Why is my dog's docked tail swollen, painful, and won't heal?

Question

I have an Australian Shepherd who has a swollen tail bud (tail-less). We can't find an obvious wound, but the docked tail is obviously swollen and painful. She licks it constantly. We've tried to apply a store bought bacterial/fungal spray on it, but we aren't seeing any improvement. What can this be?

Chad Brown, DVM · Accepted Answer

I want to thank you very much for providing us such good pictures. Judging by them, I believe your dog either has an infection, immune allergic disease, a cyst-like growth, etc Unfortunately, any topical medication such as the one you’re applying will not be effective against any of these diseases. You do need to schedule an appointment with your regular veterinarian as soon as possible to have a thorough physical examination performed. The vet may also want to do x-rays, a biopsy, skin culture, etc. to the affected area. Most likely, you will get treatment in the form of injectable or oral medications as well as topicals. You will also probably be given a coon to keep your dog from traumatizing and licking the area. Thank you very much for using our consultation service. I hope I have provided you some help today.

Why is my dog's docked tail swollen, painful, and won't heal?

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