you all for the replies. I have definitely considered amputation and it is very much still in the table because a large part of me really thinks all of the attempts to heal the tail is really stressing her more than not having a tail will. But I am not going to throw in the towel just yet and will definitely try some of your suggestions. Thanks so much!
                            **Lindsey and Zinn**

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by DJR View Post
                              Amputating a partial tail is no guarantee that they won't reopen the amputated part, so it isn't always a cure.
                              I guess I dint understand why if you're already aputating tail, why leave it long enough to still hit things. If faced with the problem, inwould just wnt it amputated/docked like a dobermans tail .. Long enough they can still communicate but short enough to never be able to hit anything ever again.
                              sigpic
                              A backyard breeder (BYB) is someone who has been deemed not a reputable breeder.

                              A "Responsible Breeder" supports their buyers, supports their own dogs, and supports the lives of any fututre puppies by having (and keeping up with) all the appropriate health testing suggested by the GDCA.

                              Comment

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