I have known from the get go that Aunt Clara has a tight tail and pocket, but it was not until about a month ago I learned just how extensive her pocket actually is, when she got a nasty infection. Her tail looked a little dirty to me, and when I went to wipe it with a baby wipe, it sounded sudsy, if that makes since. I decided to sniff it to see if there was an odor, and it literally smelled like something had crawled in there and died, yuck!
The vet told me to wash it with povidone iodine a couple of times a day and to dry it well. He also said I could use antibiotic ointment and/or diaper cream on it in between. It worked amazingly well, with no signs of infection within a few days.
The main problem was at the bottom side of the tail, which is where I didn't know the pocket extended to. The main part of her pocket is off to one side. She also has a very deep kink right in the center of her tail that was affected. I had to just man up and feel all around to find all the pocketed areas, which was nerve wracking at first, but now we're both used to it. Clara turns her butt toward me and licks the air while I clean her tail a couple of times a week now.
Here's how to use the iodine, which is not tincture of iodine, but povidone iodine, which you can buy at pretty much any drug store and even at Walmart. It's cheap, too, and will last a long time: You out a few drops of the iodine in some water to make it look like iced tea. Use a cotton pad or ball dipped in the mixture to wipe out the affected area. Then use another pad or cotton ball with just water to rinse. Then use another dry one too remove any moisture left behind before applying ointment. I like the cotton cosmetic pads as they are easy to work with.
The vet and I had agreed that after trying this over the weekend I would bring her in if it wasn't better. I couldn't believe how well it worked and that she did not need an antibiotic or to go to the doc.
