We love it when our happy dogs wag-wag-wag with joy. Dogs talk with their tails, and so do cats, but too much wagging can result in tail injury. Tail talk expresses emotion and communicates so much, but what do you do when wags hurt? Labradors are notorious for dog tail injury. And cat tails get caught in doors, under feet, or other injuries. Here’s how to deal with tail wag trauma.
Dealing with Tail Wag Trauma
Cat & Dog Tail Injury: Why Tail Trauma Happens
That tail is one of the most expressive parts of the dog–or cat–body. It’s not unusual for a friendly flail to clear tabletops. But what can you do when the wagging wacks walls, and there’s trauma to twining tail tips? (say THAT fast five times!)
Big dogs like Labradors are so happy—and so large—that happy wagging bangs the tail tip bloody. Pet tails can also be shut in doors, stepped on, or otherwise hurt. Once dog tail injury happens, tails are very prone to re-injury and can stay sore and battered.
The condition isn’t a medical emergency but is painful for the dog or cat. It can also be messy when the injured tail splatters blood around the room. With chronic tail wag trauma, medical attention is needed to speed the healing, but home care also works well.
HOME FIRST AID FOR CAT OR DOG TAIL INJURY
Benadryl has a sedative effect and is very safe. You can give one milligram for every pound the pet weighs to temporarily slow the wagging. That can help keep your dog tail injury from becoming worse, and give it a chance to heal.
Hair not only hides the wound, it also collects bacteria and holds blood like a paintbrush. When the tail is very furry, carefully clip away the hair with blunt scissors. Electric clippers are a safer choice for fur removal.
Usually infection isn’t a problem, but it’s still best to quickly clean up the tail. The simplest and most effective technique is to dip the tail in a pan of cold water for several minutes. That rinses off the wound, helps stop the bleeding and reduces inflammation. Then gently pat the tail dry with a clean cloth.
If the dog or cat won’t allow tail dipping, apply an ice cube to the area to numb the pain and reduce swelling. The damage prompts the body to release chemicals called histamines that cause swelling and inflammation. Inflammation can break down the cells and cause permanent damage. Ice stops the process. Once the injury is clean and dry, apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment like Neosporin to help prevent infection.
HOW TO BANDAGE A DOG TAIL INJURY
Bandage the tail to contain the bleeding (and protect your furniture), and pad the injury to keep your pet from re-injuring the sore spot. Learn more about pet first aid in the book, The First Aid Companion for Dogs Cats.
Cat’s tails are particularly difficult to bandage, but for dogs, pull a clean cotton tube sock over the end of the tail. It should be long enough to cover two-thirds of the length of the tail itself. Then wrap tape over the sock, beginning at the tip of the tail and working toward the body, in a diagonal crisscross pattern. Be sure to run the tape two inches beyond the cuff of the sock and directly onto the fur. Finally, run the tape back down from the body to the tail tip, again in a diagonal pattern, which makes it difficult for the dog to pull off. This bandage technique (and others) are illustrated and described in pet first aid books.
Change bandages at least every three days, or oftener if it gets wet or dirty. Apply Neosporin to the area with each bandage change. If the veterinarian recommends you leave the tail uncovered, apply the ointment two to four times a day since dogs and cats tend to lick it off. Some pets may need a prescription tranquilizer to calm tail movement until it can heal. Antibiotics may also be needed. Check with your vet to be sure any medication doesn’t cause diarrhea or other issues.
A collar restraint also can keep him from chewing, licking or pulling at the bandage or tail injury. Or smear Vicks Vapor Rub on the bandage—the menthol odor repels most pets and keeps tongue and teeth at bay.
Some injuries require that the damaged tail tip amputated. If that happens, fur tends to grow over the end and hides the loss. Your pet will never miss the, er, missing link.
Make some changes in the pet’s environment to avoid a repeat of the tail trauma. Bigger dogs need larger areas where they can swing their tails without banging walls, or clearing off the coffee table.
Has your dog (or cat) ever suffered a tail injury? How did it happen? What treatment was required? Do tell!
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter.
Stay up to date with the latest book giveaways and appearances related to my September Day pet-centric THRILLERS WITH BITE! Amy Shojai, CABC is a certified cat & dog behavior consultant, a consultant to the pet industry, and the award-winning author of 35+ pet-centric books and Thrillers with Bite! Oh, and she loves bling!
Related
12 Comments
Amelia
on April 26, 2018 at 3:15 am
My 1 month husky has a somewhat hole on its tail and vet wont be open till next week i tried cleaning it with hydrogen peroxide alot of pus came out but i still feel a little ball there i think its swollen dont know if its still puss or how he got it but he had it the day i got him ,went home rinsed it out and saw wound dont know what to do or how to help the poor little guy
Hi Amelia, So sorry your puppy has a tail injury. Hydrogen peroxide is a bit harsh to put on the wound directly. He really does need a veterinary check up. Meanwhile, simply washing with warm soapy water, and then rinsing thoroughly, can help keep the area clean until the doctor can attend to him.
