Is it true that....?

Question

docking your dog's tail can prevent Limber Tail Syndrome?

I'm not planning on doing any docking, I was simply trying to start an intelligent conversation on here instead of "help me name my dog".

Puckbuns....I said INTELLIGENT conversation.....

Answer 1

There is no scientific proof docking does ANY damage to a dog. They are not off balance, they do not lack communication skills and the dogs NEVER misses them. In-fact docking has prevented injury.. You cant get a tail stuck in a door if it isn't there. The DOG IS NOT WALKING AROUND embarrassed because it has been docked. Yes,, today it is done mostly for cosmetic purposes and it is a requirement in some breed standards. But, this was a practice that came to be due to the work the dogs do. Everyone here says a dog should be spayed/neutered.......Well, don't you think the dogs dislike going through that?????? My dogs don't like having their teeth cleaned so, I guess I shouldn't take them to the vet every year and have them knocked out for that either. After all it isn't natural??????Everyone needs to grow up. If you want your dog docked or its ears cropped and your having it done properly.........GO FOR IT!!!!! It's your dog, you have every right to. Oh and I found out Limber tail is believed to be cause by heavily worked dogs, the most common cause suspected is crating, traveling and over use while on the hunt. It is extremely painful to the dog lasting as much as two weeks. Predominant in Labs, since their standard doesn't allow for the tail to be docked. Not one case of a dog with a docked tail has ever been reported.

Answer 2

What Is Limber Tail Syndrome?

Limber tail syndrome and "cold water tail" while known to those who work with hunting dogs, may not be familiar to veterinarians. It is most often seen in working breeds like English Pointers, English Setters, Foxhounds, Beagles, and Labrador Retrievers. Ages of affected dogs range from 0.5-9 years old. In English Pointers the most frequent age of onset is reported to be 2 years old.


Typically the presentation is a young adult dog with an acutely flaccid tail that hangs down from the tail base or is held horizontally for 3-4 inches and then drops down.The tail remains in this position even when the dog moves about.

Pain may be seen on palpation of the tail base and some owners report that the dog seems uncomfortable and painful. The best thing to do is leave the tail alone.

Rest is recommended. Complete recovery is usually seen by 2 weeks and often occurs within a few days although it recurs later during training in 1/3 of the cases. Some owners and trainers feel that anti-inflammatory drugs shorten the recovery time if given when the condition is first seen. You might also use warm packs at the base of the tail which will help the relief of pain.

The cause of limber tail is not known although it is thought to be associated with hard workouts (especially in underconditioned dogs), heavy hunting, and swimming or bathing in water that is too cold or too warm. Some owners reported that they grab the tail as a means of correction. Tail conformation (high set or very active), gender (males more frequently affected), and nutritional factors have also been suggested as possible causes. Ongoing studies suggest that limber tail is associaed with muscle damage in the tail with dogs examined early in showing elevated muscle enzymes eg., creatine phosphokinase.


Based on this, I would agree that it is true that docking a tail would prevent Limber Tail Syndrome. If there is no tail, there's no way that it could be damaged. On the other hand, the true cause of Limber Tail Syndrome is not known, only conjectures, so it may not help after all. Just with docking, you may not be able to recognize the signs and assume the dog just has pains in its stub.

BTW thanks for the respite from superficial questions!

Answer 3

Witters,
Chopping off tails and ears is not really necessary.
If that is the look you like then get a German Shepherd for the ears, and a Pug for the tail.

If you must, please have a Veterinarian do the docking, home-chops are inhumane and often lead to vicious infections.

Dogs such as the Rottweiler had their tails docked so their 'opponents' in WWII and later pit-fighting couldn't grab on to it, that's all, I am 90% sure. I have never heard of Limber Tail Syndrome, so I would ask your vet.

Answer 4

I really don't know but What I will say (And don't give me a thumbs down) Is that I totally agree with the docking of tails and Ears. I just think dogs look better that way.
That said - I don't own a breed like doberman/Great dane so I don't have to dock my dogs tail or ears. But if I did own a doberman I would not hesitate.

Answer 5

The cause of limber tail is not known, although it is thought to be associated with hard workouts (especially in underconditioned dogs), heavy hunting, and swimming or bathing in water that is too cold or too warm.

Docking a tail is not particularly humane, and is generally discouraged by ethical veterinarians because there is no real medical need to do this.

When you dock a tail, it MUST be done at three days old, and you cannot use anesthesia because the puppies are too young for their bodies to handle it. The result is screaming, wiggling awake puppies who have to go through cutting off their tail between two of the vertebre that make up the tail bone.

As a technician, I have participated in this, and it's horrible. We have only done one litter in the past four years, as it's not something our vets enjoy doing. Our clinic does not dock ears on the basis of inhumane practices.

Answer 6

I agree with Witters and St Lady 110% !!!!!!!!!!

Answer 7

It can be bad for some breeds because they use the tail as a type of rudder for turning