Question about tail docking today...
 

I am taking my pups to get their tails docked and dew claws removed today and I have a few concerns on the method that the vets in my area are using. I wanted to get some opinions on this before I do this.

First of all...I have a mentor that breeds yorkies and she works at a vets office, so I was going to take the pups there to get this done. The only thing that bothers me about this is the method they use. They just cut the tails off and use sutures. I have read some threads on here that say not to get stitches because it is more painful for the pups and bleeds more. Is this true?

Second of all...The vet I normally use cuts the tails off and uses glue to suture the ends. The problem I have with this is I told the receptionist that I would prefer to have the pups tails not cut, but use the hemostat and clamp, then twist (I saw this on a youtube video and it looks alot less painful and there is less blood)... she told me that the vet would be doing it his way, not mine. I thought that was a little rude because these ARE my pups and I am looking out for their well being and I want the least amount of pain possible.

I called every other vet in my area just to see what method they use and they ALL cut and suture. Do you all think it will be ok to get the tails sutured? Or should I go to the vet that uses glue?? I just want what is best for the pups!! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I really imagine either method would be okay. I have never had a vet put stiches in the tail before. I just do my own tails and use Clotisol to stop the bleeding. I know one vet that a friend of mine uses that uses the glue and my friend hates it because he gets glue all over the puppies and it take a while before it all comes off. Good luck. Let us know the outcome.

I had my pups done at the vet and he said he does clamp and twist. He did the first one that way. Everything went fine. Very little blood. The second one he tried it and said it was too mushy, he couldn't get it to twist! So he grabbed his scissors and cut it before I knew what he was doing! That poor little puppy bled and bled. I ended up having to take her back in and have silver nitrate put on it. He didn't have to do sutures, though. The silver nitrate stopped the bleeding and both tails healed just fine.

I'm no expert...I've only been doing this 13 years but...
 

I do my own tails and dewclaws and my vet sees my pups at about 7 weeks old and they are always fine. I've seen my pups later (over a year old) and they are fine. I use surgical scissors and cut the tail right at the "V" at the base of the tail. Give pup back to Mom and she cleans them. They yelp for at the exact moment the tail is clipped and that is it! I think stitches and glue and twisting...is making me cringe!!! OUCH! My vet also cuts if I were to go to him. They are totally healed in less than a week. You have to do it this way as soon as possible after birth though. I do it within 24 hours. My vet says up to 3 days...

I have a very close friend (actually like my second mom) who has bred Yorkies for many years. She was telling me the other day that when she first started going to a vet in our area (a newer vet) she noticed whenever she was in there she would see the vet docking tails using the sutures. My friend does it herself, and she finally asked the vet, 'can I show you how to do this?' The vet agreed and she showed her to clamp & twist. Now, many years later, the vet does it her way.

Though vets have a lot of general knowledge, they can't know everything. Sometimes it's the people who do it every day that know the best tricks! :)

Tail docking of Yorkies
 

I also dock my dogs tails myself .. I clamp the tail above the V and when the tail is numb..then I cut the tip off with surgical scissors and there is no blood..i also do the dews with the clamps and by doing the tails and dews this way it seales off the blood vein and there is hardly any blood loss at all.

question about tail docking
 

How many vertebrae to you count down to? I had to instruct my vet recently about the length of the tail I wanted for my puppies... and thot I would ask 'the crew' here how long they are docking. You see so many different lengths. When showing does it make a difference if your kids tail is too short?

I have never counted vertebrae so I can't give you an answer there. I used to dock where the gold meets the black on the underside of the tail but I found out for show that is too short so now I just dock them a little bit longer. It really does make a difference in the show ring. A too short of tail throws off the balance of the yorkie and they just don't look as elegant.

Thank you!!!! I greatly appreciate your resonse.

How do you do the dew claws? Clamp and cut but how far do you go?

On dewclaws I just use a small pair of cuticle scissors. I put the point of the scissors into the base of the dewclaw and snip it off. It looks like a little seed if you get it out properly. I then apply a drop of clotisol.

