Do a majority of you have the tails docked and the claw removal?
 

I know I have read that some of you do it yourselves, which is NOT an option for me.

If I was planning on keeping the pups, I would not have it done at all, because it wouldn't be that important to me to have it done.

Those of you who go to the Vet to have it done, how does it work? Princess has been with her pups 24 hours a day. If I go in there and pet or pick up a pup to weigh, she is right there waiting for me to put the pup down. She doesn't leave the whelping box, even to eat. We sit on the floor and hand feed her while she is in the box with her pups. She will bark if she has to go the bathroom, and then we have to remove her from the box to take her outside and the minute she is done, she is running full speed back to the door and straight back to her pups. SOOOOO How in the world am I going to take her pups from her, and take them to the Dr.. What is she going to do at home without her pups? How is this going to affect her? I asked the Vet if I can bring her in with the pups so she can stay with them before and after the procedure, and he said "no because she may get to protective of the pups and not let them near the pups." I asked if I could sit in the waiting room with the Mom and the pups and I will hand the Dr. one pup at a time, and he said no, because they like to do them all and then monitor the pups. He said this is the way they have always done things, and they have never had any problems. So what do you all think? Is this normal procedure and I am overreacting? It just breaks my heart to take away her babies! How can I occupy her while they are gone???

P.S. Our appt is on Friday morning.

I go to the dog channel.com to get professional help when I groom my pups so I don't have any problems while gromming:D :D :D :D :D :D

When I picked Reese up at 8 weeks the breeder didn't dock her tail or remove the dew claws..........I was pretty upset seeing that it was understood that it was going to be done before I got her....BUT, she was SO small , they felt they couldn't remove the dew claws or dock the tail - BUT, it is fine, I love her tail ( it adds length to her little body.......he he ) and seeing that she is an inside dog, the dew claws have never been an issue.........( Thank goodness )
Edited to say, This didn't really answer your question, but I just wanted to let you know that Reese has done fine with both :-)

I know that it is especially important to have the tails docked and the dewclaws removed if they are being shown. Even if they arent going to be shown, a lot of times, people want their yorkie to be at standard, and the docked tail is important to them. ME, personally, I couldnt care less. Bubbles didnt have hers docked or her dewclaws removed, she still looks, feels, and acts like a yorkie! To be honest, I am not a breeder so I don't know how the procedure is done. I do know that it is SOOO common, and it is done when the pups are so young, I doubt they feel A TON of pain, it happens so quickly. They wont be away from her for too long either, so I am sure that she will miss them for a moment, but as soon as they are back with her, she will be fine! Good Luck!

Congrats on your new puppies. I take the mom with me to the vet. Then I hold the mom while the vet is taking care of the puppies. Then when they are done, they put the puppies in the cage and then I put the mom in there. It does not take that long to dock the tails and remove the dew claws. You do have to watch the mom and make sure she does not lick the stitches too much. I hope this helps. Be prepared, the puppies will most likely scream when they are doing the procedures. We could hear them all the way out to the waiting room. I just cuddle mommy close to me. It calms us both down.

Unfortunately the will NOT let me stay there. They want me to drop off the pups around 1 and pick up around 3. I wanted to stay there while it was being done, but the Dr. said they don't do it that way. That they do the procedure and then watch them to make sure there is no bleeding and no problems prior to releasing them.

[QUOTEUnfortunately the will NOT let me stay there. They want me to drop off the pups around 1 and pick up around 3. I wanted to stay there while it was being done, but the Dr. said they don't do it that way. That they do the procedure and then watch them to make sure there is no bleeding and no problems prior to releasing them.][/QUOTE]


Sorry, than I am no help. That would be really tough to do. Not just for the mommy but for you also. I guess the Vet should know what is best. Good luck. :)

Many will have the tail docking done anyway at an older age involving the risk of anesthesia and this is considered an amputation and more costly and painful. Most will want a docked tail and will expect to pay less for an undocked one.

I don't take the Mom in to the room to see the procedure, we both wait in the car and my husband goes in. Almost immediately after the pups are in the recovery cage they allow Mom to stay with her and I leave them all for an hour or so. They really are comforted by nursing.

I've heard of a technique using curved hemostats that don't even require stitching. Maybe someone with have more information on that. Make sure your vet knows the proper length.

