Wood, writing in his 1853 Illustrated Natural History, offers some hint as to how this may have caused the practice of docking tails to spread:. Due to the relationship between muscles in the dog's tail and the pelvic area, docking can affect muscle function around the rectum and pelvis thereby carrying a risk of faecal incontinence, acquired urinary incontinence and hernias. These procedures are classified as medically unnecessary surgeries whose purpose is primarily cosmetic. 57.6k members in the NewsOfTheWeird community. In Section 6 of the Act – Docking of dogs' tails wef 1/1/13 - 3a This clause prohibits the docking of a dog's tail, otherwise than for the purposes of its medical treatment by a veterinary surgeon or to safeguard its life or where dogs are working dogs and could benefit from prophylactic docking by Around the world, about 70 breeds of dog’s tail are removed or docked. Available attitude research surrounding these controversial practices has been limited to surveys of veterinarians and dog breeders familiar with both practices. There’s no denial over the fact that a dog’s tail is an important structure of the dog’s body from both an anatomical and physiological standpoint. A survey of … Whatever the reason for having a dog’s tail docked, you'll need to monitor your dog's wound and behavior after surgery so it can recover in a healthy manner. When this article ran in 2009 we received a lot of feedback from people in breeds that have cropped ears and/or docked tails as in breeds such as Rottweilers and Cockers which only dock the tail. Docking the tails of working dogs by a third while they are puppies could significantly decrease their risk of injury, according to research. Photo: AllNikArt 6 Common Reasons for Tail Amputation in Dogs and Cats. In pig production, piglets are tail docked at birth in order to prevent tail biting later in life. Common examples of dogs with cropped ears are Boston Terriers, Great Danes and Dob… To help gain insight on these issues, let’s begin by defining these terms: 1. This act is all about fashion and just to maintain the standard of dog breeds as a tradition. Status: REFERRED TO DOMESTIC ANIMAL WELFARE - 02/27/2019 Notes-2: Assembly Bill 2764 – This bill would ban ear cropping and tail docking unless it is necessary to protect the life of the dog. The same researchers also looked at how dogs react when they viewed the silhouette or a dog, or an altered image of a dog who was wagging its tail primarily to the left or right. Current knowledge on the physiology and anatomy of pain is described with particular reference to cosmetic tail docking in the neonatal puppy. The welfare and ethical issues surrounding tail docking have been extensively reviewed,1,2,3,4but the practice has been the subject of very few controlled studies. Summary: The anatomy of the canine tail and its relationship to the physiological functions of the tail are described and the effect of tail docking on these is discussed. Pain - Surgical amputation of the dog’s tail produces behaviors indicative of acute pain.5 There is evidence in many species that noxious stimuli in the perinatal period may permanently alter th… Breeders (and owners) are struggling in the battle against the purely political agenda of animal rights. Bones in the tail can be broken by impact in the field, causing spinal injury to the tail, or terriers can become stuck underground, necessitating … Dogs communicate with each other by using their tails. The side of the body that a tail wags can even be … Spaniels and Hunt Point Retrievers (HPRs) with undocked tails were at greatest risk: 56.6% and 38.5% of undocked dogs of each breed, respectively, suffered at least one tail injury. The anatomy of the canine tail and its relationship to the physiological functions of the tail are described and the effect of tail docking on these is discussed. Tail-docking does introduce potential medical risks such as infection, neuromas (the painful regrowth of nerve tissue after amputation), and even incontinence. With its help you will quickly stop the bleeding from the tail. Certain dog breeds have their tails docked within a few days of being born to prevent injuries as they age, while some dog tails need to be docked due to unexpected injuries. Dog tail docking problems include: excessive bleeding, the reasonable risk of anesthesia, infection, wound dehiscence (splitting open) and rectal prolapse. Shortening the tail carries a high risk of creating a benign tumor of the nervous tissue – traumatic neuroma, on the dog’s tail. NewOfTheWeird is for weird and wacky news from all over the world. There are few studies reporting on the short- or long-term consequences of the procedure or comparing the health and welfare of docked and undocked dogs. Prohibits ear clipping and tail docking of dogs unless deemed medically necessary to protect the life or health of the dog. Dogs and Society blog. Ear cropping, tail docking, dewclaw removal and debarking are procedures that are increasingly debated in the general public and in public policy. Tail docking and ear cropping are two