Bulldogs World

This is Ozzy's tail.  It is a corkscrew tail and he also has a very deep pocket under it about 3 inches.  I clean it a few days and you are right it does seem like it is more itchy after I clean it--I think its because we distrub the direction of the fur.  The vet has said that if he ever gets arthitis in his tail bone then it will have to be amputated (we will have to wait and see--I hope we don't).  After I clean his pocket, usually with a baby wipe, I dry it really well then I put some Gold Bond powder in the pocket and around the corkscrew (I put the powder in a hair color bottle with a needle point tip that I got at the beauty supply store).  The other thing that is in the same area is anal sacs.  We always thought that it was his tail pocket that was bothereing him, until we took him to the vet and his anal sacs were very full.  He now goes to the vet once a month to have them done (about 10-20 dollars).

Lyn

Her tail does look very inverted.  I am a new bully owner too and the tail issue has been an interesting one.  My Bentley has a corkscrew but a very deep pocket underneath that I have to clean every day or he will really start to stink.  I also have to dig my fingers in there and pull out dead hair and what not.  It doesn't seem as though it bothers him though, he just licks the air.  If it bothers her or you can't get in there, I am not sure what you could do.  I've done a lot of research - I was calling it his "butt button" to find out it's an inverted tail and read to avoid amputation but sometimes it's the only way.  That's really interesting...I'll see if I can find any other info...

Hers screws in tight. Thankfully she doesn't have one that is twisted up into itself too much. I had thought about getting it removed, but just haven't gone that step yet.

Her tail may get worse as she ages, and more then likely will. It is what I would call inverted. There is also a slim possibility that there could be spine problems later if she is lacking some of the vertebra or her vertebra is fused.  I believe she is a puppy right?  The tail pocket could be a big concern if it is already 2 inches, that is huge IMO. It will be difficult to clean.  I know someone who had a bitch with a 4in pocket and it was a nightmare to clean. It will be important not to get her over weight.  Unfortunately some breeders do not pay enough attention to the the breed standard when breeding and the topline w/correct tail set and tail is just another part of that standard.

It has been my experience that cleaning an inverted tail often, especially with anything moist, will create more problems.  If you introduce moisture it will lead to yeast infections and it becomes a vicious cycle.  My advice is to clean it well once every 1-2 months and make sure it is DRY after cleaning.  I understand that not everyone has a forced air dryer and that most of the time these types of dogs will not tolerate air being blown under their tails, but this is what I've found to be the best solution.  Sometimes what's best for them is not what they want.  I know some hair dryers have a "cool" button so they don't blow warm or even hot air.  Most forced air dryers will not heat the air and make the dog even more uncomfortable.  The purchase price of a forced air dryer is worth it.  If you desire, go ahead and put anti-fungal powder in the pocket after is it clean and DRY.

Jay

www.jayserion.com

My Buddy Diesel has the same type of tail. pocket is about 2 inches deep. i have been cleaning it with Alcohol and then applying some A&D ointment lately. i thought he was dragging his but due to anal glands but we empty those regularly. then one day i noticed he want really dragging his butt he was itching his tail section. After further investigation we found he had this tail pouch. It was oozing some clear yellowish liquid so i thought infection. After bringing him to the vet once again we found he had indeed has a slight infection and the Doc put himon some antibiotics. but we now clean his tail pocket with a paper towel and some 91% alcohol. it cleans the pocket and dries the infection. we then use Q-tips and apply A&D ointment under his tail. It is so funny to watch him as we clean his tail pocket. he act like it is the best feeling in the world...lol he points his head straight up and starts licking the air. We usuall go through 6-8 towels during the cleaning session or until we no longer see the bloody puss stuff on the towels. Bull dogs are great Dog but i have found they take some maintainence to maintain healthy. Diesel is a stout 75lbs he loves to play tug of war, and i put his body harness on him and he will drag a car tire full of concrete around the yard like its not even there. Some may say our work out routines are a bit strange but he loves to do them and as long as it isnt too hot outside we usually run 2 miles aday.

I too have a bully that had an inverted tail..she did fine with me wiping it with just a dry paper towel until I keep reading on here that everyone was using baby wipes, washing-using wet things and then drying. So being the good bully mama I am- I started using baby wipes and drying only to get infections and then we needed to get her tail amputated....If I had a dog with a tight tail I would definately invest in one of the forced air dryers-works great and really dries it out! Good luck

Thanks everyone...It seems like every dog is different. Since it seems to bother her more when I clean it i'm going to stick with the once a week cleaning (since I also take her to the groomer once a week) I think in the beginning the anal glands were the problem and now i'm also getting those drained weekly. One of these days i'll get it all figured out! :)

My Olivia has about a 2 inch or so tail pocket.  When I bathe her I make sure to use a paper towel to really dry the pocket.  I simply check it every week or so to make sure it's not damp or musty smelling.  She's never had an infection.