What Is Tail Docking?

Tail docking is the surgical removal of part of the tail. This procedure is most often performed in healthy puppies between 2 to 5 days of age. A similar procedure may be performed in older pets, but this is considered a tail amputation, not a tail dock.

What Are the Indications for Performing Tail Docking?

Tail docking is most often performed in puppies to prevent tail damage in certain breeds, for hygiene reasons and to comply with specific breed standards.

What Preoperative Examinations or Tests Are Needed?

Preoperative tests depend in part on the age and general health of the animal as well as the cause for the tail docking. Since the procedure is most often performed on very young, healthy puppies, preoperative tests are usually not performed.

What Type of Anesthesia is Needed?

In puppies less than 8 days of age, either local anesthetic or no anesthesia is used. If the puppy is over 8 days of age, many veterinarians delay the procedure until the pup is at least 8 weeks of age. At that time, general anesthesia is needed to induce unconsciousness, complete control of pain, and muscle relaxation. If general anesthesia is used, the pet may receive a pre-anesthetic sedative-analgesic drug to help him relax, a brief intravenous anesthetic to allow placement of a breathing tube in the windpipe, and subsequently inhalation (gas) anesthesia in oxygen during the actual surgery.

How Is the Tail Docking Operation Done?

Your pet is placed on his back. An incision is made about ¼ to 1 inch from the base of the tail. The distance from the tail base will depend on the standard for the particular breed. The incision extends through the skin and continues between two vertebrae in older dogs or through cartilage in very young puppies. At this point, the majority of the tail has been removed. The skin is then sutured closed over the remaining vertebra and tail tissue. Sutures may be absorbable or may need to be removed 5 to 7 days later. When the procedure is performed in older dogs, a temporary bandage is placed over the surgery site, and the bandage is removed after 2 to 3 days.

How Long Does Tail Docking Take to Perform?

The procedure takes about 5 to 30 minutes to perform in most cases, including the needed time for preparation and anesthesia.

What Are the Risks and Complications?

The overall risk of this surgery is low. The major risks are those of general anesthesia (if used), bleeding (hemorrhage), postoperative infection and wound breakdown (dehiscence) over the incision.

What Is the Typical Postoperative Aftercare?

Daily monitoring of the suture line is an important aspect of home care. Watch for signs of redness, discharge, swelling or pain. The puppy can be placed back with his mother immediately. Watch the mother for excessive grooming of the surgical site. Any bandage that is placed should be removed in 2 to 3 days. Sutures may also need to be removed, especially if the procedure was done in an older animal. Non-absorbable sutures are removed 5 to 7 days after surgery.

How Long Is the Hospital Stay?

The typical stay following a tail docking is 2 to 3 hours but will vary depending on the overall health of the pet and the underlying reason for the surgery. Most puppies are docked without anesthesia and are typically taken home shortly after the procedure.

Here's another link for do-it-yourself tail docking and dew claw removal - not an option for me either, but it does explain the procedure where no stitches are necessary.

http://farmcliff.com/articles/Jack%2...%20Docking.doc

I recently learn how to dock tails and dewclaws; the clamp and twist method is wonderful and very little pain, thanks to Debbie Ray (the first time I sat and watched whiel my toes curled) the second time Stacy from Sylvans was here picking up Adi and she and I did it...she had always done the clamp and cut (she now prefers the finish on the tails with the clamp and twist)

Your vet doesnt need the kids for two hours...I was taking the moms then waiting with her in the car. Docking takes about 15-20 mins doing a litter of 4, their back with mom for the car ride home.

If your vet is cutting the tail they will usually do a stitch on the end, if theyre clamping and twisting you only need a dab of stop bleed. Also dont let them cut the tails too short you want to go about 1/4" above the brown on the underside of the tail.

Best of luck and congrats on the litter

I dont think mine had his tail docked, it's pretty long. I love his tail longer, except at night his shadow kinda looks like a cat, with the long tail and big ears. I dont really like that :mad: lol

The breeder docs the tails and removes the dew claws once they are a week old. One of Sadies dew claws grew back...but kinda deformed...small...it doesn't seem to bother her so I'm not worrying about it...as far as leaving Mom and babies there...JMO...but, I wouldn't do it...They are much to small to leave there and I'm sure Mom isn't going to feel comfortable out of her eliment.....

