puppy born with no tail?

by Lisa Washington
(Conyers GA )

Hello I am in the process of purchasing a puppy. It is a Maltese born on December 17 2011. He will be ready in March. However he has no tail... Is that a bad thing?

I spoke to a breeder and they told me that the puppy's parents are probably relatives. I have looked everywhere to find out why the puppy has no tail.

Do you think there will be any health issues because it has no tail?




Hi Lisa
I'm afraid I can't really answer this definitively because it's not a situation I have personal experience of and I'm not a veterinarian.

However, not having a tail isn't generally a health problem, but could be a hereditary defect or just a 'fluke'. I don't personally think that having parents who are related would cause this, but you don't want to buy a puppy who's parents are close relatives. That is NOT the way breeding should be conducted and can definitely lead to some genetic/congenital issues.

If this puppy is healthy apart from having no tail then I don't think it's too much to be worried about, however I would definitely recommend that you discuss this with your own veterinarian and be sure to get a health certification showing that the puppy is in good condition and up to date on all veterinary care before you purchase him.

Sorry I can't say more than that, but I do wish you the very best of luck with your new puppy purchase.