Boxers and Spaniels: Highest Tail Injury Risk

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New Study Reveals Boxers and Spaniels Face Highest Risk of Painful Tail Injuries

A new study from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has found that the Boxer, English Springer Spaniel, and Cocker Spaniel are the dog breeds most likely to have a tail injury. 

The study explored how often tail injuries occur in dogs in the UK, the breeds at highest risk, and how these injuries are typically managed in veterinary practice, with the findings offering valuable insights for owners, breeders, veterinarians, and policymakers to support prevention and better treatment.

Why a Dog’s Tail is an Anatomical Priority

A healthy, functioning tail plays an important role in a dog’s life, supporting communication, balance, and scent marking. Injuries can disrupt these natural behaviours and have a significant impact on dog welfare. Tail injuries carry serious welfare risks, often being painful and distressing for dogs, worrying for owners, and challenging for vets to manage.

The Legislative Context: Docking Bans and Congenital Tails

Planned tail docking in puppies—the partial or complete removal of a dog’s tail—had long been common practice in the UK for several dog breeds based on cultural beliefs, appearance, and perceived injury prevention. 

However, since 2007, non-medical tail docking has been legally banned in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, except when performed by a veterinary surgeon for a very limited set of dogs intended to be working animals.

This legislation is a key context for the study, particularly when considering breeds like the French Bulldog and Pembroke Corgi, which have been selectively bred to have congenitally short or absent tails.

The VetCompass Deep Dive: Unpacking the Risk Data

Led by the RVC’s VetCompass Programme, the new study is based on a massive dataset. Researchers examined the veterinary clinical records from random samples of 285 tail injury cases and 285,000 controls, drawn from a wider study population of over 2,000,000 dogs under UK veterinary care in 2019. The findings reveal that approximately 1 in 435 of all UK dogs present for veterinary care with a tail injury each year.

Statistical Breakdown: The Factors Driving Tail Injuries

The comprehensive RVC study revealed several key factors that significantly increase a dog's risk of tail injury, particularly when compared with crossbred dogs:

Factor                             Highest Risk Breed/Group                     Risk Multiplier

Breed Risk                         Boxer                                                         x 3.61

                                                English Springer Spaniel                       x 2.46

                                                Cocker Spaniel                                         x 1.86
Breed Group Risk         Working Group                                        x 2.21

                                                Gundog Group                                         x 1.85
Body Weight                     Dogs weighing 20 to <30 kg                 x 1.65

Conversely, the study found a significantly reduced risk for:

• French Bulldogs (x 0.11)
• Flat-faced (Brachycephalic) dog breeds overall (x 0.58)
• Older dogs (≥12 years) (x 0.23)
• Toy Group breeds (x 0.46)

Note on Status: Neutered females (x 5.65) and neutered males (x 5.59) had an increased risk compared to entire females, as did entire males (x 2.16) compared to entire females. Increasing age was generally associated with a decreasing risk of tail injury.

Injury Management: What Happens at the Clinic

When a tail injury does occur, the veterinary management is often complex. Pain relief and antibiotics were prescribed in 45.6% and 32.6% of cases, respectively. Crucially, surgical amputation was required in 9.1% of cases, highlighting the severity of some of these injuries.

Expert Takeaways: Active Dogs Need Proactive Owners

Dr. Camilla Pegram, Lecturer of Veterinary Epidemiology at the RVC and lead author of the paper, emphasized the study’s power: “This study has used the power of “big data” to robustly address the frequency, risk factors and clinical management of tail injuries in dogs. Not only are tail injuries painful, but they can also affect how dogs communicate and interact with the world around them. 

With tail docking no longer a routine practice, our findings highlight the dogs that may benefit from closer owner monitoring—particularly during high-energy activities.”

Dr. Dan O’Neill, Associate Professor in Companion Animal Epidemiology at the RVC and co-author, offered practical advice: “Having a long happy tail to wag must be one of the greatest natural joys in any dog’s life. This new paper shows that tail injuries are relatively uncommon in dogs overall. 

However, owners of very active types of dogs such as Boxer, English Springer Spaniel and Cocker Spaniel should be aware of their increased risk and try to reduce trauma to these dog’s tails.”

Dr. Alison Skipper, Veterinary and Research Advisor at The Kennel Club, underscored the importance of applying this knowledge: “This research... will hopefully enable more dog owners to take steps to prevent tail injuries or to seek the appropriate care from their vet, who will also be better prepared to manage cases effectively. 

Research like this gives everyone who cares for dogs the knowledge to help prevent injuries and protect their wellbeing—ensuring more dogs can live happy, healthy lives with their tails wagging.”

Reference

Pegram, C., O’Neill D.G., Edwards, A., Church, D.B. and Brodbelt, D.C. (2025). Frequency and risk factors for tail injuries in UK dogs under primary veterinary care. Veterinary Record. The full paper is available from Veterinary Record and can be accessed here:
https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.6020

About the Royal Veterinary College (RVC)

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is the UK's largest and longest established independent veterinary school and is a Member Institution of the University of London. The RVC is ranked as the top veterinary school in the world in the QS World University Rankings by subject, 2025. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in veterinary medicine, veterinary nursing and biological sciences and is a research-led institution.

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