I have a question. Are the pups fully awake and alert for the procedure and are they given anything for pain or antibotics??

Trixie yes theyre awake they are much to young and their system is so vunerable ...its over so quick they dont even know what is going on. If done properly none to very little blood (perhaps a drop) Ive never had an infection.

Unfortunately I feel like I have no choice. This is the Vet I go to with all my animals, and I spoke to him and he said this is they way they do it. He will keep them for 2 hours, and then I can pick them up. I can not bring the Mom there because she will be to aggressive when it comes to the Dr. taking the pups. So I guess I just have to pray that Mom and babies all handle it OK.

That is very odd that you have to keep them there. My vet will do it right in front of us. We took 4 pups in...they did dew claw removal, tails docked, checked them over and checked over the Mommy. 15 min later we were on our way! I REALLY like the twist way of doing the tails MUCH better. I like the look of it when the pups grow up and you don't get the scar on the end with no hair growth. NO bleeding either!!

I took Lilli and her three pups in and we sat in the room while my Vet took the pups back and it only took 10 mins and we where on our way, Lilli did fine she just kept looking for them but she never got aggressive in any way. IMO I would not leave those pups there for 2 hours that is going to upset the mom alot more then taking her in with you.. I want to learn the clamp and twist but I just havent gotten the nerves up to do this yet.

Clamp and twist....

shave the area of the tail that you are going to clamp

take the tail in your hand and pull it up so you can see the butt.

now place the hemostat where you want the tail to end( about one quarter inch into the black hair.

with one quick motion clamp and hold by locking the hemostats.

then just twist the end off next to the hemostat. It comes off very easy.

Leave the hemostat attached for about 15 to 20 seconds and if needed a drop of quick stop gel.

If this is your first time maybe some wine is in order, but I do not drink .

This sounds very hard but it is very easy
I use to do it the way my vet does and now I have taught him my way.
I can have a litter of 4 done in less than 5 minutes

Two hours is a long time to leave young puppies it sounds like your vet is taking all precautions or that he himself is uncomfortable with this.

To answer your question, take her with you and let the vet know you are waiting with their mother in the car. Turn on your radio, dogs can hear so much and you do not want to upset her. If this was me I would call a few other vets and check out their policy.

Debbie Ray
www.sumtoiyorkies.com

What we decided to do is we are taking the pups in at noon. My Mom is bringing Princess to my house (are houses are on the same property) to see and play with my other dogs. We are hoping that will keep her occupied so that she doesn't realize the pups are gone and won't see the empty area where the pups were. I am going to stay at the Vet or in that area while the pups are being worked on, and hoping to get them sooner.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Audrey

Luckily my vet is an easy going guy so you are going to "train" him with this method also!!! Have a few more questions -
Is this a straight or curved hemostat?
How long do you leave it clamped before twisting?

I will use straight of curved it really does not matter, once you clamp it , you just twist the remainder of the tail off. Just leave the clamp on for about 15 seconds, usually the time it takes me to do the dew claws.

How do you do the dew claws? Not that I am ready for this, but after this experience with taking them to the vet, your way sounds like a piece of cake!

Dew claws are the easiest, just find a very thin pair of hemostats or a very sharp pair of finger nail or embroidery scissors. make sure you set them as close to behind the entire dew claw , push them up close to the bone of the legs... If you are using the hemostat just push behind the dew claw and pop it off with your finger nail , sounds gross but again it is very easy and comes off easy. Use a drop of quick stop gel on a q -tip and you are done. If using the scissors just snip behind the dew claw, being careful to just get the dew claw, be sure you push again up against the bone so you get the entire dew claw. If you have the perfect scissor, they wont even feel this. then use one drop of quick stop gel . Be sure to check them and make sure the bleeding , if any is stoped. There is very little bleeding, sometimes none at all if you put the quick stop on right away. The first time is the hardest, but why pay a vet for things you can do yourself.

It is best if tails and dew claws are done at 3 or 4 days but I have done them as late as 10 days with out a problem. But you have to remember the tails are fatter at this time and it is much easier to do them at 3 or 4 days.

if you have any more questions just ask and I will try and explain better if I can.

Debbie Ray
www.sumtoiyorkies.com