Charlie the Vizsla with his head buried in the sand on a beach, with dunes and dry grass in the background, looks like a whimsical scene from a dog story.

Ever Heard of Happy Tail Syndrome? Here’s Charlie the Vizsla’s Story

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Have you ever heard of Happy Tail Syndrome? It’s a dog tail injury they get from wagging their tails too much or too hard, often hitting it against surfaces and objects. This can cause the tail to get cut, bruised, or even break the skin. In extreme cases, overenthusiastic pups can even break or sprain their tails this way!

Hungarian Vizslas are particularly prone to this injury because of their long, thin tails – and sometimes vets have to take big steps to help them! Here’s Charlie’s story.

Charlie, a Vizsla with an infectious wag despite his Happy Tail Syndrome, sits beside another dog on a black platform. Both wear blue and red jackets in an outdoor play area adorned with climbing equipment and trees.
Charlie and his pup bestie, Moose.

Meet Charlie

Charlie is a two-year-old Hungarian Vizsla from Canterbury who was adopted by his family two months ago.

“He’s the absolute definition of a ‘Velcro dog’,” says his pet parent, Andy. “He’s very affectionate and will follow me around all day. Charlie is very calm for a Vizsla but plays with our other Vizsla like he’s still a puppy.”

Charlie shares the house with Andy and his wife Chelsea, their two-and-a-half-year-old son Harvey and their second, older Vizsla called Moose.

Two brown dogs, including Charlie the Vizsla, in blue and orange vests lie on a blue and white striped bed. One dog sleeps with its head on a pillow while the other rests its head on the sleeping dog, blissfully unaware of Happy Tail Syndrome.

Happy Tail Syndrome

Andy says Charlie arrived with a history of Happy Tail Syndrome:

“His tail was like a whip and it gets wounded when hitting against objects like door frames. In his previous home it wasn’t an issue but when he joined our family with a second Vizsla, his excitement and playing would cause him to split it open every day. We would come home from work and the house would look like a massacre with blood EVERYWHERE!”

Happy Tail Syndrome affects Vizsla’s in particular because of their long, thin tails. According to this article, the breed have traditionally had one-third of their tail docked, partly because of this reason.

In fact, Vizslas have the longest history of tail docking, a practice that’s been banned for cosmetic purposes in Australia since 2004. In Charlie’s case, their vet agreed that the only way to stop him from continually hurting his tail was to dock it. Vets are allowed to dock tails if it’s in the interest of the pup’s health and happiness.

Charlie after treatment

Charlie has healed well from his treatment and having his tail docked means he’s less likely to continually hurt it.

“I feel that some owners wouldn’t want to dock their dog’s tail because they don’t want them to look a certain way,” says Andy. “However, the dog’s health is far more important than a certain image.”

Andy is also very pleased with the way PD handled their claim:

“As we’d only just taken over his existing policy from his previous owner, I expected it to be awkward – but the claim was very smooth and easy. No issues at all. We had a couple of hick-up/follow ups with the vets after we had settled the claim with PD but after reaching out, the PD team was happy to add these to the existing claim even after it was settled, which I was very impressed with.”

How to treat a dog tail injury

If your dog has split their tail open due to Happy Tail Syndrome or otherwise, here’s how to treat it:

  1. Clean the tail: Gently wash the injured area with mild soap and water. Use an antiseptic if you have one.
  2. Wrap the tail: Put a soft, non-stick pad or gauze on the wound and wrap it with medical tape. Make sure it’s snug but not too tight.
  3. Limit wagging: Keep your dog calm and restrict their activity to prevent more tail wagging while they’re healing Use a crate or a small space if needed.
  4. Pain relief: Talk to your vet about pain relief if your dog seems uncomfortable.
  5. Vet visit: If the tail doesn’t heal, keeps bleeding, or looks infected (swollen, red, or has pus), take your dog to the vet. They might need more treatment or even surgery.
  6. Prevent future injuries: Try to remove or cushion the surfaces your dog hits with their tail. Rearrange furniture or add padding where your dog likes to wag.

If, despite treatment and preventative measures, your dog keeps hurting their tail, it’s important to visit the vet to discuss their treatment.

Two dogs, possibly Vizslas, wearing colorful jackets curl up on a striped bed. The dog on the left wears an orange jacket, and the dog on the right wears a blue jacket. The bed has blue and white striped pillows.

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Pet insurance for Happy Tail Syndrome and beyond

PD has hundreds of happy clients just like Andy. No wonder we won MoneyHub’s “Favourite Pet Insurer” for 2023.

If you want to protect your finances, check out our tail-ored dog insurance that can cover treatment for illnesses, injuries, allergies, dental and more. Wherever you are in New Zealand, whichever qualified vet you want.

We make it easy for you to make fast, care-based health decisions and we pay your claim within two business days.  Why not get a quote today?

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