We have been having to wipe down walls and cabinets for the last two weeks. We couldn’t figure out what happen to our Catahoula’s tail. Found this article very useful and I believe he wags it so hard he may have just injured it and keeps hurting it every time he hits something with it. Going to try the sock thing with padding to protect see if we can get it to heal. Thank you for the advice!
When I was a child, my Dad brought home a toy fox terrior, a terror to my mother. She refused to have anything to do with it and would have let it starve if we didn’t feed and water it. We learned fast we had a responsibility to this dog. Once when she was exiting the door, it slammed on her tail, breaking it so it had a kink in it. We tried bracing it, but to no avail. It seemed happy enough, so we just let it alone. We love out Mitzy, but Mother banned it to outside. She would plant a bulb, only to find it dug up. She gave up a garden in the back and made a beautiful rose and dalia garden in the front yard. We had an outdoor cat, a good mouser, Mitzy would drag the poor cat around the yard by the nap of its neck. We’d rescue the cat and she went back for more. go figure.
Hi Eyrline, I’m so glad that you had the chance to have a special relationship with Mitzy despite your Mom’s opinion. *s* Those terriers can be a handful–bet the kinked tail gave Mitzy even more character. 🙂
I think I’m commenting on the right one. 🙂 Anyway, I remember when I was volunteering almost daily at the shelter (at least my unemployment a few years ago did something good, eh?) we had a few dogs in that had to be docked because they wouldn’t stop breaking their tails. One of them had a sign up for a little bit beforehand, saying “don’t be scared if you see blood in my kennel – I am just so very happy to see you, sometimes I wage my tail too hard!” Up until then, I had never actually considered that as a reason for tail docking.
Yay! Yes, you’re on the ‘new’ blog. *s* It’s interesting that the dog fancy uses “tail injury” as a justification for docking many of the dog breed tails…yet labradors are one of the most common tail injuries and is NOT a docked breed. Ah, but that opens up a whole other discussion. Not…going…there, at least not tonight. 🙂
I wonder if perhaps they mean “tail injury in the line of work the dog was originally bred for”… in which case it only makes sense to do it if you’ve got a working dog. Sometimes I think they arbitrarily hold to those standards without really thinking about or explaining the history of why they were done. :\
That’s exactly how it’s meant. But most of these dogs aren’t doing their historical work these days now anyway. It’s a matter of taste more than safety or function anymore. In Europe, quite a lot of the cropping/docking is now illegal. *shrug*
Fortunately, none of my dogs ever sustained a tail injury, but, a few of my clients’ have. I remember a Golden Retriever who banged up his tail so often, it lost function and just hung there, limply. You had to lift it up when he needed to poop, otherwise it got messy. Another client accidentally slammed the door on her Lab’s tail and broke it. Ouch! 🙁
Thanks for the good advice about this subject.
It’s NATIONAL ADOPT A DOG MONTH! How will you spend your celebration? Wait, your dog didn’t tell you? Well, for Shadow, it’s “dog week” every week of the year, but the “official” celebration takes place the 4th week of September every year — and has been celebrated since the first event in 1928. But October celebrates dog adoptions all month long. Check out my most popular dog-centric blogs in this post.
Have you thought about dog bite Halloween safety? and I’m not talking about vampires, either. Many dogs enjoy the howl-idays. But dogs biting kids happens more often at this time of year than any other.
This is a timely subject so I try to revisit the information every year. I write about this every year because it’s so darned important. With Halloween in the offing, this is the perfect time to brush up on dog safety issues and protect your kids, too.
To give equal time, there are many kitty-centric Halloween myth-teries you’ll find fascinating, especially about black cats.
While nonstop doorbell rings and visitors showering attention may be doggy bliss for your pet, even friendly laid back pooches get their tails in a twist over the disruption to routine. That can be dangerous for the pet—and for the human. Learn more about dog bites and kid safety here…
August 17 is Black Cat Appreciation Day to counter the Halloween black cat negative myths. Of course, those folks who share their lives (and pillows!) with a special black cat know better. Sadly, too many black cats remain in shelters rather than being adopted.
In fact, some evidence supports the notion that black cats (one of the first “mutations” of wild coat color), enhanced what I call the feline friendly factor. Black cats often seem to be much more agreeable and love spending time with their chosen human. Maybe that’s why so many of the so-called witches were associated with black kitties.
People have more difficulty picking cats because they assume all felines are the same. And because usually, cats pick us.
Halloween pet safety is needed every year. Halloween at its best is a night of mystery, fun, and thrills for human children and many adults. It’s important to keep your human kiddoes safe with these tips, but no less important for the pets. I write about Halloween pets safety every year because it can be a nightmare for your furry kids.
