erikacarrillo
La Honda, CA
MH
Posts:229
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| 04/21/2010 12:51 PM |
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The tip of Koda's tail has never had any hair. I thought it would grow in, but it hasn't changed except for the hair on the underside getting longer. I assume it's either because the cropping was done improperly or she messed with the tail before it could heal. I think it's scar tissue and cannot grow hair, but does anyone else have this problem and is there anything I can do? If I decide to show her, is this considered a fault? From a distance you can't really tell, but upclose it's readily apparent.
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Willowglen
Fort Collins, CO
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Posts:216
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| 04/21/2010 1:47 PM |
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My male is missing hair on the end of his tail - has been since the day his tail was docked. He is a multiple best of breed winner and I've never had a judge make a comment about his tail. He does tend to have the hairs on the underside of his tail grow longer and I trim those before a show so that it has a cleaned up appearance. In my opinion, it should not be a big deal for showing - judges will be more concerned about proper tail set and length than some missing hair. Jasper's tail was trimmed two weeks ago for a show in these pics:
I would assume that it is scar tissue and I don't think there is much that can be done about it. |
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Christine
Willow Glen GSPs & Weimaraners
www.willowglengsp.com
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Shelley
Bristol, UK
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Posts:704
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| 04/21/2010 1:57 PM |
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Sorry to hijack but am I the only one that has a sick mind here  |
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
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Posts:7922
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| 04/21/2010 3:52 PM |
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Shelley behave. LOL
I think it is because of the way the tail was docked. Although, he might be wearing off some of the hair when he sits if it rubs on the pavement or cement or something like that. I wouldn't think it would be a problem as long as it doesn't stand out. Have you had any problems with it being sore or breaking open? The reason I asked is my oldest girls tail was docking incorrectly by what my vet called a butcher. Anyway it looked similar to that, but wouldn't heal properly. I ended up having to have the tail redocked so it would quit getting sore and breaking open. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
   
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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erikacarrillo
La Honda, CA
MH
Posts:229
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| 04/21/2010 3:57 PM |
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I haven't noticed it rubbing on the pavement. It's not sore, and it has never broken open. I thought about having it redocked, but it's not bothering her and I'm not sure the length would look right. Plus, I don't want to have to put her in pain for a cosmetic reason. |
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:7922
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| 04/21/2010 4:19 PM |
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| Don't redock it unless there is a problem. It is not a simple thing at her age. When they are puppies at 2 - 3 days they haven't developed the nerves and stuff in their tails, but as adults it is different. If you decide to show her, well the judges will either accept it or not. Same thing can happen for other things on the dog, like a scar. It is not a fault. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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erikacarrillo
La Honda, CA
MH
Posts:229
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| 04/21/2010 4:23 PM |
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| That's what I thought. Thanks. |
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CL66
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Posts:419
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| 04/22/2010 4:58 AM |
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| Thanks for starting this Erika, as i was going to do the same thread! My boy's only 4 months so i didn't know if it was an age thing, but has a bald nub for want of a better word at the end of his tail that just isn't growing any hair at all. I'm hoping eventually the hair will grow around it and eventually cover it as it's a little creepy!! LOL |
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bravepoint
North Gower, ON Canada
MH
Posts:894
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| 04/22/2010 5:06 AM |
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| My oldest GSP has a bald spot at the end of her tail as pictured above. I'm sure it was the result of bad docking. It's been like that since we got her at 8 weeks and is still that way at almost 12 years. She finished her show championship. It's really just cosmetic. |
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Gail, Moka, Avery, Terra & Rayne
Bravepoint GSPs
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Splat
Illinois (Northern)
MH
Posts:3154
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| 04/22/2010 5:14 AM |
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| Blitz's tail is covered good...Donner's tail has a very small bald spot, I think smaller than either of the ones pictured above...I figured it was from docking and how is scared to heal...but Donner's is barely visible that I didn't worry about it... |
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MJones
Mars PA
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Posts:128
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Splat
Illinois (Northern)
MH
Posts:3154
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| 04/22/2010 6:08 AM |
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| I think I read somewhere in the GSP description that the under side of the tail the hair does grow longer...cuz I noticed that on mine and so I was looking it up.... |
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WiscoCooper
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Posts:112
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| 04/22/2010 7:35 AM |
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| Erika- Cooper also has a small bald spot at the end of his tail. He always has. And like Koda, the underneath has grown longer and covers the bald spot a bit. My vet said that the docking looked good. It likely just didn't heal as it should have. I've never been worried, as it certainly does not bother him. Koda's not alone! |
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Robyn, David & Cooper |
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matt4126
powhatan va
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Posts:69
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| 04/22/2010 9:08 AM |
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| I was told by our vet that this is most likely caused by ripped stitches when the tail was originally docked. My male's tail looks almost identical to all the photos, but my female's tail is, just like her, perfect!! |
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pixie bee
MH
Posts:4474
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| 04/23/2010 10:56 AM |
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I am just tuning intothis thread now.
I ask everyone to look at all the GSP tails they can.
I have never seen a liver tip grow hair. I have seen liver tips covered with longer liver hair,tho.
White tips grow hair.I do not believe it has to do with poor docking. My husband and I have docked about 36 tails,all the same,no stitching -I don't believe they need stitching - and only the liver tips are bald.
Then there are the dogs we bought and the dogs we've seen.
Just observations.
Francine |
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"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle
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erikacarrillo
La Honda, CA
MH
Posts:229
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| 04/23/2010 10:58 AM |
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| Good to know. Thanks Francine. |
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
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Posts:7922
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| 04/23/2010 11:25 AM |
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Francine - I went and checked Belle and Halo. Belle has a solid liver very short tail (she did have to have it redocked due to a band docking) and Halo has a white tail end. Halo's is completely covered with hair. Belle's is also completely covered with hair, but he hair is much thinner on the end of her tail, but then she has thinner hair overall anyway. Ringo's tail is solid liver. He is at bird school so I can't just go look, but if I recall correctly his is covered almost completely with hair too except for a very small (about the size of a sequin) area on the tip. I will check his again when I am working with him this weekend.
I have always heard (and my vet who redid Belle's tail agreed) that it depends on the docking method. My vet leaves a V like flap on both sides of the dock area and pulls those flaps over the area of the dock and then stitches those together. I was amazed at how clean the re-dock was on Belle and it healed and looked fantastic (of course she has a too short tail, but that is a different story). |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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pixie bee
MH
Posts:4474
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| 04/23/2010 12:08 PM |
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I've seen different amounts of coverage,some with a real noticable spot and some with just a speck.
What's odd about it is that longer hair will sometimes grow over and cover and it's hard to tell w/o touching that there is a bald spot.
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"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:7922
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| 04/23/2010 2:39 PM |
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| Yes, I have seen the same thing. With Ringo's (and I am writing this from memory) he has a very small spot and you won't see it unless you pull the longer hair back. Belle's little nub though is completely covered in hair, but the hair thins as you get more to the end. I don't know though if you can consider her in the equation because we redid her tail when she was about 7 months because of the healing issue due to the bad dock. Anyway, I am now on a mission to check tails when a I see them as you made me curious. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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pixie bee
MH
Posts:4474
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| 04/23/2010 2:41 PM |
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| Be careful, you may be called a dogophile. |
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"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle
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