Why is my Dog’s Tail Kinked?
We have a 14-week-old American Bulldog that I
discovered has a kinked tail about one inch from the
tip. He has not always had this. It has happened
in the last couple of days and unfortunately our
vet has been out of town.
It does not seem to bother him and the rest of the
tail looks as it always has but I sure would like
to know if anything can be done to straighten the
tail. Thanks.
Julie
Washington State
Kinked tails are very common in dogs and cats. Kinked tails generally are harmless. Unfortunately, most kinked tails can’t be fixed.
Tails most often become kinked when they are traumatized. If a bone segment in the tail is broken or if two segments are dislocated, the tail becomes crooked.
Many types of injury can lead to kinked tails. In some instances, people accidentally step on or close a door on their pet’s tail. Other pets injure their tails without human help. Rough play and striking a tail against a wall while wagging it can also lead to kinks.
Although the sort of injury that leads to a crooked tail definitely is painful, most animals with kinked tails do not suffer from any long-term pain. Once the initial pain subsides, the problem is strictly cosmetic.
That is a good thing, because there is no ethical way to straighten a kinked tail. Such a procedure would require painful fracturing or repositioning of the bones in the tail (or, worse yet, amputation of part of the tail).
Therefore, I doubt that your dog’s tail can’t be fixed. However, you can take heart from the fact that it does not need fixing.
You have questions. 
While obviously not the case with this dog, I’ve also read that dogs can develop a kinked tail during the birthing process.
My my 2month old puppy is fiesty and happy, chewy and being potty trained. Gets along with the cats, and loves to go for walks. I have a continuious food feeder for the cats, and a bowl of dog food for the puppy. I have tried several different types of dry dog food and several different types of wet. He prefers the cat food. Is the bad for him?
Hi, I wonder if I could ask a question .. my 10 year old Wheaton Terrier(who had his right front leg amputated last year) has recently exhibited a crooked tale and a brownish discoloration around his butt area ? .. Do you have any opinions or ideas regarding this matter ? .. could it be diet related ? .. or something he ingested ? ..
thank you in advance ..Charlie D.
Two choices for fractured tail.
My 2 year old English setter has a fractured tail, near her rear end. One vet suggested leaving it alone, letting the bones fuse together, and allowing her tail to be crooked.
The other vet suggested resetting the bones, requiring a splint and cone for up to 8 weeks. This option could be better because if successful, will allow for proper circulation. It was suggested that a crooked tail can also cause poor circulation/nerve damage that will lead to an amputation in the future.
After reading the “kinked tail” article, I am hoping that we can leave it. Would there be a chance that her circulation will not be good if we go with the leave it/crooked tail option?
Thanks for any information!
Brett
Minnesota
I have a 3 year old Yellow Lab who I’ve recently noticed as being very protective of his tail. It appears it is bent near the top of the tail and he usually wags his tail all the time as he is very happy, but will not lately. His appetite is normal, no problems with elimination either. What do you suspect is the problem? Thanks so much.
yes, we’ve got a black lab with the same problem as Debby above. A kink in the top half of the tail, with pain and discomfort. Anti inflammatory injections take the pain away for a couple of days and then it get sore again. Xrays showed a bone in a weird position, but that could be congenital. Vet has suggested amputation right at the top of the tail. Sounds a bit severe to me. I can never work out with vets whether it is my dog or their bank balance that is more important.
Anyone know if manipulative therapy is an option ? Could it be a trapped nerve. What would a MRI show that an xray wouldn’t