tail docking

[widows son]

View attachment 35932This was my dog after the shoot today. I'm now considering having it amputated but obviously that can have its own complications. Does anyone have experience of having their dogs tails amputated and could offer any advice?

Thanks,
Dave

Dave contact SGA office, with these pictures they will give you the information to further this issue, I was part of the study by Glasgow veterinary school on tail docking, which I believe has now closed for the collation of information to the ministers dealing with this ,pictures like these are great evidence ,to which the ministers don't believe actually happen.

 

[Mickeydredd]

Can you say when this closed, as i was under the impression that it has been quite some time since the survey was completed......and the results/conclusions have yet to be released.

Cheers

Dave contact SGA office, with these pictures they will give you the information to further this issue, I was part of the study by Glasgow veterinary school on tail docking, which I believe has now closed for the collation of information to the ministers dealing with this ,pictures like these are great evidence ,to which the ministers don't believe actually happen.

 

[Gazza]

The study has been closed for quite some time but as Bob suggests submitting pictures of tail damage to the SGA and your MSP can do no harm.

 

[Apache]

Got to totally and absoultely disagree with you here Apache. 1/3 of the total length of the tail should be docked at two days.

You are correct for puppies. The chap asked advice on an adult dog requiring surgery to have its tail docked. I promise if you only remove 1/3 then you will get a breakdown of the wound and need further surgery. Adult dogs tails need taking rather short if you want to cure them simply.

 

[Mickeydredd]

I thought so. I emailed my MSP earlier this week asking while the results had still not been communicated. Hopefully I'll hear back after Xmas.

The study has been closed for quite some time but as Bob suggests submitting pictures of tail damage to the SGA and your MSP can do no harm.

 

[Gazza]

You are correct for puppies. The chap asked advice on an adult dog requiring surgery to have its tail docked. I promise if you only remove 1/3 then you will get a breakdown of the wound and need further surgery. Adult dogs tails need taking rather short if you want to cure them simply.

This is what really bugs me. The RCVS refer to docking as "unneccessary mutilation" and have attempted to prosecute vets who in the past have docked dogs, yet if a dog through whatever requires to have its tail amputated they are quite happy for the dog to undergo general anaesthetic, operational procedures to remove more of its tail than would have been done had it been docked as a pup (remembering that part of the arguement for not docking is that a dog requires a tail to communicate), risk infection, have the dog suffer in the first place, place more costs on the owner. Why are the RCVS so against tail docking?

 

[al4x1]

This is what really bugs me. The RCVS refer to docking as "unneccessary mutilation" and have attempted to prosecute vets who in the past have docked dogs, yet if a dog through whatever requires to have its tail amputated they are quite happy for the dog to undergo general anaesthetic, operational procedures to remove more of its tail than would have been done had it been docked as a pup (remembering that part of the arguement for not docking is that a dog requires a tail to communicate), risk infection, have the dog suffer in the first place, place more costs on the owner. Why are the RCVS so against tail docking?

I think it has more to do with cosmetic reasons and working dogs are dragged into it, look at boxers etc and you will see where the real reasons lie.

 

[Gazza]

al4x1, I take your point about docking for cosmetic reasons but this is almost akin to you can ban handguns as I dont use them as long as you leave my shotguns and rifles alone. I have always argued the point of docking for working dogs but I have no doubt people who breed boxers, rotties and the likes would also like to see docking being a matter of choice. As another point look at the Animal Welfare Act 2006 section 4[h=3]Unnecessary sufferingE+W[/h]This sectionnoteType=Explanatory Notes has no associated
(1)A person commits an offence if—
(a)an act of his, or a failure of his to act, causes an animal to suffer,
(b)he knew, or ought reasonably to have known, that the act, or failure to act, would have that effect or be likely to do so,
(c)the animal is a protected animal, and
(d)the suffering is unnecessary.
(2)A person commits an offence if—
(a)he is responsible for an animal,
(b)an act, or failure to act, of another person causes the animal to suffer,
(c)he permitted that to happen or failed to take such steps (whether by way of supervising the other person or otherwise) as were reasonable in all the circumstances to prevent that happening, and
(d)the suffering is unnecessary.
(3)The considerations to which it is relevant to have regard when determining for the purposes of this section whether suffering is unnecessary include—
(a)whether the suffering could reasonably have been avoided or reduced;
(b)whether the conduct which caused the suffering was in compliance with any relevant enactment or any relevant provisions of a licence or code of practice issued under an enactment;
(c)whether the conduct which caused the suffering was for a legitimate purpose, such as—
(i)the purpose of benefiting the animal, or
(ii)the purpose of protecting a person, property or another animal;
(d)whether the suffering was proportionate to the purpose of the conduct concerned;
(e)whether the conduct concerned was in all the circumstances that of a reasonably competent and humane person.
(4)Nothing in this section applies to the destruction of an animal in an appropriate and humane manner.

Now if you take an undocked spaniel out shooting with the full knowledge that the dog could suffer through tail damage are you committing an offence. If like the previous poster your dog has already suffered and you take him back out into the same situation??.

 

[Mickeydredd]

you raise a good point Gazza, but I wonder which part of the law would take precedence?!

i wonder if you defended yourself with the above, accompanied by lots of photos of damaged tails whether it would be enough to sway a judge?