Happy Tail Syndrome Solution

K9 TailSaver® Review

This post is my honest opinion of this product.

As an affiliate of K9 TailSaver® I get a small percentage if you choose to purchase using the links in this blog post. It will not cost you anything more.

I saved more than one dog's tail with this product.

Dr. Corbo

Veterinarian

What is Happy Tail Syndrome?

Many Great Dane owners are unfortunately familiar with a condition called happy tail. If you haven’t heard of it there is more information about it in these two blog posts.

It seems to be more of an issue with young Danes although Varel did cut her tail on the blinds in our travel trailer when she was older. Trying to get an open wound on a tail to heal is complicated by how easy it is for the dog to lick and chew the wound. The biggest hindrance can be re-injury by wagging against solid objects, which is what probably caused the initial injury.

When I saw the K9 TailSaver® I reached out to the inventor, Julie, to ask her about it. It was after her dog developed happy tail syndrome that she designed the K9 TailSaver®. It was quickly clear to me that Julie is extremely passionate about getting her invention onto the tails of dogs who need it.

While Martok hasn’t had any problems with his tail, his ear is another story which you can read about at Oops, I Cropped My Ear. I wanted to get my hands on one of these because it is such a frequent problem with Danes and it looked like this would help lots of happy tail sufferers.

What you get

The first thing I noticed is that once an order is placed it will arrive at your door quickly.

There are two parts to the TailSaver®.

a harness
a tail covering

Harness

I asked if any harness can be used. but the answer was no. This harness is custom designed to be light and comfortable since your dog will be wearing it for a number of days. It also has extra buckles for the tail covering to attach too.

It was easy to put on. It slides over the dog’s head and secures with buckles on each side behind the front legs. It was much less encumbering than the Web Master harness from Ruffwear. It fit Martok well right out of the box with just a few adjustments.

There is a D-ring to attach a leash to on the top of the harness if you choose to do that.

Harness Details

I don’t see any flaws in the quality of the stitching and materials used. There are sections of mesh so your dog stays cool and the buckles are separated from your dog’s skin with soft pads. Additionally, the straps are threaded through sleeves so they have less skin contact. All of these details are designed so that the harness remains comfortable since your Dane will be wearing it until their tail heals.

Tail Section

The tail covering was a bit confusing with multiple straps that can be used for extra security if your dog is an escape artist or still wagging to much. The basic attachment is straight forward, the side straps clip onto the back of the harness. There is an additional strap that connects the middle of the tail covering to the underside of the harness to limit wagging and slippage. A velcro tie is included to secure the loose end of the tail-belly strap if needed.

There is a video on the website to help with fitting everything correctly. It is an earlier version of the TailSaver® so some changes have been made in the design.

Some of the written instructions refer to what I assume are earlier versions as with the video. It’s great that Julie is improving the product so quickly. I’m sure the instructions will get updates as well.

The one I received is an XL and extremely long. There are sections designed to be cut with zigzag stitching so that cutting will not leave an unfinished edge. Hemming tape is included as a helpful touch. I used clips to fold it over since I did not want to cut it. Who knows how long our next Dane’s tail will be and if we will need this.

If you do need to cut it please take it off your dog first. This shouldn’t need to be said but I’m saying it anyway.

Martok’s reaction

Martok didn’t mind having it on at all. Granted he only had it on for an initial fitting and then for the photo shoot. The experience wasn’t at all like when we tried to put a Thundershirt on him; that didn’t go well.

Overall, this seems extremely effective in protecting a happy tail while it heals. It keeps the tail covered but not constricted. It prevents chewing and is padded against additional external wagging damage.