My dog's tail tip is swollen, chapped, and painful. What should I do?

If he is getting bloody from hitting the walls aka "happy tail", it is likely going to need to be bandaged and padded to help it heal. Your vet would be the best person to show you how to properly bandage it. The tail can be quite tricky because you have to wrap it in a way where it sticks and doesn't cut off any circulation yet it is padded to help it heal. If you decide to try to bandage it yourself just do not wrap the tape tight or it will cut off circulation which could cause the tail to die. I would make an appointment to see you vet as soon as you can. I hope this helps!

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.

I want to thank you very much for providing us such good pictures. Judging by them, I believe your dog either has an infection, immune allergic disease, a cyst-like growth, etc Unfortunately, any topical medication such as the one you’re applying will not be effective against any of these diseases. You do need to schedule an appointment with your regular veterinarian as soon as possible to have a thorough physical examination performed. The vet may also want to do x-rays, a biopsy, skin culture, etc. to the affected area. Most likely, you will get treatment in the form of injectable or oral medications as well as topicals. You will also probably be given a coon to keep your dog from traumatizing and licking the area. Thank you very much for using our consultation service. I hope I have provided you some help today.

It’s hard to say if he tail is infected since it just looks crusty now with the treatment. It does look swollen. Test it for pain or being able to feel heat as this can indicate infection. If that is detected, try to get him into the veterinarian ASAP. Applying sterile petroleum jelly can also help condition the skin and promote healing. The biggest component is to prevent more trauma. He ears do not appear red or seem to have an excessive amount of debris so I would say that look normal to me. Definitely keep an eye on the ears for redness, odor or shaking the head as this indicates a problem. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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!

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!

That looks like a nail bed infection (either bacterial or fungal or both). Was the medication given an oral skin antibiotic? Diesel may also benefit from a topical ointment with similar ingredients to otomax for ear infections, a medicated shampoo/mousse to use daily and an e-collar to prevent licking. Definitely let your vet the swelling is still there! Best wishes!