Okay, so in a different forum I was reading this discussion on the pros/cons of docking tails and cropping ears. I don't really want to 'get into that' in this thread...
A Mini Schnauzer breeder who is anti-modification said that she had one dog with "phantom tail" who would wake up from sleep screaming, running in circles to get away from his own tail. I have to admit, I nearly snorted tea out of my nose to stifle overwhelming laughter. To add insult to injury, she says that there have been documented cases of dogs screaming out in pain WHILE ANESTHETIZED from the pain of having their ears cropped.
I definately trust the opinions on this board more than I do the opinions there, so honestly, has anyone heard of this? I feel goofy for even asking -- I'm pretty darn close to telling her that her dog was just a space cadet and that it had nothing to do with whether or not he had a tail attached to his hind-end...
I read recently and was looking to confirm that pups did not have their neurological systems completely finished around the time they were docked and so they didn't feel pain the same way. Anyone know if this is true?
My guess is that this Schnauzer has some other issues going on, NOT related to having lost his tail.
He may have anal gland problems, he may be displaying a behavior induced from vaccine related damage. Unless his tail was docked very late and has weird nerve damage I would doubt any of this stuff he is doing is related to a procedure done at 2-3 days old.
I worked as a vet tech for many years as well as breeding Dobermanns for about 10 years. I have a bit of experience with earcrops and was present for every surgery my pups had. some of them do vocalize during the procedure but I couldn't tell you if it's pain or some involuntary reaction. It's a matter of opinion but I think they vocalized just as much for the ears being shaved and disinfected while anesthetized as they did during the surgery.
Thank you, Cindy, this was precisely the reply I was looking for (as in, someone with experiences).
An hour-long Google search resulted in me only finding brief mentions of this phenomenon on anti-docking sites. No veterinarians attesting to the 'condition', nothing. Just people mentioning having a dog or knowing a dog that sporadically went ape seemingly over its tail.
but I think they vocalized just as much for the ears being shaved and disinfected
During my years as a tech, I noticed this as as well. It seems like the cleaning/scrubbing produced more reaction than the trimming or suturing. I sure wish I had a quarter for every tail I've seen docked and virtually every puppy done at the proper age seemed to forget it within 30 seconds of being placed back in their basket.
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"Phantom Tail"
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