Why isn't my dog's tail wound healing after being shut in a door?

Often tip of the tail injuries actually don't heal and we end up amputating the injured bit. If it's going to heal, it will take 4-8 weeks. Definitely stay in close conversation with your vet about what you're seeing at home and take Oscar in for a recheck as recommended (probably in every 1-2 weeks until it's healed or it's decided that it's not healing and needs surgery). I'll keep my fingers cross for you!

I'm sorry Samantha's tail was slammed in a dog! First off, you did exactly the right thing by taking her into the vet. The problem with tail wounds is that dogs wag their tails, putting the wound at risk of opening back up. If Samantha is wagging her tail, that's probably why you are still seeing a bit of blood. If it's only a bit of blood, then I wouldn't be concerned. If it's a lot of blood, I would be concerned, and then you should take her back into your vet. It's impossible to get a dog to stop wagging their tail, so I recommend putting a bandage over the wound where it's bleeding in an effort to stop the bleeding. Don't put the bandage on so tight that it restricts blood flow to the tail. Samantha may want to bite and chew at the bandage, so I would get an Ecollar from the pet store to prevent her from doing that.

Hi and thanks for your request. Unfortunately this may be right as these type of injuries are very difficult to heal completely (as they are almost impossible to bandage and dogs wag their tail constantly). The vast majority of these injuries, even if look minuscule, end up having a surgical resolution (variable tail amputation).

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!

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.

Hi, yes it is necessary to see a vet. Jazzy will likely need antibiotics as it looks like the wound is oozing a bit of fluid in the picture. These lesions can be tricky to heal, and the more you keep on top of it, the better outcome you will have. If Jazzy is biting the tail, please use a cone shaped collar in order to refrain her from doing so. Hope Jazzy gets better soon.!

It can be normal for the hair to fall out at the tip of the tail where it was injured. The hair may not grow back in that area at all. As long as the wound is healing you do not need to worry about the hair loss. If the wound is open, bleeding or oozing then I would be concerned. If you dog is not bothering the tail injury I would leave it unwrapped. If it is not oozing or bleeding there is I need to keep it wrapped up. Hope this helps!