Is my puppy's docked tail irritated or infected from momma licking?

The part may be getting infected. A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

This does not look correct and in my opinion this needs to be re-operated on, i.e. the skin around the bone needs to be mobilised, freshened and stretched and sutured over the bone, or, if the bone protrudes too much, that last tail vertebra needs to be removed and the skin and tissue freshened up and sutured. This may heal by second intention ( by putting ointment on it ), but there is also a chance that it will not and that the bone will stay exposed, or that infection sets in.

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.

Oh poor pup! She definitely needs to see a vet, but here's what you can do in the meantime. 1) Rinse the tail with warm water (no soap or antiseptics) for five minutes. 2) Apply some antibacterial cream (like neosporin) to the wound and try to tape a bandage over the area. If you are able to keep the bandage on, then repeat the above daily. If you cannot keep the bandage on, then rinse the area three times a day if possible. Don't be surprised if a lot of that brown scab stuff comes out with the rinsing and bandage. It's actually good to remove that stuff gently. Just avoid scrubbing or picking at the scabs. I hope that helps and Cali gets better soon.

I am unaware of the previous conversation. I am assuming one of Maia's puppies have a tail docked and you are unsure what to do. Typically tail docking is done with in 2-4 days of birth. At this age typically pain medication is not dispensed. I would recommend just allowing the puppy to stay with mom because she can calm and take care of the puppy the best. If the puppy is not able to be with warm I would recommend keeping it in a warm comfortable area. If the puppy is not acting right vomiting, lethargic, diarrhea this is typically not from the tail dock but still needs to be addressed by a vet. Hope that helps!

Aww poor Beau! The good news is that this tail looks pretty good to me. I can’t say for certain without looking at it but this could be normal healthy granulation tissue filling in his wound/surgery site. It could possibly be a small suture reaction or incision infection. If you can keep Beau from licking it (E collar), you can apply a triple antibiotic cream (Neosporin, etc) once or twice daily. Do not bandage the tail. Best of luck and hope this helps!

It depends on how long the blood supply was cut off. Keep an eye on it, if a sore develops where the band was keep it clean and use a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it. If you decide to have the tail docked please take her to your veterinarian to have it surgically removed under anesthesia. If she starts not feeling well she could have a fever from an infection so that is another reason to take her in for an exam. Have fun with your new pup. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.