is it too late to cut my boston terrier puppies tails off myself they are 2 weeks old?

Answer 1

Why are you cutting off Boston Terrier tails?

Their tails are stubs to begin with.

Yes it too late, you are supposed to cut tails at birth.

Please, in the name of all that is holy, take your dog to a vet and ask them about this; not yahoo answers.

Answer 2

Tails are supposed to be "docked" at 3-5 DAYS of age... and then they should be done only by a licensed and experienced veterinarian. At 2 weeks of age, if you do it yourself you will likely kill the pups as there is a very large blood supply to the tail, and it is incredibly painful... picture cutting your finger off or having your neighbor do it for you at home. Do things properly for the health and well being of your puppies!

However not all breeds allow docking of tails, and here is a quote from the Boston Terrier breed standard:

The tail is set on low, short, fine and tapering, straight or screw and must not be carried above the horizontal. (Note: The preferred tail does not exceed in length more than one-quarter the distance from setting on to hock.) Disqualify: Docked tail.

Notice... it states that to dock the tails is a disqualification.

If your pups tails are so long they need to be docked, neither of the parent dogs should be bred again. Obviously very poor quality dogs!

Answer 3

Hmmm, either this is a trick question or you really don't know what you are doing!
You don't dock a Boston Terrier's tail. A docked tail is a disqualification according to the AKC breed standard.
If your puppies have long tails, I suspect they are mixed breed pups. But, no matter what, you don't dock them yourself at 2 wks. Most states have laws against animal cruelty and this would fall into that category.

Answer 4

Why would you even consider doing it yourself? Call your vet set up an appointment, let a PRO do it if you want them docked.
Reasons NOT to do it yourself:
-MEGA chance of infection with an at-home job. We're not talking 'oops, time for some neosporin' infection, we're talking about toxic, systems wide infections that can kill a pup in hours.Two week old pups can't even remotely fight off something like that.
-You'll do it wrong. Seriously, ever docked a tail before? I doubt it! There is a method behind it, you don't just pick the spot that looks good and cut. You have to cut between the vertebrae in the tail, and no doubt you're not qualified and could screw the dog up, both in looks and in health, forever.

Answer 5

You should not be docking your own pups' tails at ANY age! This procedure is best left to a vet.

At any rate, you've waited too long to dock their tails anyway either professionally or by yourself (which you should NEVER do anyway!). At 2-5 days old, which is when you should have had it done, it is not really a big deal. After 5 days, it is no longer a simple procedure but an amputation, which is a major surgery requiring anesthesia, pain meds, and most often post-op antibiotics. You should have done your research before you bred the litter.

Answer 6

Boston terriers do NOT need their tales docked. They are BORN with short tails.
Please be a responsible breeder. A purebread boston terrier is born with a short tail usually in a screw shape.
http://www.akc.org/breeds/boston_terrier/
The tail is set on low, short, fine and tapering, straight or screw and must not be carried above the horizontal. (Note: The preferred tail does not exceed in length more than one-quarter the distance from set-on to hock.) Disqualify: Docked tail.

Answer 7

i have raised boston terriers for going on 20 years now, and you NEVER cut their tails. what their tail length is when they are born is what they have. some of my bostons had nubs, some no tail at all. never ever did one have a full length tail. and their ears come up naturally. is this your first boston??? DO NOT cut that puppies tail.

Answer 8

Just by asking the question makes it pretty clear you are not qualified to dock (cut) puppies' tails. I won't even feed my dogs new dog food without researching it, let alone attempting to breed them. Please don't put those poor puppies through unnecessary pain- take them to a vet who knows what he/she is doing. Just imagine if your dentist posted a question asking about a procedure YOU were suppose to undergo. It would not inspire much confidence and I'm sure you would have no problem telling that dentist to get lost.

Answer 9

It may be too late. I believe it's recommended to get the tails docked before they are 5 days old, when the bone hasn't hardened yet.

Only way to know, is to call your local vet and ask.

I'll never understand tail docking. If the breed is born with a tail, it should be able to keep the tail.

Answer 10

WAY TOO LATE.. Tails are done at 2 - 3 days of age.. If you do it now, it's amputation and VERY painful... Talk to your vet about doing the tails for you.

I know a lady who imported a male from Europe ( Doberman ) and she got the vet to do his tail at 8 weeks of age, when his ears were cropped.. Vet didn't particularly want to do it, but didn't want it done wrong.. She said if she had to do it over again, she wouldn't get it done.. There was so much blood, swelling, trying to keep the tail clean and keep the dog from bumping it.. It's very hard on them to get their tails done so late... Don't do it yourself now...

Edit: Yup vcanfield .. Never thought of the Dentist, but you truly hit that one dead on! I certainly would not want to see my dentist posting here! :)