My dog's tail is hurt. Is it broken or bruised? What should I do?

It really depends on the break. She should be examined by a vet to determine the best way to treat. Your vet can take an x-ray to evaluate the break and then decide if it should be treated surgically. If the break is mild, than rest and pain medications may be enough.

Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Cali. Unfortunately this cannot avoid a vet visit. This will be very painful to her, and there are no OTC pain medications you can give her. Many human ones are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. She really should see a vet for this for pain medication, but to also make sure her tail isn't broken. Please take her into a vet now. Best of luck.

Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This would warrant a veterinary evaluation for further assessment and treatment. These types of traumatic lesions can result in a fracture of the tail which can be quite painful. Even when a fracture is not present, this tends to result in a lot of pain. They would be able to evaluate her and at the very least start medications for pain. Good luck and have a good night!

If he is painful, then he should be seen sooner rather than later so the doctor can prescribe pain medication. Do not medicate Austin without the advice of your veterinarian. An x-ray may be indicated to confirm fracture. He may have suffered a muscle or soft tissue injury which can be just as painful.

The tail does appear broken from the photo. If there is an open wound then he should see a vet as antibiotics (oral) will be needed to prevent infection. If there is no wound, your vet is not likely to do anything except dispense anti-inflammatories and/or pain medication. These type of fractures are not splinted as the tail is extremely difficult to bandage. Surgery is not done on these except in the case of severe injury and in those cases, the tail is amputated. Most often these injuries are left to heal on their own. There will always been a kink in the tail where the break is.

Hello there, Sorry to hear this happened with Luna. Most of the time, tail fractures will heal well with medical treatment and minimal long term issues in pets. That being said, open wounds or complicated fractures could mean a necessary tail amputation. I'd recommend having Luna seen by a veterinarian for a physical exam. They can prescribe pain medications to keep her comfortable while she heals. They may recommend an x-ray to assess internal damage. If there is an open wound, they will likely recommend a course of antibiotics as well to prevent infection. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.

Any fracture is very concerning because it's not only painful to the dog, but it can also have a negative effect on the nerves in that area (i.e. compression on the nerves). If you are thinking Aurora has fractured her tail, I would take her into a vet right away. X-rays need to be done to confirm if her tail is fractured or not, and the vet can discuss treatment options for it. Good luck, I hope this helps!

This could indicate a fracture of her tail or dislocation as the tail has joints just like the rest of the body. It could also indicate an anal gland issue or even a problem with the lumbosacral joint. Do not give your dog in a human medication as it could be toxic to dogs. I recommend having your dog seen by her veterinarian or an emergency veterinarian as she may need x-rays to diagnose the problem as well as dog safe medication for pain. keep her quiet and restrict her activity until she can be seen by veterinarian and do not try to manipulate the site at all.

Poor Lucky! My biggest concern is how much pain he may be in and whether anything else was injured during the incident when his tail was broken. You can try to give him some canned pumpkin to help make it easier for him to have a bowel movement. For his size, I would give about 1 teaspoon twice a day. A broken tail really shouldn't affect how he urinates especially since he is a male. Unfortunately, there aren't any good over the counter meds to give to help with pain as most are toxic to dogs. You can read this article on aspirin and decide whether it is safe to give to him. I would definitely go on the low end of the dose if you decide to give it. Ultimately, if he isn't improving, I would strongly recommend to have your vet take a look at him to ensure nothing else is going on and to get him started on the proper pain meds to help him feel better. I hope this helps! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/aspirin/

Hello, and thanks for your question on Boop by Petco. I have to defer your question about Leo specifically to the vet who is treating him and took the x-rays, since they will have access to all the information from his exam that I don't have, but I can tell you that in general I do not usually recommend casts or screws for broken toes. Most of the time broken toes heal very well with strict rest alone, especially in young patients. The "strict rest" is very important - I usually encourage owners to use a crate as much as possible until the bone forms a callous and stabilizes the fracture. The best way to evaluate for a tail fracture is with an additional x-ray, but again the tail is another area that usually heals well with rest and pain control. However, if the foot fracture was due to a bite wound, it is important to make sure that the pain isn't related to an infection, which would require oral antibiotics to treat. I hope this helps!