Tail damage happens on pet dogs too

Mrs. Watts-Marshall told the CDB that she constantly has problems with Snuff's tail, which regularly breaks open and spurts blood all over the house. This is a particular problem in the public house where Snuff lives, as customers have been known to come away with bloodstained clothes after Snuff has been playing with them.

Boxers are naturally exuberant dogs and Snuff is no different, catching her long tail on door edges and bannister posts. Though not openly bleeding when these photographs were taken, her tail was obviously painful as she yelped quite loudly back indoors, when it struck the door jamb as the photographer and Mrs. Watts-Marshall stood chatting. The majority of her problems were concentrated at the end two inches of her tail which affords little protection and each time it starts to heal, a minor knock is all that is needed to start the whole cycle off again.

Now at eighteen months old, Snuff faces the further painful experience of needing a portion of her tail surgically removed, a procedure which could have been avoided by docking as a pup. We hope her recovery is possible with just one operation although at her age, more than one operation is often necessary.