Surgery of the Tail (CAUDECTOMY)

Surgery of the Tail (CAUDECTOMY)

The tail is an important part of the canine anatomy and is actually

an extension of the spine. The bones of the tail are bigger at the
base and get smaller toward the tip.

Soft discs cushion the spaces between the vertebrae and allow
flexibility.

The tail muscle and nerves facilitate tail movement and play a role
in bowel control.
• Caudectomy, or amputation of a portion of the tail, which is performed to comply with breed
standards or tradition, is ethically and morally controversial.

• Therapeutic caudectomy is indicated for traumatic lesions, infection, neoplasia, and possibly
perianal fistula.
• The tail should be amputated with 2-3 cm of normal tissue margins when resecting tumors or
traumatic lesions.

• Amputation should be performed near the anus if the end of the tail chronically bleeds because
of repeated abrasion or chewing. Amputation near the base is recommended for avulsed tails*
and if necessary for tail fold pyoderma and perianal fistula.

• Cosmetic caudectomy (tail docking) is performed in puppies in order to adhere to breed

standards.

• Many countries and veterinary professional organizations oppose the procedure, when
performed solely for cosmetic purposes.

*An avulsion injury or nerve damage is damage to the tail caused by pulling which can affect the nerves and muscles. This injury usually occurs
when a dog is hit
Caudectomy in Adults:
• A caudectomy in dogs and cats older than 1-week requires general
or epidural anesthesia. The surgical site should be observed for
swelling, draining, inflammation, and pain.
• Healing after caudectomy is uncomplicated, if excess skin tension
and self-trauma are prevented.
• The site should be protected with a bandage or restraining device
if necessary.
• Complications include infection, dehiscence, scarring, fistula
recurrence, and anal sphincter or rectal trauma.
• Incisions that dehisce after partial amputation may heal by
secondary intention, which usually leaves a hairless scar. Re-
amputation may be necessary to relieve irritation and improve
cosmesis.
Partial Caudectomy:
• Wrap the distal tail with gauze or insert it into an examination glove and secure the covering
with tape.
• Clip a generous area near the amputation site and aseptically prepare it for surgery.
• Position a tourniquet proximal to the transection site. Retract the skin toward the tail head.
Make a double V incision in the skin distal to the desired intervertebral transection site.
Orient the V to create dorsal and ventral skin flaps that are longer than the desired tail
length.
• Identify and ligate the medial and lateral caudal arteries and veins slightly cranial to the
transection site. Incise soft tissue slightly distal to the desired inter-vertebral space and
disarticulate the distal tail with a scalpel blade.
• If bleeding occurs, place a circumferential ligature around the distal end of the remaining tail
or religate the caudal vessels.
• Appose subcutaneous tissue and muscle over the exposed vertebrae with interrupted
approximating sutures (e.g., 3-0 polydioxanone).
• Position the dorsal skin flap over the caudal vertebrae. Trim the ventral skin flap as needed
to allow skin apposition without tension.
• Appose skin edges with approximating sutures (e.g., 3-0 or 4-0 nylon).
• Protect the surgical site with a bandage or by placing an Elizabethan collar or bucket over
the animal’s head.
Complete Caudectomy:
Anesthetize the patient; clip and aseptically prepare the entire perineum and
tail head area.
• Position the animal in ventral recumbency. Make an elliptic incision around
the tail base. Incise subcutaneous tissues to expose the muscles. Separate the
attachments of the levator ani, rectococcygeus, and coccygeus muscles to
the caudal vertebrae.
• Ligate the medial and lateral caudal arteries and veins before or after
transection. Transect the tail by disarticulation with a scalpel blade at the
second or third caudal vertebra. Lavage the site after hemostasis is achieved.
• Appose the levator ani muscles and subcutaneous tissue with simple
interrupted or continuous suture patterns (e.g., 3-0 or 4-0 polydioxanone).
• Excise redundant skin if necessary, and appose skin edges with
approximating, nonabsorbable sutures (e.g., 3-0 or 4-0 nylon).
• As an alternative, the tail fold may be preserved; however, skin fold
pyoderma may persist.
fracture