Tail pocket issue
Submitted by Fatboy on May 20, 2013 - 11:48amFor his first time ever, Fatboy has a smelly tail pocket that may be infected. I'm not sure. But he barely lets me clean the area, and when I can there is this smelly yellowish fluid. I can't clean it too much because the area is raw. I've used panalog for the area, then tried Gold Bond powder. However I can't get either too much in the area because he won't let me help him. I can't take him to the vet until the weekend, which kills me because I don't want him to be uncomfortable. Are his symptoms significant enough to go to the emergency vet? His regular vet is over an hours drive away, which is why I can't take him until the weekend. But we do have an emergency vet down the street. However this vet is not a bully specialist.
Fatboy aka Stinky :)
Its not an emergency
try to clean it as best you can until you can get to your regular vet. Tail pocket infections are pretty common and can be a problem for life. I have used antibacterial wipes with pretty good success. I put the wipe near the end of the tail and pull up on both sides, it gets the wipe up and under the tail and then pull it through from one end.
Good luck and let us know how the cutie is doing.
Lynn King CPDT-KA
Sometimes if you can get them in the bathtub or...
shower, they are more likely to let you clean and rinse the tail pocket. I do newman and chester with malaseb shampoo, but you could use anything mild. Get the area as wet as you can and then gently use your finger to get some shampoo in there and then rinse really good. If you don't have a hand held shower head, you can fill a bottle with a pointy tip with room temp water. Picnic ketchup bottle work well. I usually dry it with a cotton wipe and then put nothing in for a day or two, after that gold bond is good. I do our guys once a week with the shampoo.
If you bath
you have to get him completely dry, if you can't get under their to toally dry him out I would not put him in the tub.
You need to get rid of the moisture.
I would get a spray like genticin and if you can get push down or whatever you have to do to get some spray in there.
I use a cosmetic pad and spray on the pad, wrap around my finger and wipe under the tail.
I agree with the shower.
When Rebel's is bad, I put him in the tub and wet it quickly then use Maleseb. I let the Maleseb soak the tail area for a few minutes and it seems to break up the gunk. Then I gently wash underneath with my finger. Def dry well. I usually use a folded over paper towel and slip it under there and squeeze.
We use Benadryl to help with inflammation and also have used prednisone for 1-2 days to simmer it down back there so it is less painful to clean.
Aloe Vera Plant
After Brit had her tail resection surgery this spring we used aloe vera plant on her. You don't need much, & it doesn't sting. Helps the healing process & its all natural.
You may want to try....
one of those ketcup thing you would use at a picnic. The tip is small and it will let you get the powder right in the spot you what. This is what I use for gold bond and chalk when I get the gang ready for a show.....works great.....good luck.