[OhLaLa]

4 week old lamb, tail was banded. Tail came away but the stump is now splitting upwards in half.

Have been purple spraying but today no improvement.

Usually the tails come away cleanly so unsure how best to proceed. It's looking like it will need banding again further up the tail to prevent infection and to prevent the split moving further up the stump.

Have any of you experience of this happening to any of your lambs.

Advice please.

NB: I should add, the docked tail is not a short docked tail, the split is just beginning to form.
---
Update - not split (see below)

[Hellybee]

I would take to vet so that they can give it a good clean and maybe do a little op on it, to cover it up, would nt risk owt else x

[CarolineR]

Hi, I agree with Hellybee - seing the lamb to see the vet is your best chance of making sure you don't lose the lamb and making sure the lamb's welfare is not unacceptably compromised.
But I know from prior experience that not everyone will follow this advice, so I'll just add that  if you can see a track leading up towards the spine like that, a decent course of injectable antibiotics (which some vets will supply to you after a telephone conversation if they are happy in their clinical judgement that this is the best course of action) would be a good idea to prevent a spinal abscess developing (it will be fatal if it does, so it's best to try to prevent it if you can). Good camera phone pictures can also be of use to vets in clinical decision making as to whether antibiotics alone are going to cut it.
Consider whether the lamb is vaccinated for tetanus as well (your clostridial vaccines, if used), if you normally vaccinate your lambs a wee bit later then you might want to just bring it forward to avoid losing a lamb (if you don't normally vaccinate, don't worry, perhaps just mention this also to your vet one the phone to see whether it is worth it for you in your particular situation)
Hope this helps, if it's really bad then as I say, welfare wise and outcome wise then direct treatment of the lamb your vet is the best bet, but if you feel that this is not an option for you at present then do give your vet a wee telephone call to see if you can get some antibiotic cover. Purple spray is too superficial if there is a track heading upwards.

[ScotsGirl]

Another thing is they can develop septic arthritis from this which is crippling. I had this in a lamb (no idea what triggered it but vet said tail docking can be an entry site) and had to cull it. Back leg had wasted a bit cos she couldn't walk normally.

[OhLaLa]

Seen the vet, it appears that it is not split (large scab).
Vet gave us anti-biotic spray.
Back again if no improvement.

Anyone else had this?

[Marches Farmer]

No, but occasionally the tail breaks off too soon - probably the lambs horsing around.  We just spray with antibiotic spray and haven't had a problem.

[shep53]

 Every tail and scrotal sac that falls off after a rubber ring leaves a scab , its just a matter of how big most you can't see except by  looking closely , but a few  have large scabs especially if knocked of early

[Hellybee]

What I've noticed is like the above have said is a small round dry scab.  The thought of him actually splitting his tail, that sounded really serious, must be such a relief that he has split the scab not his tail. Phew.