Try to contact your veterinarian. They will be able to wrap the tail and check for any other damage. [3] X Expert Source Natalie Punt, DVMVeterinarian Expert Interview. 15 February 2022. If you are unable to contact your veterinarian, you may have to wrap your dog’s tail yourself. Wrapping a dog’s tail can help it to heal faster and prevent further injury.
Ointment goes directly on the wounded area. [4] X Expert Source Natalie Punt, DVMVeterinarian Expert Interview. 15 February 2022. Clean the area first and then make sure you cover the entire injury with ointment. Gauze and cotton should cover the injury as well. These layers help add protection and keep the ointment where it needs to be. Tape will be applied in two ways. First, apply the tape lengthwise, down the dogs tail and over the gauze and cotton. Then apply rings around those first pieces of tape, starting at the tip and working down the tail.
Adhesive medical tape with a width of about one inch. Antibiotic ointment (Mycitracin/lidocaine). Neosporin can also work. [6] X Expert Source Natalie Punt, DVMVeterinarian Expert Interview. 15 February 2022. Cotton. Larger pieces of cotton will be easier to work with. One non-stick gauze pad.
Two long pieces (eight inches) Six short pieces (four inches) Two half pieces (four inches in length, one half inch in width)
Put ointment on the wound. [8] X Expert Source Natalie Punt, DVMVeterinarian Expert Interview. 15 February 2022. Make sure you use enough to cover the injured area. You may also want to put some ointment on the gauze bandage as well to ensure that it will come in contact with the wound.
Don’t tape or wrap anything too tightly. Try wrapping the tape down the tail in a spiral. You can also try wrapping the adhesive tape around the tail, at each end of the bandage. Make sure the gauze covers the wound fully.
If you have a large piece of cotton, try wrapping it around the tail just like you would a bandage. Wrap the cotton around the tail entirely at the site of the injury. The cotton should fully cover the gauze and provide padding to the injured area. Carefully compress the cotton, making it conform to the shape of the tail. Be careful not to compress the cotton too forcefully as you may cause further injury to the tail.
Place an eight inch piece of tape lengthwise, parallel to the tail, over the cotton. The tape will start and end on the dog’s fur. Place a six inch piece of tape slightly askew of the first eight inch piece. It should start and end in the same places; however, it will be angled off to the right somewhat, covering the first piece only slightly. Add another six inch piece of tape in the same way, expect this time angle it to the left. You should have three pieces of tape now, covering the wound, lengthwise down the dog’s tail. They should start and end in the fur, just past the ends of the gauze bandage.
Put a piece of tape around the first three pieces and your dog’s tail. Start towards the tip of your dog’s tail and work down. Add the next piece of tape, just below this one. It should go all the way around the dog’s tail and cover the bandages and tape already affixed. Keep adding tape in this way until you have covered the length of the bandage. Make the last piece of tape overlaps the bandage, sticking to the fur of your dog’s tail.
Pull a few bunches of hair out from underneath the last tape wrap. Place these bunches of hair flat against the surface of the bandage. Wrap one final piece of tape around these bunches of hair and the tail.
There may be broken bones in the tail that need advanced treatment. Your vet may prescribe certain ointments or have alternative techniques for you to follow. The dog may need stitches if the bleeding too profuse.
Do not leave the bandage in place for more than a day. Wet bandages will trap infections. Most tail problems will heal in two weeks Visit your veterinarian if the wound doesn’t seem to be healing.
If your dog gets overly excited when you return home, ignore them, until you get to a larger room that he can wag his tail in without worry of them striking a hard surface. If your dog gets excited about going on a walk, prepare for the walk in a larger room, giving them more space and avoiding any injury to his tail. Try to act calmly around your dog as this can result in calm behavior from them as well. Try using the “sit” command. By having your dog sit, it will reduce the amount of force that he can wag his tail with.
For any areas of the bandage where the fur is stuck to the adhesive, try soaking them in vegetable or olive oil for a few minutes. These oils will help break down the adhesive and allow for easy removal. If your dogs wound is healed, you can also try using shampoo to remove the adhesive and painlessly take the bandage off. For small amounts of fur that are stuck to the bandage, you may simply cut the fur away with a pair of scissors. Exercise caution when cutting the bandage away as it is easy to accidentally cut the dogs tail. If you are not confident doing this, you could take your dog to the groomer. Pulling the bandage off will also pull your dogs hair out and cause it pain. Avoid this method of removal as your dog will come to fear bandages. Do not use any harsh chemicals such as nail polish or rubbing alcohol as these can be harmful to your dog.
