Tail amputation

[Clodagh]

Has anyone had an adult dog's tail amputated? How long did it take to completely heal?
I am hoping young lab can hang onto hers until after the season, but if worst case scenario it has to come off I am wondering how long she will be off games.

 

[silv]

My Labrador had a malignant tumour on his tail which then required amputation. It was many years ago now but I don't remember him being off games for long. I think the first couple of days he rested up and then took gentle exercise (if that's possible for a lab) for a couple of weeks maybe. Once the stiches were out he was back to normal.

 

[Thistle]

Oh no, poor girl. Do you remember Kristina who owned the Connie stallion? Her lab, Polly, had to have her tail amputated, it took a couple of ops as they didn't take enough the first time and she had a bandaged tail for ages. When they eventually decided to bite the bullet and take more off it healed fairly rapidly.
#Can you find some way of protecting it for working? To delay the inevitable.

 

[Clodagh]

Silv, that is good news.
The vet says to take the whole lot off, as he said partials rarely work. The infection is under control now but I think she must have broken the end bone as if she whacks it on anything she swings and bites it. Not when working, obviously, she wouldn't notice if it fell off then!
I really need to decide now as she and I have got a job picking up on a big shoot and the first day is the 3rd November. Speaking to OH we think best to keep it on for now, if we can.
I probably need to go back to the vet and have another chat, but there is no swelling or oozing any more.

 

[Wishful]

Our lab had a partial one. Total healing was ages but we had trouble with infection after he got wet excema from the syringe case dressing.

Protection wise we developed a great dressing system for anything other than being in and out of water all day:

Melolin over wound/damaged skin
Tensolvet (sp??) - elastic adhesive dressing below wound.
polsterplast dressing over melolin.

This put padding over the vulnerable region but the super sticky polsterplast wasn't against hair or skin.

DH is an equine vet - hence materials...

Obviously be very careful with the tension of the elastoplast dressing...

Syringe case was disastrous for us and most others lasted one wag...

 

[Wishful]

Partial took at least 2 weeks of twice daily dressing changes and given most smally vets like syringe case dressings which would sweat that is not a surprise ..

 

[Brownmare]

Syringe case dressings worked well for us on a partial on my whippets tail. Manuka honey was the key to accelerating the healing.

 

[Clodagh]

Vet says not partial, it will be about docked pointer length. I said I had no need to look at a bum hole while out walking!

 

[Clodagh]

Just got back from yet another vet trip. He is happy for her to keep it on until February, as although it has some chronic inflammation the infection seems under control. There is no more ooze and although it is a bit swollen he feels that is just a result of long term problems and not an immediate issue.
If anything changes she will, of course, be straight in to have it taken off. If we get on OK then it will be early Feb.
We are changing her name to Stumpy.