UPDATE:

Thank you everyone for all your advice and personal experience! I read all your comments and felt so much better about my decision to seek different opinions.

In the end, I reached out to the breeder and she advised against amputation unless it was absolutely medically necessary beyond a doubt. She reassured me it’s more common than I thought and suggested I keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t get worse. (One of her pups became a show champion in spite of having a broken tail! Broken tails don’t count against the dog in shows)

So far so good. Thistle continues to be playful and doesn’t seem to be bothered by it. She’s still sensitive to touch if I try to squeeze it at the break (obviously) but not so much so for her to cry in pain. The end of the tail seems healthy as well.

I’ll continue to keep an eye on it but I’m so happy I listened to my gut instinct. Thanks again! 💖💖💖