Tail Kink

[Quwenno]

I just got a 14 week old German Shepherd female (with the intent of breeding her at 2yrs old) and I noticed that she has a kink towards the end of her tail. She wags it without a problem and it doesn't hurt her when you touch or squeeze it. I took her to the vet to give her a full check up and he says she is perfectly fine and that the kink could be from birth and that it should pass on to her puppies. I questioned the breeder and she states that she never noticed it and that upon asking her vet he said that she would eventually grow out of it.

Does anyone know anything about this? Please help, I've had her for 3 days now and we have grown very fond of each other and would hate to have to return her if I find out that this can affect her in the long run.

[valleydweller01]

If the pup was born with this kink in its tail...I would consider it genetic... pretty hard to have trauma happen utero to cause this and the responsible thing to do regarding faults like this is to not breed them into your line...obviously someone did and look at how you are feeling now..

[ginger899]

I can't really help with what you want to know, I am sorry. My best suggestion would be to get in contact with a reputable GS breeder (Surely if you are a dog breeder you have access to a network of others who may be able to help and advise?) Most breeders do.

I happen to know a good breeder who bred show dogs (she is retired now) She is good, and knows her stuff and did that all her life....but unfortunately not with German Shepherds! She bred Italian Greyhounds (a bit different!)
But I can certainly run your dog's issue by her when I next see her.
If it is genetic, then yes a pup has a 50/50 chance of inheriting that feature, if the sire is clear of that of course.

If it is a trauma which may have happened at birth, then one would imagine it can't be inherited.

Meanwhile....don't return her, especially as you two have a bond already. That would be too sad.

But of course if it's a genetic issue you may need to acquire another breeding female.
If so, I highly recommend you get your first girl spayed. That may also help concerning the "alpha female" situation which may arise if you have two entire females. The relationships may not work out and cause heartache.
If one is spayed it is LIKELY the "pack dynamics" will wor out more peacefully.

I would keep her as a companion dog!

Anyway, I don't know of any genetic testing that could determine whether a feature lke a tail kink is a marker. There may be such a thing but all that is a world I don't know about I'm afraid.

[JanisM13]

If you are looking for Tony...he runs a Kidney help forum here,
you can find it by looking to the right side of this page...
"Groups" click on this and it will take you to the Kidney
Forums and find Tony there....
Jan

[Debbied038]

are you still responding to this thread?

[Debbied038]

are you still responding to this thread?

[Margot49]

Kinked tails can definitely be genetic and can be a recessive gene both parents can carry.  Have your dogs been tested for hip Dysplasia and graded?  Each pure breed can have it's own health/genetic problems and most reputable breeders test for everything they can.  Breeding also involves a lot of research behind the dam and sire.  There really is more science involved then just putting two dogs of the same breed together.  

[tonyb286]

Hi. No, the tail is extremely unlikely to straighten. There are rare cases where this has been known to happen, but usually the tail will stay bent for life. The most likely scenario is that it is a trauma caused while a very young puppy. Sometimes tails do get injured during play with other pups, or they get accidentally stood on by humans, or they get damaged if they wag them for example hitting the corner of a door or wall. When breaks in the vertebrae occur in this way, they "fix" and heal on their own in that crooked position. Once the break has "fixed", it isn't painful and doesn't in any way affect the future health of the dog.

In the rare and unusual exception that it is a genetic fault, the same applies - that is, it does not affect the future health of the dog. The bend in the tail is not a genetic factor that will pass on to pups that she might have.

Tony

[Quwenno]

Thank you Tony,

I never sell them, they go to family and myself of course. You see the last German Shephards that we got were imported I bred them And I kept one and the rest went to family which have the same love for GSDs that I do. They have all gone to homes that I still visit and know that they are being well taken care of. My male is now getting a little older and I would like to have puppies from him, which once again would go to family and myself. You see we have lots of land and we are literally separated from one another by acres and in the past have adopted as well. But you can't blame me for trying to get puppies out of my boy since unfortunately he won't be around for ever. I thank you for your concern and reply to my question.

Do you think that this could possibly be of any concern as far as her health goes? Would this happen with her puppies if in fact it is a genetic fault? Is what the breeder claims her vet told her that as she grows it will straighten true?

[MiTmite9]

So many people insist that their purposely bred puppies "always get good homes."  Go to just about any shelter and/or do your research with breed specific rescue. It is a complete fallacy, a fantasy that breeders perpetrate. Tony, I admire your well-written argument, outlying just why such backyard breeding and, in my opinion, most dog breeding needs to stop. Too many unwanted dogs!

[Jeanine95252]

Agree! I have a Bichon who I adopted from a rescue group. They had numerous pure bred dogs in need of homes.

[tonyb286]

Hi. The tail kink will be either a genetic fault - or more likely, something that has happened when she was very young. Kinked tails are fairly common and can happen because of an injury or just through accidentally wagging against a corner, in which case a couple of the vertebrae are traumatized, and the tail then stays in that position. Surgery is possible, but it is not advised, as it is a painful operation and doesn't improve the dog's quality of life - in fact, potentially quite the reverse.

I can't respond to this post without giving something of an opinion ... why is it your intention to breed from her? Financial? We really don't need more puppies being bred in this world. There are thousands if not millions of unwanted dogs in shelters and rescue homes, and many live miserable lives or are put to sleep simply because there are not enough kindhearted people willing to give them a decent life and a loving home.

I would urge you to reconsider this action. If people stopped breeding their dogs, those trapped in rescue homes and shelters would have a real chance of a better life, because there wouldn't be so many puppies for sale.

Tony

[Quwenno]

Sorry just noticed a typo in my question. The vet said that the kink will not pass on to her puppies when she has them.