New Puppy : corkscrew tail question(Picking up our guy Friday)

Jeep2me

New member
Apr 21, 2015
23
0
Country
united states
Bulldog(s) Names
Poogan
Hello everyone! I am new to the site and am turning to everyone for some advice. I will be picking up my first 10 week old bully pup this friday. When I visited our puppy a couple weeks back I noticed he has a screw tail. From what I have read this sort of tail could cause major problems in the future. My question is, will all screw tails become an issue? Or does it depend on how deep the "pocket" is? When I asked the breeder about the tail she said the pocket is not deep and should not pose an issue as long as we clean every so often and keep our little guy dry. I also noticed our little guy had wider set hind legs than some of his brothers and sisters. He is pretty stocky so i am assuming he just may have a wider base than his siblings. May this lead to greater chance of hip dysplasia? Thank you for any and all help! I am so glad I found this community!
 

Mishell

New member
Apr 6, 2015
65
2
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Australia
Bulldog(s) Names
Chumley
Hi I too have a bulldog with a screw tail and chumleys is tight ,I clean it about 3 times a week wth a ear and skin cleaner called epi-Otic on a cotton pad and dry the pocket with a soft cloth( the best idea came from this forum ,buy unscented wipes rinse them out with water and dry them ) they are soo soft and dry the pocket really well . chumleyhas never had a problem.im no help with the wide set back legs but I would hope your pup has had a vet check and the breeder has a copy for you, your bulldog will put a smile on your face every day this is the second time I wrote this the first time my bulldog jumped up on me laying on the lounge and wiped my reply off my iPad , there's nothing Like a 30 kg lap dog squashing your head lol
 
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Jeep2me

New member
Apr 21, 2015
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united states
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Poogan
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Thank you very much for the reply! And that is hilarious! The breeder I have been speaking with is providing vet documentation (she has given my pup two sets of shots/had his hips checked and rotated etc.) and is requiring I go to my vet as well to have them look over my new puppy. He is such a beauty and I am very excited to have him around. I've searched high and low for this little fellow (the breeder is about 4 hrs from my house) and just want to make sure I keep him as healthy as can be. Thank you again!
 

nycbullymama

Well-known member
Dec 22, 2012
5,182
476
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usa
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b and w
One of mine has a deep set pocket that wasn't very deep when he was a puppy. As they grow, there's a good chance it's going to get deeper.

We need to clean his out every other day (at least for now) to keep it from getting infected. If it gets infected, it's very painful to them and requires antibiotics along with lots of cleaning to get it back to normal.

I use Malacetic Otic on a cotton ball, or TrizChlor 4 wipes, or even Douxo wipes. Difference between Trizchlor and Douxo the % of Chlorhexidine in them. Any of the three will work and they all have a self drying agent so you don't need to dry the area after cleaning it.

I can't comment on the wider legs hip issues, but I will say that the rate of growth can contribute to joint problems.
According to studies, over nutrition (feeding puppies too much) leads to Orthopedic disease in large breed dogs.
I consider bulldogs large breed due to their weight and mass. Many here may disagree and call them medium. But either way, since most are predisposed to joint issues, it won't hurt not to overdo it with the food. Growing at a slower pace can definitely help lower the chances of orthopedic issues down the road.
 

Mishell

New member
Apr 6, 2015
65
2
Country
Australia
Bulldog(s) Names
Chumley
I did forget to mention that Chumley too had a loose screw that tightened as he grew, but as above posts say stay on top of it and you will I'm sure as you gonna be a great muma , and it sounds like you have found a good breader. The help offered on this forum is fantastic and the pet food reviews etc are great I'm in Australia and don't have the access to half the foods listed but lots of pple on this forum use fromms and it sounds great , I'm looking into a grain free variety over here that a member told be about ATM , so the suggestions offered about feeding your bully is worth a read for sure,
 

2BullyMama

I'm not OCD....now who moved my bulldog?
Staff member
Community Veteran
Jul 28, 2011
48,581
3,673
Gilbertsville, PA
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Chelios (Frenchie), Nitschke (2004-2011) Banks (2005-2014) and Lambeau (2014-2024)
Yes -- it will depend on how deep the pocket is. My girl had a tight corkscrew tail, the pocket was not that deep, but I had to be very diligent on cleaning to ensure it did not develop into an issue.

