Who uses hemostats to dock tails?
 

I need to dock 9 tails. Yes, new babies, 5 days and 3 days. How do you find the joint to place the hemostat?

Very detailed step by step would be supremely helpful. I have never seen it done with hemostats. Sylvia

i did last time and I will never do it any other way from now on. YorkieRose on here told me how. There is no joint to find. on the underside of the tail is a brown or gold dot. depending on how long you want the tail to be, come down that far from that gold dot. i think mine were 1/4 from the gold. You fasten the hemostats right where you want it cut. exactly where. i got a tape measure and eye balled one fourth so knew what one fourth looked like. Okay, after you place the hemostats, you are supposed to wait about thirty seconds but i just couldn't cause the puppy cried a little and i got scared. Then you place your other hand at the base of the tail and hold tight. with you other hand start to twist and pull a little as you twist. In just two or three twists, the little tail just falls right off. leave the clamp on for another few seconds then release and put baby back with momma. it cries a little when you put the clamp on but it is over fast and the little tail doesn't feel a thing. The baby is just scared . I had no blood at all and the little tails healed up nicely. PLUS, i was so proud that I was able to do this by myself. i depend on my husband to help with those things but when he woke up from his nap that day, I proudly showed him five little tails in my palm. he couldn't beleive it. Okay. more info that you asked. good luck and it's easy after the first one.

don't know vet does it for me can't bring myself to

LOL Yup, I could have lived without the image of 5 little tails in your hand. LOL Much better to have shown him the actual puppies. LOL

I am used to using knives and scissors but they just bleed too much. I have not found anything to stop the bleeding. I have tried to pinch with my fingers and put the Blood Stop on with the other hand. I hold for 30 secs to a minute but it still bleeds a lot when I let go and after mama gets done with them they bleed more. I have never lost a baby (Poodle, Cockers or Yorkies) from blood loss but it scares me to see so much blood from something as tiny as a 2.3 oz baby Yorkie. Well, actually by the time they are 3-5 days old they aren't that small anymore but they are still the littlest of the litters.

Thanks for the step by step. I will copy it out and print it out so I have it in my records. Sylvia

I have never seen one die from blood loss yet but if you notice, their weight is down next day.

Oh, yes. I have noticed that. I got a postage scale to keep track of their weights so if any of them have "failure to thrive" I'll know about it and can be right on it.

Have you noticed a weight loss using the clamp method? I would think there would still be a little loss because of the shock to their little systems. Sylvia

no I haven't. the weight loss is due to the blood loss. I also dock mine on the fourth day. i did wait until the fifth day last time for one of my babies that i felt was too tiny at 2.8 oz.

Can't get much better than this. Also want to add that you clamp the hemostat as far as it will go....not on the first click.

My vet puts a couple of stitches in it too.?

Tried the cutting method and clamping method, prefer the clamping, clamp just where the tail begins to narrow. Being a show/breeder I'm pretty particular about getting it the right length, and the narrowing point works for me.....I do it on the 3rd day, that is unless a pup is on the small side, then I wait until the 5th day. Never noticed a weight loss.....and I do weigh twice a day for the first month.....I do cover with liquid bandage, just to protect against infection...

And so does having babies, but we still breed them, without their having a say in it.

We already know you feelings on this.

But, remember this is the USA, you do it differently across the pond and that's fine...

Oh, how I would love to but people want Yorkies that look like the show Yorkies. I am praying for the day when the US also "outlaws" tail docking. I don't think it will happen any time soon. There are too many "standards" and show people upholding them for it to happen soon.

I think it's allllllmost as hard on me as it is on them. I can barely stand to do it.

OMG, yes!!!! The first one I was clumsy and I hurt him. Poor little guy but I kissed him and told him that if he needed to bite me to go ahead. Poor little thing ofcourse couldn't understand me and had no teeth to get even.

I bought hemostats, is there something smaller to clamp with? The poor little things were trying to get away and everytime I lost my grip it hurt them to drag the hemostat. It did seem to numb quickly but they still kept trying to get away from me.

The liquid banage, is it the stuff for humans or is there some for doggies?