Help Needed! Thoughts?

[Lauren31287]

Soo I am not sure if you remember about a month ago I posted about Winston's tail infection. Well he did not get any better with 2 rounds of antibiotics so back to the vet we went. When we went the first time Winston's doctor was not around so we had to see the other vet (I will never do that again)! Come to find out she was treating it as a bacterial infection when it was in fact a yeast infection. I questioned it the first time around and she was insistent it was bacterial. Fast forward to Friday..his vet gave him a new round of meds (anti yeast) and a steriod to take the inflammation down becuase the poor guy was soooo uncomfortable . Winston has a very tight corkscrew tail and malaket wipes are now becoming part of his daily routine however the vet said that this is the last option we have to treat it with meds. If this doesn't work we have to think about surgery to open up his tail a bit so air can get in there because otherwise we could be dealing with this alot. So thoughts? Has anyone had to do this/heard of this?? Does anyone have any other preventative methods besides the wipes & medicated shampoo? I really want to avoid surgery unless its 100% necessary. Thanks guys!

 

[Sherry]

If you can get it clean with a antibacterial soap and then dry it real good, try some Gold Bond powder, use a ketchup or mustard plastic bottle with a tip and squirt a bit in there, that will soak up moisture/ but it still needs to be cleaned every third day or so. Look at it everyday for sure.

 

[2BullyMama]

Yes, I have to clean Banks' tail pocket every day especially this time of year. due to her allergies the pocket gets moist very quick... so at least once a day I use Witch Hazel on a cotton pads or unscented baby wipes... then spray some powder to help keep it dry. It needs to be daily routine to clean or at least check it.

We too were told she may have to lose the tail if we are not able to maintain the cleaning.... she was 2 yrs old when our vet said that to us.... she is now 7.5 yrs old and still has her little corkscrew tail. The other thing we do is avoid white potatoes.... it can add to the yeast issue.

 

[bluesteelapd]

WOW. I am of no help but what great advise from others not only for you but for all of us to learn from! I'm so sorry you and Wilson are going through this and will pray, pray, pray that he doesn't need surgery. Please keep us posted. Good luck! Poor baby.

 

[santinomom]

I had the same problem with my boy and tried everything with no success and our only option left was to remove his little tail. It was, by far, the best decision I ever made and the best thing I ever did for my bully. he's soooo much happier. he is six yrs old and I had it done a yr and a half ago.....and e looks even more beautiful with no tail

 

[Davidh]

Jewel has a tight tail too and it's a pain to clean, but we do clean it and dry it often. Lucy had a tight tail and the tip was growing into her bottom, so we had no choice but to have surgery. Our vet took the bone out and left some skin there and it looks like a little bun tail. He did a great job on it and Lucy has never had a problem since.

 

[santinomom]

No more yucky,smelly little butt or butt scooting

 

[Tooleysmom]

Like [MENTION=2071]Davidh[/MENTION]'s Bully Lucy Miss Tallulah had a tail that was turning in on her and she had her cute little tail removed in December on the recommendation of our vet who is a Bully specialist. Before she had it removed I cleaned it faithfully every day but it just kept getting worse and she would whine in discomfort, scoot her bum and rub back and forth crying. It got to the point when I cleaned her tail pocket it would be good for 3-4 hours and then she would be so uncomfortable again. When her tail was amputated the vet brought it out to me to show me the kink and how it was digging into her. It is an extreme measure but sometimes necessary. Just make sure to try everything and then consult with a Bulldog experienced vet. It is not a simple surgery. But now Miss T is happy, never whines or cries with discomfort and I am grateful it worked out so well. I was in close touch with EBNers who had been through the experience so I knew what to expect.

 

[Lauren31287]

Thank you so much everyone, it is comforting just to know that this is not an uncommon problem. I am definitely going to try everything possible to avoid surgery (the vet wants to avoid it as well) but as our vet said he is so young (2 years old) he has a long life to live still so we want it to be a comfortable one. Fingers crossed that the meds clear it up and then it will just be maintenance which I am perfectly fine with! I will do whatever I have to to keep him healthy!

 

[Lauren31287]

Yes, I have to clean Banks' tail pocket every day especially this time of year. due to her allergies the pocket gets moist very quick... so at least once a day I use Witch Hazel on a cotton pads or unscented baby wipes... then spray some powder to help keep it dry. It needs to be daily routine to clean or at least check it.

We too were told she may have to lose the tail if we are not able to maintain the cleaning.... she was 2 yrs old when our vet said that to us.... she is now 7.5 yrs old and still has her little corkscrew tail. The other thing we do is avoid white potatoes.... it can add to the yeast issue.

I am so happy to hear this it does give me hope! What kind of powder do you use after you clean it?? I am going to try to witch hazel because I think the malaket may be too harsh for it right now because it's so sore.

He has no white potatoes in his diet! :D

 

[2BullyMama]

I am so happy to hear this it does give me hope! What kind of powder do you use after you clean it?? I am going to try to witch hazel because I think the malaket may be too harsh for it right now because it's so sore.

He has no white potatoes in his diet! :D

Store brand version of Gold Bond.... I use it on her tail and belly. It will take you some time to get a good schedule and understanding of when to use what... if it is an open sore, I would use the unscented baby wipes or peroxide till it closes up. Then move to the witch hazel or malalet wipes.

 

[Lauren31287]

Store brand version of Gold Bond.... I use it on her tail and belly. It will take you some time to get a good schedule and understanding of when to use what... if it is an open sore, I would use the unscented baby wipes or peroxide till it closes up. Then move to the witch hazel or malalet wipes.

Thank you so much!! Fingers crossed this works!

 

[dolphin]

My fingers and Busters paws are crossed this works for Winston.

 

[kazzy220]

You've had some wonderful advice .. so I'm just going to keep everything crossed that getting into a strong routine will do the trick and you won't have to go with surgery!!!

 

[Libra926]

We also opted for the tail surgery. Vegas had a tight and deep tail pocket. It went way past the vet's second knuckle. EBN was not around then....and Vegas was my first bulldog. I didn't even know a tail pocket existed until I took him in to have his anal glands expressed. Vegas was in some serious discomfort....I was shocked when they informed me of the pocket. I tried my best to keep it dry and clean...but it was hard getting in there. We finally opted to "close the tail pocket" aka tail amp. This is a very serious surgery and it needs to be done by someone with experience. They are basically removing part of the "tail vertebrae".
It's one of the best decisions we made for him. He only has 1/4 inch of the tail vertebrae left.....which will twitch when he's excited. Which is ALWAYS. The actual aftermath of the surgery is brutal. They shave the lower half of their body...and it takes months to grow back. The incision went from above the existing tail, down past the anus in a zip swirl zag type incision. It will seep for about 2 days. Everything had to be covered with sheets and blankets to prevent seepage from getting all over our carpet and couches.

We are happy that we did it. He's happy and butt itch free.
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