Min Poodle

Question
My miniature poodle (6 years old)carries his tail at right angles to his body after he has been clipped.  This occurs for a couple of weeks.  His tail is closely clipped from his rear along the tail for a couple of inches with electric clippers. Can you enlighten me.  I clip him myself.

Answer
Hello Bev,
This is due to skin irritation from the clippers.  You can help this problem by clipping the tail first so that the clippers don't get too hot and burn the dog, by using a longer blade (if you are using a #15, then try using a #10 blade instead), and you can apply lotion to the clipped area to help soothe it.  
You might also have a Vet express the anal glands.  The anal gland is a sac located on either side of the tail.  These sacs can get full and can cause the dog to scoot across the floor looking for relief.  The vet will squeeze these glands and cause the glands to empty, relieving the pressure.  You can try to express them yourself, but most dogs don't like it and may try to nip or bite.  You lift the tail up and you will see the butt hole pucker out.  If you feel around the hole, you will feel a bulge on either side of the hole.  Using tissue or a paper towel, gently squeeze the bulges.  Out will come either a thick paste or a watery liquid.  Squeeze and gently massage the area until all the liquid is out.  

If you have questions about this or other poodle questions in general, please feel free to ask me.  

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim