I had my puppies tail docked and now it is pussing.

Question
Please don't Judge I had my Pup's tail docked at 7 weeks, he seems fine , but we are worried about his tail as it has started bussing, how long will it take to heal and is this bussing dangerous to him , i really don't want him to get septicemia or something which could be deadly.

Answer
Hi Alecia,

My philosophy of life is 'judge less, love more' - so while I'm not a fan of tail docking, I don't think you are bad for deciding you wanted to have it done.

I probably wouldn't do it, but my son had his doberman's tail and ears docked - and I still love them both as much as before.

What I'm trying to say here is I hope I never come across as judging anyone for making decisions that are different than mine!

I do think introducing unnecessary health risks to a puppy is something that is very serious,and I think many times people don't realize the potential complications and risks.

Cutting parts of them, having exposed skin, etc. does introduce additional risk.

Some breeders burn and cauterize tails, some just cut them off, others use some kind of constriction. Some breeders and/or (hopefully ALL) vets use anesthetic and pain control medications, and provide prophylactic antibiotics. So, how it's done and where it's done,
and by who its done can make a big difference in the outcome.

It sounds like you are paying very good attention to him and not letting a potentially dangerous thing turn into a really dangerous thing.  Without seeing him, I can't tell if its the kind of healing you would expect to see, or if its in need of antibiotics and/or cleaning. To be safe, please take him to your vet immediately. If he is having some signs of not healing correctly, he may need antibiotics, and it could quickly turn from "needing antibiotics" to "life-threatening". The vet will give you antibiotic ointment, and/or oral antibiotics, and show you how to keep him from trying to chew at his own tail, licking the ointment off.

Good luck and I hope he is all healed up soon.

Hope this helps!