My dog is chewing her tail. Can I use a cone if I can't afford a vet?

Tail wounds can be difficult and frustrating to treat. Place an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent any more chewing. Gently clean the tail, applying direct pressure with a clean cloth to stem any bleeding. When she is in the crate, offer a special toy or treat to keep her distracted. Make sure she has enough room to turn around so she isn't whacking her tail against the sides. A pheromone product, such as the Adaptil collar or DAP plug in diffuser, may decrease stress and anxiety if she gets worked up while crated.

Tail wounds are difficult to heal. You are doing a good job but need to place her in a cone to stop the licking and chewing. The wound can’t heal with constant irritation. I also would check her for fleas to make sure that isn’t the reason she started the chewing, and also you may want to have her anal sacs checked since if they are full they can cause itching in this area. Your veterinarian can also prescribe medication to control the itch and inflammation and antibiotics if they feel the area is infected. Be patient and continue with your treatment and this will heal in time. A tail amputation is a serious surgery and she would probably chew the incision and make a sore so you wouldn’t be any better off than you are now. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Leia.

Place an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent further licking or chewing. Sometimes, there can be some clipper burn after a grooming which can cause some irritation. The image attach shows what appears to be a small mass or lump. To determine what it is, you will need to have Pepper physically examined by your veterinarian. A fine needle aspirate can be done in the clinic to collect samples for pathology. This may provide a diagnosis. In the meantime, the cone may be enough to allow for healing. Your vet can dispense antibiotics and/or anti-inflammatories if indicated.

Yes, Minnie should be wearing an Elizabethan collar at all times until the wound is completely healed. Make sure to avoid trauma to the wound such as hitting the tail against the wall. If it does not start to improve within one week or if it starts getting worse, have her examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps.

Unfortunately, tail mutilation can be a complicated problem to resolve - it often requires a combination of oral antibiotics, steroids, and pain medication such as gabapentin to allow the wound to heal while also keeping it wrapped to prevent further trauma from occurring. Often, part of the problem is that there may be an underlying reason why the tail chewing occurred in the first place - a skin condition, neurologic disorder such as lumbosacral stenosis, or an initial injury may have caused Zoey to begin mutilating her tail, and it's often a vicious cycle from there. In some dogs, this can also be a compulsive behavior associated with stress or anxiety. Without seeing a vet, all you will be able to do at home is keep the tail clean and loosely wrapped to prevent further damage, but Zoey will probably need prescription medications for it to heal. You may be able to find a low-cost SPCA clinic in your area who could help.

The only thing you can try and do is putting an e-collar around her neck until it heals and hope she doesn't do that again when you remove it. If she does it again, she might need her tail amputated.

Thank you for contacting PetCoach with your question about Kip. Poor boy! I would gently clean his wound with warm water and antiseptic soap. To keep him from licking at it, you can put an Ecollar on him. You can get one at a pet store or make one at home. Keep the wound clean and dry, and monitor it for signs of infection. If you see redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, or pus, then it is infected and he will need to see the vet for antibiotics to treat it. Best of luck. http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html