surgical procedures commonly performed on many dog breeds. Tail docking – and especially the effects of tail docking on piglets – has been the focus of Di Giminiani’s studies since the beginning of 2014. Docking has been shown to have negative impacts on the back, the anal glands, and a number of other areas. Ear cropping is a procedure by which a dog’s ears are trimmed, or “cropped”, so that they can stand erect rather than flop over. When watching a dog wag to the right, the dogs appeared engaged but calm. John Bonner August 10, 2018. The dog’s tail is made up of small bones. Evidence shows that dogs communicate with their tails. Cropping and Docking. Reference. Mills KE, Robbins J, von Keyserlingk MAG (2016) Tail Docking and Ear Cropping Dogs… In order to examine the effects of tail docking and docking length on the formation of neuromas, we used 65 pigs and the following four treatments: intact tails (n=18); leaving 75% (n=17); leaving 50% (n=19); or leaving 25% (n=11) of the tail length on the pigs. We choose for them—and we often choose painful, unnecessary procedures such as ear-cropping and tail-docking. Tail docking has a profound effect on a dog’s ability to communicate his intentions to other dogs. Scotland-based researchers have found tail docking is a cause of long-term pain – a discovery that challenges the Scottish Government’s decision last year to partially reverse its ban on the practice. Tails are wonderful things that help cats to balance and dogs to communicate.Then there’s the pleasure we all get from seeing the upright tail of a friendly approaching cat or the waggy blur of an excited dog. Cut It Out! involves the removal of all but a few inches of the natural tail of the dog Cats use their tail for balance. When watching a dog wag to the left, dogs became anxious and experienced elevated heart rates. In some dogs that are used for hunting, tail docking can have advantages, as the tail may get caught and make noise, warning the prey away. Elective surgery for dogs: It may sound odd, but it’s exactly what some purebreds undergo shortly after birth.Two surgical procedures -- ear cropping and tail docking-- have long been routine in certain breeds like Dobermans, German shorthaired pointers, and schnauzers. However, the behavioural effects of tail-docking have not yet been well-studied (Bennett & Perini, 2003). Even Charles Darwin recognized that tail up has a different meaning than tail down, and dogs attend to long tails better than short ones. This preparation is recommended in case of tail docking. Docking, or cutting short, the tails of very young dogs was a traditional procedure for some breeds, carried out either for aesthetic purposes or to reduce the likelihood of injuries. Tail docking is a procedure that has been dictated by tradition for many years and nowadays involves the amputation of the dog’s tail for cosmetic purposes. Numerous studies find that tails are (gasp) useful and meaningful in dog-dog communication (more formally known as intraspecific communication, or communication between members of the same species). Current knowledge on the physiology and anatomy of pain is described with particular reference to cosmetic tail docking in the neonatal p … I would like to discuss and enlighten you about the reasons and effects of the practice of tail docking of dogs. Dale Sandercock, of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), presented new evidence on the neurological effects of tail amputation at the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare meeting … Concerns with Tail Docking . The dog will not be in a lot of pain, as the procedure is performed while the dog is very young (a few days old). "Ear cropping and tail docking in dogs for cosmetic reasons are not medically indicated nor of benefit to the patient. For dogs that work in the field, such as some hunting dogs, herding dogs, or terrier dogs, tails can collect burrs and foxtails, causing pain and infection and, due to the tail's wagging, may be subject to abrasion or other injury while moving through dense brush or thickets. Tail docking is not without complications, even if performed by a veterinarian. Dogs usually have their ears cropped when they are just 8 to 12 weeks old. Tail docking in puppies is much less difficult then tail docking in an adult dog but regardless of the age of the dog when the tail docking is performed, it is at risk for bleeding, unmanaged pain, and anesthetic complications. These procedures cause pain and distress, and, as with all surgical procedures, are accompanied by inherent risks of anesthesia, blood loss, and infection. The Tail Docking Procedure. The degree of docking (one-third, one-half or shorter) made no statistically significant difference to the … As you might imagine, this can cause stress and behavioral changes in a dog whose social cues are consequently consistently misunderstood. J.G. Tail docking can predispose the dog to detrimental consequences including intense, initial pain and continuing pain related, neurological problems." 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