It'll also probably smell bad if it's infected. Thank you thank you thank you. But hey, whats another 70$? The dog seemed to appreciate the help and attention. For $70 this thing is great! One day, I came home to find blood splattered all over. Your previous content has been restored. It was awfulI couldn't find tubing but I got the blood to stop and got it wrapped! In person, you could try an outdoor store if you have any nearby. http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/mending_a_tail.htm. Then I put gauze over it but leave a space between the tip of the tail and the gauze so its covering it but not touching. This indicates to us that it's comfortable and not too tight. That is the only way it will stay on. I also took some tape and covered the end of the tube so nothing could get inside the end of the tube. "Happy tail" injuries happen to dogs with long (natural length) tails hitting objects or even walls when the dogs wag. Splatter. I like your quirky solution! In some states, only licensed medical professionals are allowed to apply bandages, splints and casts under the direct supervision of a veterinarian. Cover a good 4 inches of tail with vet wrap. His tail is healing well and he isn't bothered by the harness at all. That works to both keep air flowing around the injury and protecting it from impacts and teeth. Due to the injury being almost on the very tip of the tail it's been a challenge to figure out how to protect the tail and keep it from bleeding. We were certain that either Remy or his sidekick, Jazzy, would promptly get busy trying to pull or chew the bandage off. If you need to keep your furbabies tail protected, you cannot go wrong with this product. But ordering it online may be your best bet. I walk downstairs one morning to find my house turned into a horror movie production titled wtf happened here? By the time we found the TailSaver, we had spent nearly $2000 on our dog's badly infected tail-tip injury, which started as a wound so tiny we couldn't see it. I cleaned it up, realizing then that it was actually blood, but I couldn't find the source. We've never experienced this, but thanks for the tips. My review of customer service: We had a problem with the original harness and fit for my dog, but customer service with the company is outstanding and they helped solve the problem quickly and efficiently. K9 TailSaver is a set and Includes a Breathable Padded Tail Sleeve, aCarefully Designed Support Harness, a Wag Strap and a Cross-Body Anti-Twist Strap. He died of cancer at a young age, sadly. What was it doing up there? Its Raining Dogs Where Are They Coming From? The customer service was also outstanding. I treated the tail with an antibiotic, secured it with a small piece of cotton and cut a soft plastic straw in half and fit it to the size of the tail and secured it with a band aid. A friend suggests this method for happy tail: My pup injured her tail by slapping it repeatedly on the walls/door frame/us you name it. That's when we learned about a condition called "happy tail.". This is what we did. Her tail was a mess. Weve been using the K9tailsaver without the tail strap that holds the tail against the legs, because our dogs injury is just the tip. I personally think, my dogs are happier within themselves, I dont think they particularly enjoyed , having their tails Doctored every other day, it was a nightmare!! We tagged teamed to figure out the adjustments and are getting there. Then wrap around the gauze with vet wrap. Thanks for sharing this really great tip. In fact the bandaids were actually causing her harm by pulling hair and tender skin off. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. With this product I am no longer concerned her entire tail will be taken. I don't know that the vet can do anything to help besides put a better wrap on that may stay. Question: What if my dog's tail is like a very short one that has been cut off to a nub? If we'd known about the TailSaver going in, we could have stopped this months-long saga in its tracks for a mere $70. Neoprene is a flexible material used in products like wet suits, laptop sleeves, and braces for knees, ankles, wrists, etc., and it form-fits itself snugly but not too tightly around whatever it's on. - We bought one K9 TailSaver and one Replacement Tail sleeve so we could wash one sleeve every day while keeping the other one strapped on. I had visions of a horror movie. Even on the cats. Well, Im SO glad I did. It's only been about a week but it's been a stressful week for mostly the human owner. Remove, clean, and re-wrap the wound 1x per day for the first couple of days. My only complaint with it is the velcro only lasts about a week or so until you will need to replace it. She really messed it up when I was 9months pregnant and this tail sleeve really saved us! Look everywhere for blood, you'll find it in spots you could never imagine blood would be. You have to put the vet wrap fairly far up on the tail so that it stays on. Remember not to wrap too tight; if the end of the tail feels cold, it's too tight! Unconvenient is the procedure to get it on, so many laces but once on he is ok. After a run of happy tails, I used the tail sling as suggested by the Great Dane lady (link above), and it allowed my greyhounds tail to heal completely, and touch-wood no more accidents a month later. It was much easier than trying to scrub it off (did that in the past). We are getting close and it's been about 3 weeks since starting to use it. After basically sitting on Remy and cleaning his woundwhich he clearly noticed once he wasn't so distracted by his excitementwe attempted first aid by loosely wrapping the last few inches and tip of the tail in gauze and securing it with medical tape. Our vet wanted us to wash the TailSaver frequently, so the 2nd purchase was a