Without seeing pictures, I can't really speak to the legs....
 

Donnam

New member
Nov 5, 2014
1,433
60
Dallas, Texas (Richardson)
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Winnie
I've had 4 bullies and my current one, Winnie, is the only one that's had a tail pocket. They all had corkscrew tails. I clean Winnie's tail pocket once or twice a day with Malacetic Wipes and then I insert a little A&D Diaper Rash Cream (the treatment kind--not the ointment). I have a syringe with a long curved tip that goes easily into the pocket for the cream. My vet recommended A&D rather than Desitin because it's more drying.

And like [MENTION=7457]nycbullymama[/MENTION] said your puppy's tail pocket can become deeper as he grows. Even a pup without a tail pocket can develop one as he grows. So I guess it's a crap shoot. Like I said, I had 3 bullies with corkscrew tail and no tail pocket.

I don't have a clue about the hip question :(.

Congrats on you new baby! I'm so happy for you! Be sure to post pics.
 

madie4589

New member
Feb 9, 2015
422
31
Country
USA
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Frank
Franks corkscrew tail is not tight. In fact he can actually wag it ever-so-slightly! It's the funniest thing. He does not have a tail pocket but he's only 11 months old and has some filling out to do.
 

Grecbro

New member
Dec 5, 2014
34
2
New Jersey
Country
United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Gigi
Hey everyone..my 4 year old has a tail pocket infection even though we diligently clean it regularly. We just got her on antibiotics and a certain ointment (which someone mentioned above) for the next four weeks. Our vet said to try this but it looks as if she will need surgery to fix the problem. She also said there's a bone that could possibly affect her spinal cord which is why the surgery may be needed. Has anyone had this surgery or know any specifics about it? I'm just trying to learn everything I could about it before making a decision? Thanks so much for any info ..Joe
 

nycbullymama

Well-known member
Dec 22, 2012
5,182
476
Country
usa
Bulldog(s) Names
b and w
Hey everyone..my 4 year old has a tail pocket infection even though we diligently clean it regularly. We just got her on antibiotics and a certain ointment (which someone mentioned above) for the next four weeks. Our vet said to try this but it looks as if she will need surgery to fix the problem. She also said there's a bone that could possibly affect her spinal cord which is why the surgery may be needed. Has anyone had this surgery or know any specifics about it? I'm just trying to learn everything I could about it before making a decision? Thanks so much for any info ..Joe

Grecbro- Start a new thread about this. I know there's a few here who needed to get it done @cali_baker

If she's already 4 years old and this is the first time it's been this infected, I don't know if I'd do the surgery. I mean sometimes things happen, especially during allergy season (and since you're in jersey, you're in the heart of it).
Would get a second opinion with a specialist. If you're in northern jersey there's one clinic that everyone, and i mean everyone raves about. There's also a vet hospital in the city that's considered one of the best in the country that I rave about..lol..

Mine had a terrible tail pocket infection a little over a month ago. First time it happened and he's two.
Took him to my vet and she said tail sprain and put him on rimadyl. When that didn't seem to help, I made an appointment with the vet who did my bulldogs palate and nare surgeries. She said it was an infection. Clean him up, put him on antibiotics and told me to clean it out twice a day with mal-a-ket wipes. He's fine now. She does a lot of these surgeries and said if it's a rare occurrence, tail amputation is generally not recommended. It's not an easy surgery.

Either way, I'd hold off until I was able to get a second opinion from a specialist who has more experience with this than a general vet. You'd want to see board certified vet who specializes in orthopedic/soft tissue surgery.
 

Grecbro

New member
Dec 5, 2014
34
2
New Jersey
Country
United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Gigi
Ok thanks so much for your help..our bully actually never had a tail from when we picked her up at 8 weeks. So I literally didn't even notice a tail pocket for a loooong time ..lol. I know it sounds crazy and we clean her continuously but we just never thought to look there..our vet basically made it sound that eventually she's gonna need the procedure even after the next month. It's just so frustrating because she will drive herself crazy trying to get to something to scratch but she can't reach it, and then tires herself out by doing this. Idk. Where is the place in jersey u were talking about? Thanks again !
 

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