Tank is a 7 year old male castrated English bulldog that presented for chronic skin fold dermatitis secondary to screw tail conformation.(Fig.1)
Fig. 1: Tank, a 7 year old male castrated English Bulldog |
Fig. 2: The tail on Tank showing the typical screw tail conformation |
(Fig. 3)
Fig. 3: Lateral radiograph of the caudal vertebrae on Tank showing the abnormal coccygeal vertebrae. (arrow) |
Surgical Procedure
Under general anesthesia, Tank was placed in sternal recumbency and the tail and adjacent skin was clipped and prepared for aseptic surgery. The anal sacs were expressed and a purse string suture was placed in the anus to prevent fecal contamination of the surgical site. Intravenous cephazolin was administered as a prophylactic antibiotic.
The surgery was begun by making a cranial to caudal incision dorsally over the base of the tail.(Fig. 4)
Fig. 4: The caudectomy on Tank began with an incision over the dorsal aspect of the tail. |
Fig. 5: Appearance of surgical site after severing the coccygeal vertebrae. Arrow indicates the cut edge of the vertebrae on the portion of tail to be removed. |
Care was taken not to injure the rectum which is just ventral to the tail. A Jackson-Pratt closed suction drain was placed in the deep aspect of the incision prior to closure. For more information on Jackson Pratt drains see: https://drstephenbirchard.blogspot.com/2014/03/jackson-pratt-drains-for-wounds-in-dog.html Excess skin was removed, and the surgical wound was closed in several layers: deep tissues with 2-0 PDS simple interrupted, subcutaneous tissues with 3-0 Monocryl simple interrupted, and the skin with 3-0 Monocryl simple interrupted. The purse string suture was removed. (Fig. 7)
Completed caudectomy on Tank including placement of the Jackson-Pratt drain. |
Discussion
Intertriginous dermatoses, or skin fold pyoderma, is a well recognized disorder caused by excessive skin folds in various regions in dogs, such as nasal, lip, perivulvular, and the secondary to the screw-tail, or ingrown tail abnormality in bulldogs. Redundant skin in these areas leads to skin friction, excessive moisture, and poor air circulation. Trapped skin secretions are fertile ground for surface bacteria and yeast to establish infection.
Medical treatment consisting of hair clipping, medicated soaps and shampoos, and topical and systemic antibiotics may improve the condition, but surgical resection of the excessive skin is necessary to achieve successful long-term resolution. In bulldogs with ingrown tail, amputation of the tail is the most effective method of treating this form of intertriginous dermatoses. However, detailed descriptions of the technique for removal of the very abnormal bulldog tail are not widely available in the veterinary literature.
Postoperative complications after caudectomy for ingrown tail were analyzed in one clinical study of 17 dogs. (1) Short-term complications were rare but included postoperative wound infection and changes in defecation behavior. Long-term complications were not seen and the authors stated that the procedure effectively resolved clinical signs in the dogs studied.
References
1. Knight SM1, Radlinsky MG, Cornell KK, Schmiedt CW. Postoperative complications associated with caudectomy in brachycephalic dogs with ingrown tails. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2013 Jul-Aug;49(4):237-42.
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