Happy Tail

So, I have this dog that I adopted from the animal shelter a few years ago. He is a chocolate lab named Klaus. He loves to swim, play fetch, and occasionally eat poo. He sleeps in our bed and only wears special ordered collars.

He has also had some sort of affliction since the day we brought him home. At first there was the massive upper respiratory infection. Green snot that was in a constant state of drainage from his nose. Snot on the walls. Snot on the furniture.

Then there was the allergies. The naked belly. The constant ear infections.

And late last year, the Addison's Disease that was by far the scariest and most serious affliction of all. But we got it worked out and he is doing better.

Enter Happy Tail.

Common in several breeds of dogs, happy tail occurs when the tail is wagged so hard against objects that it breaks the skin. Left untreated, or unsuccessfully treated, tail amputation is sometimes necessary.

So for the last two weeks we have been dealing with the dog-whose-tail-doesn't-stop spraying blood all over the place. Several different methods of wrapping the tail have been tried. Today we used pipe insulation and vet wrap. I also have an Elizabethan Collar for him to wear when we can't watch him.

He is understandably not happy. I told him it is for his own good. Swimming is not as easy when you don't have an otter tail to guide you.