I have never heard of clotisol. Where do you get that? Is that something to stop bleeding?

Clotisol is a liquid blood stop. It works wonderfully on docked tails and dewclaws. I get it at Revival Animal Health Products.

I use silver nitrate sticks they cauterize the wound and stop the bleeding very quickly I got mine from Amazon.

tails
 

my yorkie gave birth by c-section on tuesday eve,she had 4 pups,but sadly the boy died,we have 3 girls left,there all doing great...we got there tails done yesterday,the breeder wrapped a tiny yellow cable tie around the tails,so in a few days the tails should fall off....i think this method is less cruel for them..

We also use the silver nitrate, and rarely get any blood loss.

I do not like the rubber band method, I believe the puppies then experience several days of discomfort. I like it to be quick and cauterized so they can begin to heal.

I don't like the rubber band method either. My vet used to inject the numbing stuff in first, but that seemed to hurt just as much. Now she just cuts and stiches. I'm to chicken to do my own. :p

I do my own tails and dew claws as well. I use the clamp and twist method.
I used to Breed Cocker Spaniels eons ago and Had a great mentor that taught me how to do this and gave me the clamps. On the length I also had a hard time determining how short to dock on Yorkies, so I lower the tail to cover the bum and clamp at the point where the bum is just covered.

Can you please post a link to the product you get. I want to order some but don't want to get the wrong ones.

Myra

Just to echo what others have said, I really dissaprove of the rubber band method. I don't see the point in it when there are other methods that are quicker, that heal more cleanly and that don't leave the door open for infection and that take less than a minute to complete, from start to finish.

Not to mention, and I'm not sure what the guidelines are in other parts of the country, but it is actually ILLEGAL here. You could actually face charges for animal cruelty if caught doing it. (In the area, it is particularly a big problem with Pits, as you can imagine.)

I had my pups tails cut off, then they coterize the wound and eventually the dead portion falls off. The younger your pups are the better it is for them, ideally they should only be a couple days old because their pain censors haven't fully developed yet. I felt guilty about cropping the tails, but the pups seemed fine when they came home and the tails healed perfectly

pits tails aren't normally docked :D

Not by ethical owners, but that's not the group of people I'm referring to. :rolleyes: Fighting Pits is a pretty common problem in the area--you have some who will leave the tails for balance and some who will remove them and cut the ears down to basically nothing.:thumbdown Banding for the tails seems to be a popular method of choice, no surprise there.

tails...
 

Our vet uses a laser to dock tails (I do dew claws as they are being born) The laser produces a beautiful clean cut with no bleeding at all.... I've never had infections, bleeding, stitches being pulled out by mom, or other issues associated with tails.... I am very pleased with this method in that I really think it is easier on the puppies and heals beautifully....

i have a puppy that is 3days old and i got his tail done this morning and he is so fussy is there anything that i can do

Well like some I cannot do the tails on my own. I guess I am too much of a softie. But I do have a fabulous vet that not only docks the tails right were I ask him to he also uses dissolving stitches.

how old is too old to have a yorkies tail docked?? plze help i got her from some one who couldnt take care of her she is about 4 months ...a cutie but the first thing ppl say is "oh she still has her tail??""

At 4 months old, it would no longer be considered a simple tail docking, but an amputation at this age. Enjoy the tail!

Yes, by now she would actually notice the tail is missing, and she'll feel it more because the nerves in her tail are fully developed. A pup should have dews and tails done days from birth, not months.
Yorkies with a full tail are the cutest things! The tail is so expressive. If I get a second, which is more like a when than an if, I would love it if he/she had his/her full tail. They're loving pets in my home, so there is no need to dock tails. :) Who cares what anyone else says.

Hello
I have docked my own Tails for years now. But today I docked one that actually bled alot and I'm concerned because I think I see some torn tissue
Anyone have any experience with this?
Much appreciated again I have never even had a tail bleed in years I have done the clamp and twist method