matter of convenience. Or I think it does anyway. I am so thankful to have found this product for my baby. I had very good luck steaming it off the walls with my shark steamer. Bandages are applied in this manner to aid circulation and drive blood and lymphatic circulation towards the core of the body. Turned out, it was from my happy dog's wagging tail. It really isn't. Julie was BEYOND helpful throughout the whole process and we ordered an XL for our dude. Kelly -- Happy tail is such a pain, Ive had luck with paper towel tube, plastic tubing and that foam tubing used for pipe insulation (even used a pool noodle on a fat-tailed lab once). Never experienced it myself but I've heard about greyt success in cleaning and just slapping some duct tape on there. Nothing worked, and it wasn't healing at all. If your dog's tail is bleeding don't wait. He's a Boxer GSD mix and has the energy (and anxiety) that you would expect of that combo. So far, so good-he doesn't seem to notice that it's been bandaged, and is leaving it alone. Also did you have to change it frequently or reapply medicine to the tip? After visiting with the vet and being told amputation was probably in the future I made the decision I would drive 8 hrs to pick this up. Grassmere has directions on bandaging happy tail and I sorta followed those. You can always cut it off the fur, even though you'll take a little of the hair. That lasted for only a few wags before the bandage "cone" was flipped across the room. If "happy tail" bleeding is a persistent problem with your dog, I most definitely consult your vet. This tool has been an absolute life saver. You do NOT want moisture to linger around the wound. Good to know! I ordered this product. Wag. Kristie When one of our dogs gets happy tail, I goop it up with Manuka honey. Apply this to the injury, dress it with an antibacterial ointment of your choice (* I prefer Trypzyme-V), and cover it with a large Band Aid or other non-stick dressing. I had good success with Idol's happy tail by purchasing 1/4 inch pipe insulation and taping it to the whole tail. Nothing. Its excellent, so happy with purchase, it's the only thing that works for happy tail. It was late in the day and she was already home but went over everything with me. A couple years ago our dog, Misty, got happy tail and we took her to the vet and he told us it wasnt going to heal and shed end up getting her tail docked. She has gotten use to it and her tail is now healing. Also I know you should not use duct tape because it won't allow the tail to breath. - The YouTube video instructions are helpful, so probably start there. And other than hot water and elbow grease, is there a better way to get blood off walls/out of the carpet that doesn't involve peroxide? Bandages that are too tight or wrapped incorrectly can cut off blood supply to tissue and may lead to slow wound healing, tissue death and necrosis. The Tail Saver prevented my foster dog from an amputation. We did open it up to add more ointment but didn't have to change the neoprene. I than used duck tape wrapping it loose and than when I was at the center of her tail I squeezed it so it would stick to her hair. Laura Hofman from Naperville, IL on April 24, 2014: Remmy is so cute! Cleaned blood off of every surface in our house after a friend's hound had a bad case of happy tail while visiting. Want updates from SHUG? We bandaged it, we tried to keep him calm, we let him sleep in the bed instead of the crate hoping he would heal. After about a month and a half her tail was completely healed. In his excitement, he tossed more blood all over the kitchen and even splattered it six feet high. We'd walk to the middle of the room first, where there was nothing for him to whack his tail against, and THEN greet him with our usual enthusiasm, and he'd go bonkers. After nearly 4 weeks of her happy tail painting my white kitchen cabinets with drops of blood, I finally had enough. The Vet was astonished when we discovered a way to keep her tail covered. I bought the tail bandit also. However, I'm a little bit wary about using neoprene as certain classes of it are highly toxic to animals. It took about 3 weeks for it to fully heal. Wowso sad for her! Answer: I would have to defer to a veterinarian to give that kind of advice. Maria Burgess from Las Vegas, Nevada on May 23, 2013: I haven't had that issue yet, but am glad you shared this solution. When we placed the neoprene around the tail, we allowed it to extend roughly half an inch beyond the tip. That also allowed air to get in there. Talk about a tough place to bandage, not to mention a wound that keeps reopening before it ever has a chance to heal. Answer: Remy, the Golden Retriever/Lab mix in the photos is no longer with us. There was nomore licking or biting at her tail - and she couldn't remove it. She does not have to wear it all the time, but without it on at the necessary times I don't believe her tail would have ever healed. This is the type that came from a drinking tube hose. She's comfortable wearing it and I can rest easy now knowing she's ok. It's highly advised that if the tail doesn't appear to be healing quicklyas with any woundor if the wound looks "substantial" once you've cleaned it and can get a good look at it, to contact your vet. We kept her taped for about 6 weeks, but, now her tail is perfect. This was recommended to us and it was everything we could hope for. So, next time (and we're pretty sure there will be a next time), Jazzy will be removed from the room. Then I use duct tape over the whole thing and up the tail to keep it in place. I only put the duct tape half way up over the gauze onto her tail meaning the end if her tail has the exposed breathable gauze. