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  1. #1
    Senior Dog Jeff's Avatar
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    As Mentioned, Hemi lost his tail.

    So this year at the end of May, for some reason Hemi started laying at the door I left out of to wait for me to get home. This was a new thing, so I wasn't quite used to it. It was literally if I went out the back door, he laid there waiting for my return, if I went out the front door he laid there waiting for my return. One Thursday i left through the garage, and was gone for couple hours, I came home and just opened the door as you do. Well there is a big gap at the bottom of the door about an inch and just came in and hit dog but and he jumped up tail was under the door and got twisted a little. He never cried out or anything and so i didn;t think too much about it beyond giving love and kissed and treats for maybe hurting him. I had no idea how bad it was going to get.

    Friday I notice the tail wags were a little limp but still going on and happy as all get out. He is just a happy boy and you guys all know a big happy lab tail. Anyway, Saturday didn't notice much change he was still acting fine. Then Sunday morning I wok up with blood in my bed, blood in his bed, and drops between. It was coming from his tail. We went outside, he went to the bathroom, and everything fine wanted breakfast, so then rinsed tail off in warm water to see if I could find anything. It was still bleeding so off to Sunday Emergency vet we went. Hemi got a poodle cut on his tail and they exposed some bruising, but should be fine.

    This is when we came home front the vet on Sunday, you see bruise. Vet said should be fine

    Well 4 days later it looked like this.


    So we are now cleaning it every night with an abrasive, yes I hated every single minute of this. I then had to use super strong antibiotic creams and so on. Re wrap it vet wrap try to make it stiff as possible. It was getting worse, not going to show the much worse pictures, they were bad. Then Again on Sunday, I watched him fall from his 4 inch tall bed right on his tail, and it broke. You could see it. Again not even a cry or wimper. Off to E-vet we went again. I all vets on staff said amputate, was faced with the choice, can try to save it, but long painful process with maybe 10% chance to save it or Amputate. I chose to amputate.

    I do miss the tail, just the times I could hear it thumping, the happy boy. Hemi doesn't seem to miss it though. The little stub wiggles just as fast as it can possibly go.
    Hemi Loved Forever. (7-19-2011 - 3-3-2024)

  2. The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to Jeff For This Useful Post:

    barry581 (02-23-2024), Black Labbies (02-25-2024), Snowshoe (02-24-2024), Sue-Ram (02-24-2024), SunDance (02-23-2024)

  3. #2
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    The Corgi look is all the rage.

    I'm glad his injury didn't get even worse before amputation was recommended...could have started massive infection.

    Tails are overrated...right, Hemi?

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    Jeff (02-26-2024)

  5. #3
    Senior Dog Berna's Avatar
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    That tail haircut is hilarious. I didn't know their tails were so thin under the massive amount of fur!

    The good thing about dogs is they just go on with their lives and don't care if they miss body parts. All's well that ends well.
    Cookie Black Snowflake
    July 12th, 2006. - May 25th, 2023.

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  7. #4
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    That looked awful! Glad Hemi got though it ok!

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    Jeff (02-26-2024)

  9. #5
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
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    Oh, poor guy! They are too stoic! Surely that had to be uncomfortable but you also did what had to be done. Look at that cute little stub of a tail!
    Sue

    Chase 9/29/2006- 6/30/2017 Always in our hearts
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    “Because of the dog's joyfulness, our own is increased. It is no small gift. It is not the least reason why we should honor as well as love the dog of our own life, and the dog down the street, and all the dogs not yet born. What would the world be like without music or rivers or the green and tender grass? What would this world be like without dogs?”

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  11. #6
    Senior Dog Sue-Ram's Avatar
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    Poor Hemi. It does look cute though. Is that a lipoma on his chest?

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  12. #7
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    Oh, poor, poor guy. I could cry, thinking how that must have hurt and he didn't show it. Was the supracaudal gland involved? Looks like it might be the right spot? And that was a complication? Two neighbour dogs, both GR strangely, had supracaudal gland injuries. One kept his tail but never got hair to grow again there, but being a GR you couldn't see it. The other had to be amputated.
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    Jeff (02-26-2024)

  14. #8
    Senior Dog Black Labbies's Avatar
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    Welcome back!
    Poor Hemi's tail . As long as he's happy and still wagging what's left of his tail, that's all that matters.
    ----------------------------------------------------------
    Casey, Nellie, Dana, Kelsey, Bailey and Heidi. Forever in our hearts.
    Zoda, May 26, 1999 - February 28, 2011. Forever in our hearts.
    Opal, May 20, 2005 - April 24, 2020. Forever in our hearts.
    Death leaves a heartache no one can heal
    Love leaves a memory no one can steal.

    Ursa, RN, RA, CGC, March 10, 2011. Home-grown, Raw-fed.
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    "Mother Nature already knows what Science is still trying to figure out".

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    Jeff (02-26-2024)

  16. #9
    Senior Dog Jeff's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sue-Ram View Post
    Poor Hemi. It does look cute though. Is that a lipoma on his chest?

    Yep, been there a while, it doesn;t bother him, vet said just leave it. Though was just talking to vet we both said why didn't we remove it when we removed his tail. We were so focused on the tail I guess never thought about it.
    Hemi Loved Forever. (7-19-2011 - 3-3-2024)

  17. #10
    Senior Dog Jeff's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Snowshoe View Post
    Oh, poor, poor guy. I could cry, thinking how that must have hurt and he didn't show it. Was the supracaudal gland involved? Looks like it might be the right spot? And that was a complication? Two neighbour dogs, both GR strangely, had supracaudal gland injuries. One kept his tail but never got hair to grow again there, but being a GR you couldn't see it. The other had to be amputated.
    I honestly don't know, that was about where all his issue were when things got bad. That was such a time with lot of stress, Just worried to do the right thing, never even thought to ask about it.
    Hemi Loved Forever. (7-19-2011 - 3-3-2024)

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