Ernie was seen by one of our surgeons recently because he had been suffering for some time with recurrent pain and dermatitis secondary to his screw tail. This is a common condition in English Bulldogs and is due to ankylosis (fusion) of the tail vertebra. This means they are unable to move the tail to allow air to circulate underneath. This also causes areas of the skin, around the tail, to fold in on itself. This subsequently leads to recurrent infections, dermatitis and pain (skin fold pyoderma). Poor Ernie had multiple courses of oral medications and topical treatments to try and manage his recurrent infections, but with little success, so his owners opted for surgery.
Surgery was performed to remove Ernie’s screw tail as well as his multiple skin folds, which will alleviate his discomfort long term. Ernie’s surgery was a success and he recovered well from his anaesthetic. He was discharged later that day to recover at home, with oral pain relief and antibiotics. Long term, Ernie will be significantly more comfortable without his screw tail and hopefully he can spend more time enjoying the cuddles that he loves.