Do you enjoy dressing up the house—and yourself—for the holidays? If you want to include Halloween pet costumes, start now to get them used to the notion. Most of the costumes don’t fit Bravo-Dawg, and I’ve not yet tried Shadow-Pup. I’ll share pictures if/when that happens.
Meanwhile, be sure to keep pets safe over Halloween, though. Dogs and cats aren’t always fans of wearing Halloween costumes, but with these tips, you can help pets accept the notion.
Halloween Pet Costumes
Some pets enjoy dressing up, particularly the small dogs already used to wearing coats and sweaters in cool weather. There are many pet costumes available from pet products stores, from fancy to plain. If your outgoing, confident pet is willing, you can have great fun with costumes. But if your pets don’t care for dress up, don’t press it. Many pets may bite over Halloween out of fear of change.
Even reluctant pets may be persuaded to wear a fancy collar or bandana or painted toenails.
Every year, I write about our old cat needs. While Karma-Kat has just reached middle age, cats age at different rates. When do you consider your cat old? Is your old cat a senior kitty by age 8, or 13, or…when? For cats, what is old? Here’s how the experts define ‘old age’ in cats…
Can we take a minute to talk about something almost every pet parent deals with?
Although pet hair and odors are a small price to pay to have our furry ones at home with us, the fuzz and funky smells can sometimes seem overwhelming!
Visit Amy's Website
Amy Shojai CACB is an award winning author. You can find all her publications and book her to speak via her website.
AmyShojai.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com http://amazon.com/.
My 1 month husky has a somewhat hole on its tail and vet wont be open till next week i tried cleaning it with hydrogen peroxide alot of pus came out but i still feel a little ball there i think its swollen dont know if its still puss or how he got it but he had it the day i got him ,went home rinsed it out and saw wound dont know what to do or how to help the poor little guy
Hi Amelia, So sorry your puppy has a tail injury. Hydrogen peroxide is a bit harsh to put on the wound directly. He really does need a veterinary check up. Meanwhile, simply washing with warm soapy water, and then rinsing thoroughly, can help keep the area clean until the doctor can attend to him.
We have been having to wipe down walls and cabinets for the last two weeks. We couldn’t figure out what happen to our Catahoula’s tail. Found this article very useful and I believe he wags it so hard he may have just injured it and keeps hurting it every time he hits something with it. Going to try the sock thing with padding to protect see if we can get it to heal. Thank you for the advice!
Glad it could help.
When I was a child, my Dad brought home a toy fox terrior, a terror to my mother. She refused to have anything to do with it and would have let it starve if we didn’t feed and water it. We learned fast we had a responsibility to this dog. Once when she was exiting the door, it slammed on her tail, breaking it so it had a kink in it. We tried bracing it, but to no avail. It seemed happy enough, so we just let it alone. We love out Mitzy, but Mother banned it to outside. She would plant a bulb, only to find it dug up. She gave up a garden in the back and made a beautiful rose and dalia garden in the front yard. We had an outdoor cat, a good mouser, Mitzy would drag the poor cat around the yard by the nap of its neck. We’d rescue the cat and she went back for more. go figure.
Hi Eyrline, I’m so glad that you had the chance to have a special relationship with Mitzy despite your Mom’s opinion. *s* Those terriers can be a handful–bet the kinked tail gave Mitzy even more character. 🙂
I think I’m commenting on the right one. 🙂 Anyway, I remember when I was volunteering almost daily at the shelter (at least my unemployment a few years ago did something good, eh?) we had a few dogs in that had to be docked because they wouldn’t stop breaking their tails. One of them had a sign up for a little bit beforehand, saying “don’t be scared if you see blood in my kennel – I am just so very happy to see you, sometimes I wage my tail too hard!” Up until then, I had never actually considered that as a reason for tail docking.
Yay! Yes, you’re on the ‘new’ blog. *s* It’s interesting that the dog fancy uses “tail injury” as a justification for docking many of the dog breed tails…yet labradors are one of the most common tail injuries and is NOT a docked breed. Ah, but that opens up a whole other discussion. Not…going…there, at least not tonight. 🙂
I wonder if perhaps they mean “tail injury in the line of work the dog was originally bred for”… in which case it only makes sense to do it if you’ve got a working dog. Sometimes I think they arbitrarily hold to those standards without really thinking about or explaining the history of why they were done. :\
That’s exactly how it’s meant. But most of these dogs aren’t doing their historical work these days now anyway. It’s a matter of taste more than safety or function anymore. In Europe, quite a lot of the cropping/docking is now illegal. *shrug*
Fortunately, none of my dogs ever sustained a tail injury, but, a few of my clients’ have. I remember a Golden Retriever who banged up his tail so often, it lost function and just hung there, limply. You had to lift it up when he needed to poop, otherwise it got messy. Another client accidentally slammed the door on her Lab’s tail and broke it. Ouch! 🙁
Thanks for the good advice about this subject.
Yowie…poor dogs, that does sound painful. This happens with cats, too, but not as often.