Use small, safe scissors, such as embroidery or bandage scissors, to carefully cut the bandages and tape away from the tip of the dog's tail. Monitor the incision for redness, swelling and discharge, which are signs of infection. Keep an eye on your adult docked dog or the puppies' mother to make sure the incision site is not being over-groomed or licked. If your adult dog will not leave a newly docked tail tip alone, place a plastic Elizabethan collar around your pet's neck to restrict its ability to reach the tail.
Differences between breeds that are docked and those that are not are often minor. Q: Why is tail docking currently carried out on non-working dogs? A: Tail docking of some breeds may be based on a belief that their non-working members experience risks similar to working dogs; more commonly, however, it is to conform to a distinctive breed appearance or standard.
Survey data indicate that preventive tail docking of pet dogs is unnecessary. In countries such as the United Kingdom where tail docking is legally prohibited with a few exemptions the breed standards of traditionally docked breeds have been amended.
Q: Do dogs need to have tails? A: It is natural for most dogs to have tails based upon their descent from a tailed species. However there is no strong evidence that naturally bobbed or surgically docked dogs are physically or psychologically disadvantaged. There is some early, but inconclusive, data that raises questions as to whether docking impairs communication with other dogs 23 or may increase the risk of developing incontinence.
Q: Is tail docking painful? A: Tailing docking is painful. Painful procedures conducted in the neonatal period when the nervous system is vulnerable can result in negative long-term changes which affect how pain is processed and perceived later in life. Because dogs have not been shown to derive self-esteem or pride in appearance from having their tails docked common reasons for performing cosmetic procedures on people , there is no obvious benefit to our patients in performing this procedure.
In the opinion of the AVMA, this is insufficient justification for performing a surgical procedure. Q: What forms of tail removal would not be considered cosmetic? Some breeders, both historically and currently, would prefer problematic conformation to be corrected via breeding alone.
An argument might be made for removal of the tail of a dog on the basis of repeated prior injury. However, such a justification must be supported by evidence such as empirical data or impartial expert opinion based on extensive, directly relevant experience. Cambridge University Press, ; The wanton mutilation of animals.
The Nineteenth Century, a Monthly Report, ; Drury WD. Gill: London. Hallock C. The Sportsman's Gazetteer and General Guide. Cosmetic tail docking has also been banned in a number of countries including Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Finland, Germany and Denmark.
Several other European countries including Cyprus, Greece, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Austria have also ratified a European Convention that prohibits the cosmetic docking of tails. In the United Kingdom tail docking can only be carried out by a registered veterinary surgeon. You may still see adult dogs with docked tails, as the docking may have been performed before the ban was introduced. But you should never buy a puppy with a docked tail. If you get a dog from a breeder, make sure that they do not dock tails.
There are also a few breeds, such as the Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog, or the Australian Shepherd which is actually an American breed which carry a genetic mutation that means some individuals are born with short stumpy tails.
Ear cropping involves the surgical removal of a portion of both of ears and is traditionally performed on specific breeds such as boxers, great danes, doberman pinschers or schnauzers. The practice was common in dogs bred for guarding, fighting, and hunting small animals and the historical reasons for ear cropping are similar to those for tail docking owners said they wanted to reduce the incidence of ear injuries and make it harder for their dogs to be caught by the ears.
Although few dogs are used for such purposes now, some breed fanciers argue that cropped ears are part of the historical breed standard. Others, including RSPCA Australia regard the practice of ear cropping as an unnecessary and detrimental to the welfare of the animals concerned.
Tail docking is painful Advocates of tail docking claim that it does not cause pain or discomfort, as the nervous system of puppies is not fully developed. Tail docking is considered to be a mutilation under UK law.
The practice is illegal in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, however, there are some exemptions, such as removal of the tail by a vet for medical reasons or for certain breeds of working dogs. By law, owners are not allowed to show dogs docked in dog shows where the public pay to enter, unless they are demonstrating working ability.
In , Scotland reversed a decade-old ban on tail docking for some breeds of puppy if there is sufficient evidence that they will become working dog, despite concerns raised by veterinary and animal welfare organisations. Tail docking should be banned as a procedure for all breeds of dogs, unless it is carried out by a veterinary surgeon for medical reasons eg injury.
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