Dock or Not?

Spoolhead1 · Post by **Spoolhead1** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:06 pm

Got a new female that is not a bit brush shy. She loves the briars. The only problem is she bleeds like a stuck hog. About three inches of her tail stays scabbed over. These pics are after only 1 hour. It just keeps getting worse than this after more time. Sometimes her ears look bad as well but it is mostly sides and tail. Most of the blood on her sides comes from the end of her tail. Would you dock her tail

Spoolhead1

hounddog · Post by **hounddog** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:15 pm

Loosing that much blood in an hour! I'd say yes. It will be much easier on her. JMHO

hounddog
Jim Umbarger

yellowdog · Post by **yellowdog** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:30 pm

cut it off or you may find her flopped over in the field ...better to have a dog with half a tail than no dog at all....jmho

Emery · Post by **Emery** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 1:33 pm

I would dock it or move to where there are no briars! LOL

Joeyman · Post by **Joeyman** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 1:57 pm

Yeah she looks like she is even driping blood.........I would consider docking........

OK I need someone to clear this up for me..........

What cause's the tail to bleed...........

Is it the actual brairs that are the cause for the tail to bleed???????????

OR

Amount of pressure at the end of the tail from wagging back and forth?????

I also so find that when it is really cold out that their tails bleed more and in less time..........

JHough · Post by **JHough** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 2:54 pm

This is of course only a guess. I think that the briars may start the bleeding but the wagging of the tail causes more blood to be forced to the end of the tail causing more blood to come out than if they were just standing there and not wagging their tail.

If you were to cut your hand/finger and start shaking it real hard more blood would come out than if you just stood there and held your hand still.

pete young · Post by **pete young** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 3:13 pm

I had a young dogs tail docked early last fall. I had the vet take off the bad part plus one segment. It still looks good and he has had no problems since. It was no big deal(at least not for me LOL). It cost $96.00 including a 10 day supply of antibiotics. I had to lay him up for 2 weeks. Some people use a castration band and let it fall off on it's own in a couple of weeks. It's your choice but I wouldn't do it. It looks much better if professionally done. Good Luck.

full circle kennel · Post by **full circle kennel** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 3:16 pm

had the tail docked on one of mine. i was skeptic on putting a band on it and had a vet do it. the only thing i can say bad about it is the healing process is long. over a month now and the skin hasn't covered the end of the tail. if i were to do it again i would band it. i think it will stop the blood from going down to the end of the tail and you might be able to run her while this is going on.

SilverZuk · Post by **SilverZuk** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 3:19 pm

When you see it affect the dog's performance. It is time to dock.

I have a gip that was getting to the point that she would lay down on me in the afternoon. She had about 4" of "possum tail".
It eventually got to the point where she was reluctant to get in the brush.

I never had her docked, but I don't run her as hard as I did when she was young. I have other dogs now and like to run the young dogs some by themselves, so she isn't getting the run time she had.

eddieledford · Post by **eddieledford** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 3:22 pm

If you band the tail, you can still hunt the dog while you are waiting for the tail to fall off. The dog does not even notice it. If you have a vet dock the tail then you usually will have to wait a week or so to hunt them. With banding, there is no open wound it just takes care of itself in a few weeks.

pete young · Post by **pete young** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 3:27 pm

I have seen them banded and everything turn out fine, but I have also seen them banded and the dog get a big knot on the end of it's tail. Just my opinion, but if you like the dog then what is a $100.00 and a two week lay up period? It will make a cleaner looking tail and a lot less chance of something going wrong.

swampfire79 · Post by **swampfire79** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 7:07 pm

I use bands to cut off a grown dogs tail and they come out fine.I use scissors to cut all the hair in the area where i want to dock it.Always try to put the band in a joint it wil stop it from making a knot on the end.

cuttinedge · Post by **cuttinedge** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 7:22 pm

I about lost my best male last week from losing too much blood.
And I have a young gyp that has a lot of tail action. She was spending too much time licking her tail during checks. So I bought a castration tool and banded hers. And it looks real good, looks like a professional did it

She's running good now

mike crabtree · Post by **mike crabtree** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 7:29 pm

I wouldnt Dock her unless she starts losing energy. Keep an eye on her Gums if they get chalky white instead of pink, she is getting Anemic. If they are white it is time to dock.

S.R.Patch · Post by **S.R.Patch** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 3:10 am

Has this bitch been spayed or had a c-sect? To much blood under the belly.
Tail apears to be blunt, not overly long, already with good brush...