This ain't a happy tail

September 5, 8:37 PMDenver Alternative Pet Medicine ExaminerMeg Wittenmyer

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Happy Tail: an oxymoron if there ever was one.

They call it Happy Tail because supposedly your dog is SO happy, he/she can't control their tail wag so that it waps against hard objects and furniture until they've beat it to death. Then nobody is happy!

There is really very little you can do for this disorder, holistically or not. Once the tail has split and begun to bleed, it is extremely hard to keep your dog from licking it or chewing the bandages off. Many times, the only resort is amputation of the injured part, usually 5" or so of the tail.

Optimally, you would catch the first sign of it and bandage the tip of the tail up and then watch your dog 24/7, so the wrapping doesn't get chewed off, until the tail heals. Optimally.

In reality, it becomes a vicious circle of you bandaging, him/her chewing it off, licking it clean, then wagging the tail madly when you get home, making your home look like the crime scene of an axe murderer. Eventually, the tail will become infected and/or necrotic on the end and require surgical amputation.

If you are lucky enough to live under optimal circumstances, there are a couple of ways to wrap the tail. The first involves basic wrapping, using cotton swabbing or other padding to insulate the tip against the shock of being hit against hard objects, and then taping it to the fur to keep it from coming off. The second method leaves off the large wad of soft padding, but does start with several layers of gauze after the tail has been cleaned well with benedyne, taping over that, then slipping a 20cc syringe body (or the case it came in for large tails) over the tip of the tail and taping it to the fur. One vet recommends taping again over the whole thing, then spritzing the bandage with rubbing alcohol, which dogs hate. That might keep fifi or fido from licking at it too much.

If it looks like the bandaging will work, use the Young Living essential oil, Helichrysum, directly on the wound before covering it with the gauze. Helichrysum accelerates and promotes the granulation process, which just might help close the wound before it gets infected. However, at the first sign of infection (smell, oozing, etc.), get your dog to the vet for antibiotics, and that point, amputation is probably a given.

 Do you use an alternative therapy on your dog, cat or horse and think we should write about it? Know someone who is an alternative medicine practitioner/therapist? We'd love to profile them.