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. I hope his tail is back to normal now. We usually change it every other day. I'm amazed that Remmy (bless his heart) left the tail protector on, but maybe he did realize it made his tail feel better. Then we tried wrapping from a few inches higher with even more tape. If not wrapped in this manner, limbs, toes, etc. Then, use narrow athletic tape at each end JUST enough (think one little strip) to anchor the vetwrap to the hair. Michelle -- This is so hard to treat. My dogs tail was at the point of amputation before I tried it. You can't beat the peace of mind knowing that your pups' tail is safe. So, relieved that he with afecto have his beautiful tail shortened. Then I wrapped gauze. Would highly recommend this solution for anyones dog with an injured tail. I repeat lock your straps. This is what finally worked. She was able to toilet with the sling in place, though we unclipped it for walks. Left off the tail wag strap for now and will keep tweaking the adjustments - well made product and hoping this will be a success for better healing. Julie was wonderful with responding to my email questions and making sure we got the product ASAP. Of course, some people have their dogs' tails docked, particularly certain breeds, but that's not a practice I'm personally in favor of. The end of her tail was raw and bloody. Hold pressure on the area with your hands, and a towel, until the bleeding stops. It took her a few days to get used to wearing the full harness, but it stayed on perfectly and she can do 'her business' no problem with it on as well. Oh-three questions: At what point does happy tail warrant a vet visit? I generally muzzle my dogs if they lick it. They may sell the neoprene tube "sleeves" separately from the drinking tubes and bladders (e.g. Fast Worldwide Shipping. OxyClean will sometimes help get out blood depending on the surface. This product arrived so quickly, within days, and has helped her heal and start feeling so much better!!! It works!! Answer: Then I would expect this would never be a problem. If you're waiting to buy this to see if your dogs tail will get better without this, I'd highly recommend you just buy it now. That worked very well. I used Pledge on the wood. Also, neoprene is used for dog toys: http://leashandpaws.com/tag/neoprene-dog-toys/. The tip was bright red and actively bleeding as Remy wagged like crazy, so happy to see one of his favorite humans. This was literally the only way we have been able to help our dogs tail heal! The Elastikon will need to actually wrap around the dog's tail hair. It protects it and stops our pup from biting/chewing it. For sure it is the only solution, that we tried so far, that is so effective. If you are in doubt at all, I'd see the vet What I did was to first, shave the tail to expose the wound. If the bleeding does NOT stop, you CAN use Kwik Stop. I lieu of cotton wadding I used a maxi pad--I figured it's light weight and absorbent--and taped the heck out of it. Happy tails in wolfhounds are a nightmare. It's the only thing that worked since the vet wrap wouldn't stay on when she wagged. Answer: The neoprene extended a little beyond the tip of his tail, so we didn't need to tape that part. This is worth the money!!! for one dog at a time. Answer: While this question may be sarcasm, it's not something I would ever do and of course never without a veterinarian in a surgical setting. If you cut the insulation too short, it will just fly off. We spent hundreds of dollars at the vets and were facing an amputation surgery with it's own set of risks. may swell painfully, leading to tissue trauma, infection or tissue death. I did have to contact Julie because I stupidly trimmed the under strap too short!! Its perfect for what we need and still works great! The sleeve was of course much too long as a few days before getting it, the vet had to cut off 30cm of the tail. Very fortunate. Thats why we developed the happy tail saver, it saved our dogs tail from being amputated, saving us hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Then I took "new skin" the liquid bandage stuff, and applied it to the wound. it is guaranteed to stay on any dog. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately. It's so bad it was dripping steadily while we were outside-there's now a big pile of bloody leaves in the back yard. We checked the tail daily for any sign of infection. This caused her to get blood all over the walls. Our veterinarian told us that there was nothing we could use on her tail that wouldl stay on. Our dogs tail was injured somehow at the pound. Sign up for our newsletter! Our dog doesnt seem to mind the set up and we made sure to leave a little wiggle room so she can sit and lay down comfortably. (Hint: unwrap a long length of vetwrap from the roll before you wrap the tail with it; this will make it easier to avoid wrapping too tight.) That includes tail biting, broken tail, allergies, cysts, tail wound infection, Cushings, exposed bone and hairless tail. Two questions: I don't have the pink curlers everyone talks about-what can I use instead? What is that? I don't have any advice regarding the carpet or vet since we've only had minor blood splattering over here. I was starting to think we would have to dock her tail at 7 years old, and with a baby due any day we really didnt have the ability to handle that. Any type of bandage in a first aid situation should immediately resolve active bleeding and be applied on the most distal point of the extremity (the furthest point on the extremity) and wrapped towards the body (up the limb or extremity). Thx for this happy tail syndrome protector. Highly recommend!! Wingnut (DC Wingnut), Voo Doo (Voo Doo von Bonz), Barb (Myokie Barb) & Romey (Nose Stradamus)at the bridge Molly (CM Blondie) 9/8/14, Maddy (Reuniting) 10/17/13, Rocky (Ranco Popeye) 1/7/12, Mimi (Flying Ringneck) 8/13/09 and RJ (RJ What For) 5/3/05.