Why is my dog's tail base swollen, raw, bloody, and very painful?

It looks like Bella likely either has an infection on her tail or may have possibly injured/broken a bone. Both conditions can cause swelling and pain. First make sure you protect the tail by having Bella wear an elizabethan collar. The more she chews on it, the worse she makes it. Secondly, call her doctor and get her in asap for an exam and appropriate medication as it likely hurts. If she will allow you to apply cool compresses, that can help with the swelling and the pain. You can wet a rag and put it in the refrigerator (NOT the freezer) for 5 minutes then apply it to the area. If she does not tolerate it, allow the rag to warm up a little (too cold might be uncomfortable as well). Hope she starts feeling better!

A swollen infected tail can easily turn into an abscessed tail and the infection can go into the spinal cord. Therefore I strongly recommend you take your dog to a veterinarian or petER to have the tail examined by a veterinarian. It will need to be shaved, cleaned and disinfected and your dog will likely need pain medicine and antibiotics. You should also start flea prevention, if you have not done so yet.

That is good that it does not appear painful. Swelling at the base of the tail can be related to a tumor, a fat pad or less commonly- cellulitis due to infection or congestion of the blood vessels. To know for sure, you would need to see a veterinarian so they can palpate the area. They may recommend to collect a small sample of cells to look at under the microscope to get a better diagnosis. I hope this helps to point you in the right direction. Please feel free to post any additional questions!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This would warrant a veterinary evaluation for further assessment and treatment. These types of traumatic lesions can result in a fracture of the tail which can be quite painful. Even when a fracture is not present, this tends to result in a lot of pain. They would be able to evaluate her and at the very least start medications for pain. Good luck and have a good night!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Cali. Unfortunately this cannot avoid a vet visit. This will be very painful to her, and there are no OTC pain medications you can give her. Many human ones are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. She really should see a vet for this for pain medication, but to also make sure her tail isn't broken. Please take her into a vet now. Best of luck.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. Oh that’s not good! It’s quite concerning the skin is exposed, and it may be infected. You did the right thing by putting a cone on him. I would have him seen by a vet on Monday for this issue. Best of luck.

Hello. Unfortunately, unless you can get to the bottom of the problem, these type conditions can be very difficult to cure. Bandaging while wearing a Elizabethan cone can help for a while, & if it can heal, the problem may be solved. But if this a recurrent injury, allergy, neurologic or even a compulsive-obsessive behavior, treatments are often a bit more complex involving long term medication & sometimes even amputation of most of the tail. The first thing the tail needs is antibiotics as the tail does look infected. I think you really need to see your veterinarian with Ramces to see why this has happened & what is the right direction to go in to heal things up. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.