A kink in a puppies tail is not an uncommon finding. Usually, a tail kink is either:
- Congenital – they are born with it, most likely this is due to their genetics. Tail kinks are not uncommon in many breeds.
- Traumatic – they are not born with the kink, but rather it develops secondary to damage to the affected area
A congenital kink should not bother the puppy at all. There should be no pain on palpation, and the Vet will not feel any crepitus. It is a painless genetic defect, and for this reason, surgery to repair would be purely cosmetic, and not justifiable. The risk of surgical complication outweighs any possible benefit.
When it comes to lumps and swellings, looks can be very deceiving. So never assume it’s a benign tail kink, a hands on examination from your local bricks and mortar clinic is a great place to start. Sometimes imaging of the area (radiography) is advised by your Vet, particularly if there is pain present, so that we can see what we’re dealing with, which is most likely to show deformity or damage to the vertebrae in the area of the kink on the tail.
In the case of a breeding where there are multiple tail kinks in a litter, due to the genetic inheritance, it’s not advisable to breed the same two dogs if tail kinks are an issue to you.
Tail kinks are there for life, and just another little individuality of your gorgeous pet.
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