kirstyhen
Well-Known Member
Last night Otto has his check up at the Vet's after ripping his tail open last week.
The Vet was really pleased with how it is getting on, she says if we continue with what we've been doing then we might just be able to convince the sking to settle down.
I am really pleased with the Vet, she is not Pro Docking however she has set a time limit (unless I am unhappy with how his tail is healing before then) of 4 weeks for it to heal properly and if not then we will have to seriously consider amputation. Rather than dragging it out trying lots of different things and stressing Otto out completely.
So for any of those with long tailed Spaniels that are damaging themselves, that need some tips, this is what we are doing with him...
- A Spray Containing Tea Tree Oil sprayed on his tail 5 times a day, to stop him chewing it and also give some anticeptic protection.
- Strapping his tail during walks.
We have found that Elastoplast and lots of electrical tape work best for us, using this guide... A Guide To Protective Tail Strapping
You may need to experiment to find what works best for you, but the way we do it stays on for an hours walk through heavy woodland and Otto getting soaked in the lake!
The Elastoplast alone wasn't sticky enough, so I had to electrical tape the bottom to keep it fastened, so take the tape in your pocket on a walk and you can re-fasten if necessary.
The Vet recommended lead walks only until it was healed, but by strapping it up we have kept it protected enough that his walks haven't changed and he still runs around like a loon!!
We are also going to get some Aloe Vera juice (as recommended be Slinky Unicorn), but I keep forgetting to buy it!!
Unless it toughens up a lot, I don't think I would want to risk his tail by working him properly, so looks like that is off the cards
So it just looks like I will have to get a docked Springer pup to train up to work
The Vet was really pleased with how it is getting on, she says if we continue with what we've been doing then we might just be able to convince the sking to settle down.
I am really pleased with the Vet, she is not Pro Docking however she has set a time limit (unless I am unhappy with how his tail is healing before then) of 4 weeks for it to heal properly and if not then we will have to seriously consider amputation. Rather than dragging it out trying lots of different things and stressing Otto out completely.
So for any of those with long tailed Spaniels that are damaging themselves, that need some tips, this is what we are doing with him...
- A Spray Containing Tea Tree Oil sprayed on his tail 5 times a day, to stop him chewing it and also give some anticeptic protection.
- Strapping his tail during walks.
We have found that Elastoplast and lots of electrical tape work best for us, using this guide... A Guide To Protective Tail Strapping
You may need to experiment to find what works best for you, but the way we do it stays on for an hours walk through heavy woodland and Otto getting soaked in the lake!
The Vet recommended lead walks only until it was healed, but by strapping it up we have kept it protected enough that his walks haven't changed and he still runs around like a loon!!
We are also going to get some Aloe Vera juice (as recommended be Slinky Unicorn), but I keep forgetting to buy it!!
Unless it toughens up a lot, I don't think I would want to risk his tail by working him properly, so looks like that is off the cards
