What you should know about docking dogs’ tails
Many dog owners consider tail docking to be part of the way of certain breeds of dogs, in this case cosmetic surgery.
When we talk about this practice, we have to call it amputation, and it is almost always seen in Boxers, Pit Bulls, Doberman pinschers and other breeds, because the idea is that cutting off the tail makes them less vulnerable. if they are attacked by another dog. Tail amputation is considered a cruel act because it cuts nerves, blood vessels, cartilage and skin, without the pain and discomfort of the post-operative period for these pets. Because any carelessness can lead to an infectious condition that can develop into a serious and dangerous one. In addition, your pet may contract an infection that can spread to the spine and endanger its life.
The dog and the importance of its tail.
The tail of a dog or any other animal is important as it is part of the body and it is essential, especially for a dog, to keep its balance. It is also an addition to your body that guides you when you run, turn and make any movements. The absence of this, and not specifically for natural reasons, would put it out of balance due to the lack of a particular body part. Dogs’ tails vary from breed to breed and the tail is an extension of the spine. It consists of the vertebral caps and the distal bone, which are irregularly shaped and articulated. By wagging their tails, dogs communicate their feelings in a certain way, as it is believed that by wagging their tails they are expressing themselves either to their owners or to other creatures of the same species. It is therefore important to keep the tail as part of the body, when they are happy they move their tail in a rhythmic rhythm, accompanied by the movement of their hips, and when they are feeling fear or when they are holding their tail between their legs.
When to operate on a dog
If the pet owner decides to cut off the dog’s tail, this should be done within the first five days of birth, as the cartilage is extremely soft and flexible, so it will be less painful to recover from its intervention, otherwise it will take more time for them to recover. Amputation, as the cartilage will be thickened and the operation may be more difficult, causing heavy bleeding. The amputation of a dog’s tail is called a ‘canine cautectomy’. Many veterinarians do not agree to perform this operation unless it is strictly necessary, e.g. if the tail is broken or if the dog has had a tumour and needs to be removed, and therefore needs to be operated on, to amputate the tail in order to avoid major problems that would endanger the life of the pet. Dogs feel the tail as part of their body, so when it is mutilated it causes them pain and imbalance in their actions, compromises them in their communication with other dogs because they are at a disadvantage when trying to communicate and often leads to a confrontation between them, because the expression of the body will not be the same as certain specific tail postures and movements are part of its communication. This type of intervention with domestic animals has been banned by the Spanish Congress in a European agreement recently ratified by the Spanish Congress.
