Tail Waggers
Sept 14, 2022 20:32:18 GMT 10
Post by Tom Meulman on Sept 14, 2022 20:32:18 GMT 10
The following post is the direct result of a discussion on Facebook about tail wagging greyhounds
Tail waggers
While greyhounds have a wonderful long tail that is a real asset during running in assisting their balance, it can become a real problem if the dog is a hyperactive tail wagger that finishes up with damaged blood vessels at the tip of the tail, resulting in spraying droplets of blood every time they wag their tail.
Most people wrongly believe that it’s the dog hitting its tail on a wall or hard object that causes it to start to bleed, and while that certainly causes damage, it’s the velocity at the tip of the tail which forces increased blood to the tip of the tail, bursting blood vessels, and causing blood to be sprayed out at the tip which is the real culprit.
Whenever this occurs the most common solution I see used is to bandage the damaged end, slide a plastic hair curler or similar over the end of the tail, and tape it in place in an effort to protect the damaged area from further damage as a result of the tip of the tail hitting hard objects.
Unfortunately I have seen the results of months of having a hair curler fixed at the tip of the tail in an attempt to protect the tip of the tail from damage, actually causing a fracture in the tail just behind its protective cover, which then required having the damaged section of the tail surgically removed.
So instead of taping a hair curler or similar over the end of the tail in an attempt to protect it when the only result will be that the increase in weight at the end of the tail is to increase the velocity as they swing it. Simply tape a small ring, be it a keyring or a plastic ring, to the underside of the tail with plastic electricians tape around 150mm in from the end of the tail.
Then by pulling the tail in between the hind legs, slide a nylon cord through the ring and tie it loosely around coupling/waist.
This will leave the tail in a position where it can’t be wagged, but still expose any injury of the tail to the fresh air, and allow easy treatments with a lotion if required for faster healing.
You will find that if tied correctly the dog will still be able to empty out if necessary, and the cord is easily removed and replaced for an exercise gallop.
The reason for using electricians tape is that it’s easily removed and replaced without leaving a sticky mess on the hair that can be difficult to remove such as is the case with medical adhesive tape.
By using this method the tail is suspended between the hind legs, still loose enough for the dog to move it, but with the tip of the tail facing forward in a comfortable natural position, with a fair chance of over time teaching the dog not to wag its tail and so breaking a bad habit.
Most of the time you can get away with trialing the greyhound with a small keyring taped under the tail, which still allows you to protect the tail while in the racing kennels, and is easily removed just before a race if required by the stewards, as well as quickly replaced after a race before kennelling again using electricians plastic tape.
Cheers,
Tom
Tail waggers
While greyhounds have a wonderful long tail that is a real asset during running in assisting their balance, it can become a real problem if the dog is a hyperactive tail wagger that finishes up with damaged blood vessels at the tip of the tail, resulting in spraying droplets of blood every time they wag their tail.
Most people wrongly believe that it’s the dog hitting its tail on a wall or hard object that causes it to start to bleed, and while that certainly causes damage, it’s the velocity at the tip of the tail which forces increased blood to the tip of the tail, bursting blood vessels, and causing blood to be sprayed out at the tip which is the real culprit.
Whenever this occurs the most common solution I see used is to bandage the damaged end, slide a plastic hair curler or similar over the end of the tail, and tape it in place in an effort to protect the damaged area from further damage as a result of the tip of the tail hitting hard objects.
Unfortunately I have seen the results of months of having a hair curler fixed at the tip of the tail in an attempt to protect the tip of the tail from damage, actually causing a fracture in the tail just behind its protective cover, which then required having the damaged section of the tail surgically removed.
So instead of taping a hair curler or similar over the end of the tail in an attempt to protect it when the only result will be that the increase in weight at the end of the tail is to increase the velocity as they swing it. Simply tape a small ring, be it a keyring or a plastic ring, to the underside of the tail with plastic electricians tape around 150mm in from the end of the tail.
Then by pulling the tail in between the hind legs, slide a nylon cord through the ring and tie it loosely around coupling/waist.
This will leave the tail in a position where it can’t be wagged, but still expose any injury of the tail to the fresh air, and allow easy treatments with a lotion if required for faster healing.
You will find that if tied correctly the dog will still be able to empty out if necessary, and the cord is easily removed and replaced for an exercise gallop.
The reason for using electricians tape is that it’s easily removed and replaced without leaving a sticky mess on the hair that can be difficult to remove such as is the case with medical adhesive tape.
By using this method the tail is suspended between the hind legs, still loose enough for the dog to move it, but with the tip of the tail facing forward in a comfortable natural position, with a fair chance of over time teaching the dog not to wag its tail and so breaking a bad habit.
Most of the time you can get away with trialing the greyhound with a small keyring taped under the tail, which still allows you to protect the tail while in the racing kennels, and is easily removed just before a race if required by the stewards, as well as quickly replaced after a race before kennelling again using electricians plastic tape.
Cheers,
Tom