How many times have we all stood on one of our dogs tails, and when the dog has got up a clump of hair is left behind.

Well here is a cautionary 'tail'. I had tethered my dogs up while I popped into the bakers for some bread. they were all comfortably sprawled by the cycle hoop that was outside the shop.

While I was untying the leads unbeknown to me or the bitch in question I
was stood on the end of her tail. When I said 'lets go' up they all jumped,
and one let out a yelp.

While getting them in order to walk on, I noticed a pool of blood. As I
moved each one over to see where it could possibly be coming from I
spotted the black and white that was the tip of Tula's tail on the ground. I at
first thought that I had pulled out the hair along with some skin. To my
horror this was not the case it was the whole tip of her tail including
the nearly inch long last vertebrae!!!! It had snapped clean off.

I was literally across the road from the vets, where I had been 10 minutes
earlier for a premate test.

I was in quite a state, mot knowing if she would collapse with shock, so
rushed them all to the vets office as quick as I could.

By the time we got her there the bleeding had stopped, and she had curled
her tail up!! I left her at the Vets who immediately operated on it.

They had to trim off the broken bone, and sew over the skin.

She now has 4 inches of the curl shaved and dressed . The vet warned that
tail injuries can be hard to heal, but with the speed it was treated with, and if it is left alone, then in a weeks time we will know if all is well, or if more will have to come off.

I sincerely hope not!!!!!! I think it is fortunate that because Elkhounds have curled tails it is less likely to get knocked.

I can send the photo to anyone that is interested.

Anyone who is squeamish the photo just shows the broken tip of the bone and the whole tip, next to a ruler for scale.

Barbara! I'm so sorry! We have all done that at some time in our lives but I would have never thought of that happening. I hope it soon heals up for you and the poor dog.

Best wishes, John

Nasty, trouble is nearly the same happened to Taz.

If the front and back doors of our house are both open they will slam.

My husband did just this last year and the door caught the end of Taz's tail. The was no visible damage and it appeared no problem aside from bruising.

2 weeks later he accidentally stuck his tail up my nose during an early morning cuddle and the smell was appalling.

On shaving it, i found it had turned gangernous and blackened. Did I shift to the Vets or what.

2" was amputated there and then, and he had to come to work with me for a couple of days to ensure the dressing stayed on.

Luckily it healed nicely, and it is now just short enough to really hurt your legs when he hits you.

Hope you have stuffed lost of Arnica in to help the healing, and all goes well.

Regards

Julia

Wow, sorry to hear that happened. Thank goodness you were so close to the vet.

I constantly step on my Cairns toes, it amazes me I have not broken one by now. I constantly have to remind myself to keep my feet flat on the ground at all times if I'm standing, because this always occurs when she is behind me and I put my heal down.

Stacey

it might heal better if its kept curled up ontop, !!! out of the way of everything, sorry to hear it, i bet you nearly dropped !!!!!

Oh Brainless, poor you and your bitch. Hopefully, the speed at which you were able to get her treated will mean that her poor tail will heal well.

Never mind being worried that your bitch might collapse through shock, you did well to remain calm yourself......I suspect that if it had been me the vet would probably have had to treat me for shock as well as see to the injured dog!!

Hope all works out well for your girl - give her a cuddle from me.

Hi Brainless
Saw your piccy on moosedog-poor Tula !!Hope you both recover soon.
See you at Houndshow!
Nikki.

moosedog???????????????????

It is one of our breed mailing lists. It is the uncensored one. There is also Elkaholics which is moderated.

You mail and receive indivisual mails, or you can get one big mail a day (Digest). It is US based, and a lot of the stuff is Rescue related. It is a big Elkhound family all over the World, but US based.

People share life experiences, rescue info, show results, pet stories, anything really, the one common factor is love of the breed.

Well I have Tula entered at Houndshow in the breed Veteran class! I wonder if it will at least have dome fur on in a month! They have shaved the last four inches of her tail!

That is what I am hoping as she carries it curled on her back it is less likely to be nocked than the dogs who split their tails from wagging. Least I hope so.

On the breed list I am on a lady told me that Afgahans sometimes have the ed of their tails missing, as they too have a hook at the end, but carry them down or slightly raised, so prone to catching on things.

The onlytime an Elkhounds tail is vulnerable is when lying sown with it unfurled, the rest of the time it nestles in the thick coat on their backs. This might account for why my freind who has beenin the breed 50 years has never heard of an Elkhound having such an accident.

Yes very bad clumsy woman!!!!:( :(

brainless!!! its life, at least you had them out for a walk--enjoying themselves, bet theres a lot dont get the fun yours do, --we know you didnt mean it :) ====and i got the picture, yak!!!!! turned my stomach, not nice,

Oh poor you, how horrid you must have felt. Hope she is soon better and I would not worry about the missing hair as the judge will know what happened. Never crossed my mind that it could happen to an Elkie, although I have know several dogs to have to have a lump amputated from hitting it or getting it shut in doors. The end of a Elkhound tail is distorted because of the tight curl, may be it is a weak point.

Hope you are both recovering,

Jackie

Hope your both recovering. I'n very sorry to here about it. Hope it heals soon.

Take Care

Nina

Well had the dressing taken off yesterday, which did cause it to bleed a little, so the stitches were left in for another week. The vet said that this was good as it meant the skin had not died back, and after a few minutes it was fine.

She does look funny with the hair so short on the last 4 inches of tail, but other than having a fat blunt end I don't think it will be too bad once the hair regrows, especially if she keeps it curled up :D

Have had great fun (not) trying to get her Champion Grandaughter mated.

We had premate blood tests this time, and the results said she was ovulating on Thursday. so on Friday we went and stayed with the chosen male, but she refused to stand at all. On Sunday morning (day 15 and third day since ovulation) we took her in the opposite direction to our young Import (who has mated two bitches already) but she wouldn't stand for him either. Managed to get her mated on day 16 on Monday, but that was it and she would not stand again.

From what I have read the ova should still have been viable 4 days after ovulation, so am hoping that she takes, as I don't fancy this much palava next time, when she will already be four years old!!!

So all being well I will be keeping a bitch pup a year earlier than I had planned, as not taking any chances of her not breeding again if I am lucky enough to get a litter from her in September.

Strange as her Mother and Grandmother were both eager to mate, and Great Grandma was a bit prissy but not too bad.