What happened to my dog's tail?

[elmwood]

The tails of a Portuguese Water Dog is normally supposed to curl up and over their back. Today, I came home, and Bailey’s tail is just … drooping. She greeted me with the usual vigor, but her tail was just hanging there. I repeated her name over and over again, which usually gets a thump-thump-thump response from her tail. I got the usual smile, but nothing from her tail. There seems to be no pain, but no movement, either. Her tail just hangs there.

My dog seems happy, but it’s as if something today, while I was at work, her tail just … died. It just doesn’t work anymore; otherwise, she’s normal. I’m taking her to the vet tomorrow, but in the meantime, can anyone tell me what’s up?

[racer72]

I had a German Shepherd mix as a young lad and he suffered from the same malady. Yes, his tail was broken. He was kicked by a cow and landed flat on his back with his tail under him. My mother took to the vet for the lump on his chest (2 broken ribs) and the doc found the tail was broke to. Most animal tails are just cartilage and bone with a fur coat covering. Alas poor Lucky could not wag his tail again. A few months later the vet removed most of the tail. Lucky could not lift his tail to crap. This meant most of the time he crapped on his tail. He didn’t seem to miss it.

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

http://www.roachvalleyvets.co.uk/pethealth/dogsymptoms.asp?group=T&animal=dog

Tail - Limpness
A limp tail can be caused by paralysis, when the nerves to the tail are damaged. This is often associated with trauma to the tail itself or to the pelvis, for instance after road traffic accidents. The tail can not consciously be moved by the dog and will feel no pain.

Another reason for the tail to be limp can be immersion in cold water. In some dogs, mostly Labradors, we can see a limp tail some time after they have been swimming in cold water, for instance in a lake, or when they have been bathed or shampooed with cold water. This will normally correct itself in time.

Some dogs seem to have a limp tail, when in fact they just hold the tail very low and close to their body. They may be reluctant to wag. This can be a sign of a problem with their anal glands (see ‘anal glands’).

http://thelabradorclub.com/cold.htm

Cold water tail," “limber tail syndrome,” “broken tail,” “dead tail,” “broken wag” are all euphemisms for a relatively common occurrence in sporting dogs. The tail of the dog hangs down from the tail base or is held horizontal for three or four inches and then drops down. A flaccid tail episode appears to be a painful, but relatively benign affliction that can occur after swimming, after a heavy hunting day or even after a bath with cold water or water that is too warm. It is not always associated with swimming or water, but can happen after a heavy day of work that involves a lot of tail action. The majority of limp tail cases have been reported in sporting dogs or hounds – Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Setters, Pointers, Flatcoats, Foxhounds and Beagles are the breeds frequently named. Almost all dogs that suffer through an occurrence return to normal within a few days. Affected dogs may or may not have a repeat incidence during their lifetime. [It is this author’s experience that symptoms will repeat in the same animal and can be trigged by something as simple as a cold water bath.] This affliction has been described by the layman as a “sprain,” fibrosis or a “cold in the tail.” The affected dog is miserable at the onset and the tail is painful. If neither the dog owner nor the veterinarian is familiar with this condition, it can be disturbing–fostering conjecture on a possible fracture or spinal cord disease…[more]

But your vet will know, anyway.

[elmwood]

Thanks for the responses! I didn’t get a chance to take Bailey to the vet today (I got a flat tire instead, which burned off four hours of my day). When I came home from work today, her tail was still limp, but it was moving on its own – wagging a bit more, so I know it’s not “dead.”

I suspect that she was playing a bit too rough with the new dog (Guinness, a BIG male Portie), and somehow went “thump,” hitting the wrong nerve in the process.

PWDs are considered a “working” breed according to the AKC, and today a few Portie owners told me that “swimmer’s tail” or “limp tail” are common occurences among the breed. Phwew.