Expert: Christine Puetz - 3/8/2009

Question
I have a 4 year old male French Bulldog.  We purchased him from a previous
owner, and after having him a while we noticed his tail looks deformed.  What it
seems is his tail was docked by tying it and it went bad.  The tail is almost 2
inches long. Also when anyone touches it he seems to not like it very much.  
Can the tail be docked correctly and what should we do?

Answer
Keith,

French bulldogs do not have docked tails - at least they are not suppose to.  They have been bred to have a short tail.  As a result, sometimes you can have a frenchie that has a funny looking short tail.  It should not be sensitive but I suppose it could.

Unless it is causing problems, other than what you mention, I would not suggest you have it docked.  Just don't touch it.

If you think it is causing problems, you should consult with your vet.  You may still have the same problem or it could get worse.

Christine Puetz