Digby who desperately needs a tail amputation

Hi everyone. Firstly thanks for taking the time to read, this is a fundraiser for Digby, our 1 year old working sprocker spaniel who we rehomed a year ago.

Digby had “happy tail”, a syndrome which is a condition where dogs cause damage to the tip of their tails from striking surfaces. We suspect this could be the reason why he was rehomed. Unfortunately, many times, this condition occurs when they are wagging their tail, which is constant for Digby (He's a happy lad!)

But this is why it's coined happy tail syndrome. This condition is anything but happy for dogs and pet parents though and can pose a significant risk of infection if not dealt with.

Dating back as far as November last year Digby has suffered on and off with this. His tail has been wrapped up in bandages but he removes them easily. This breed is normally “Docked” at 3-5 days old but as Digby was originally going to a pet home this was deemed illegal and prohibited. We have been constantly treating the tail, when the tail is then unwrapped he is in pain, the wound reopens and he is at risk of infection. As you know with a Sprocker they are an extremely active dog who love mud, water and being outdoors so trying to keep his tail clean and dry is somewhat a mission!

We’ve had multiple vet trips, where they have advised it would be in his best interests to amputate the tail, to a length where it would not happen again. He would be "docked" to a shorter tail, still able to wag and be happy but this would be the best course of action.

Digby’s current wound hardens then calcifies but then will continue to re-open again and again. We have to at the moment have him confined to our conservatory, garden, and outdoor walks as his tail splits and will bleed excessively causing him to “splat” this on walls, floors and even the ceilings! A room can quickly resemble something similar to a CSI Murder Scene!

He needs it amputating ASAP as ultimately the risk of infection which could then spread to his spinal cord is extremely dangerous and that is what generally happens in cases such as these if left untreated.

The vets have quoted in total around £519.00 for the operation itself, around £400 for the anaesthetic but then he will need dressings, painkiller medications, etc all at an additional cost. We are praying there are no complications. We are looking to raise around £1000 so Digby can have this ASAP and he can be pain free once more.

What about insurance you might say, its irresponsible not to have it. But rest assured we do but we have one little issue - the timescale!

Yes, Digby is insured, on a Lifetime Policy. Unfortunately we have been told to wait longer following our attempted claim, despite vet advice. They need to see it as a recurring issue for 6 months, requiring vet treatment before they agree to fund an amputation. Our vet has advised against waiting. Digby needs this now, he is in pain, it is under vet advice and we are not wanting to wait to put him at risk.

As you can imagine, this is money that I haven’t got to hand (I had a accident in August last year which has left me unable to walk and work, we also have a large family with five children to support). I am aware times are hard for everyone but even just sharing his fundraiser can help and of course even a £1 or more will all add up.

We are already at a charity vets however, we have looked at schemes to fund this including other charities but they are means tested for those on benefits which sadly we do not claim.

I have attached some more photos of his tail below.

Any help is greatly appreciated! It is not something I took lightly to post, I am extremely proud but we do need some help in the timescale needed.

The funds raised will be used to get Digby the tail amputation he needs ASAP.

Many thanks to anyone who donates and helps out our beautiful boy!

Sloppy Sprocker Kisses from Digby!

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