Miley woke up this morning, and she couldn’t wag her tail. It was just hanging limp. She couldn’t wag it. It was just hanging there.
When I touched it, she wimpered.
But I know she’ll be fine.
Miley has a common condition among retrievers called “cold water tail” or “limber tail.” Exactly what causes it is unknown, but in general, it is associated with a dog running around and getting in cold water.
Miley went for a very long walk yesterday, and because we are going through a thaw, she got very muddy.
So I hosed her off.
Then she played all evening with Charlie.
She should be fine in a couple of days.
But if you have a retriever who has these symptoms, don’t panic. Just keep the dog quiet for a couple of days. Do not touch the tail. It is painful.
But the dog will be fine.
my pit bull (who loves retrieving, especially balls, especially from water) got this once. Took me a bit of googling to determine it wasn’t time to panic.
Poor Miley. I hope she recovers soon, without much drama or trauma.
Cold water tail, dead tail, limp tail, limber tail. I’m surprised how many veterinarians aren’t familiar with this syndrome. Cold water and high activity are two factors that tend to bring it on. If you have a dog that competes in conformation, you can bet that it will show up before a show.
One friend got a call from a family that had a young dog that she had bred. The family told her that their vet had suspected major neurologic damage, and had told them that the dog’s tail might have to be amputated.
My friend explained about the syndrome, suggested that they wait, or talk to a specialist. Three days later, the dog’s tail was back to normal.
But…I do know of two cases where dead tail was diagnosed, but they didn’t resolve over several days. After more diagnostics were done, it was determined that spinal tumors were the causes.
Any vet that has treated hunting or working retrievers and other similar breeds would be familiar with or at least know about ‘limber tail syndrome’. Although the cause of it is still not clear, it’s very well known among those breeds.
A vet that “…suspected major neurologic damage, and had told them that the dog’s tail might have to be amputated?” Run, don’t walk, to a different vet.
Why? He or she doesn’t know enough about your breed to be treating your dog and there are plenty of other vets around who would have made the correct diagnosis.
Treat with prednisone for a few days, it will go away. The next time the dog’s tail gets wet make sure it is dried completely, especially after bathing the dog and keeping it inside. People get sloppy here and do not dry the tail completely because they think being inside will help dry the tail. Wrong, wrong, wrong. That’s when you’ll leave that one damp spot.
I’ve never had this problem before. I had a golden that would swim in icy water all day long, and her tail never went limp.
Trust me, this started a small panic.
I brought her hosing her off, and then she was furminated and brushed. This is the time of year in which the floor gets covered in hair.
I think that playing very hard with another dog after being brought in might have something to do with it.
I had a golden that would swim in the coldest water ever, and she never got this before.
QQ: just curious, does the dog carry its tail extended “straight out” or is it a bit “curled”?
She carries her tail level with her back. It is not curled at all.
The golden I had that was a real water dog had a tail that she carried aloft. It also had a white tip.
I was just trying to eliminate the carriage of the tail as a factor.
A gay tail is not in the breed standard, I am not sure if the muscles are shortened in a gay tail so one would not see the drop if the tail is injured.
Looking at photos of Am vs UK dogs one usually sees the Am dogs’ tails held out by handlers, the tails are not always held in the UK style dogs.
Tail set & carriage doesn’t seem to be much of a factor, in my experience. Cold water and high activity certainly are.
In the show ring, US handlers often stack their dogs, then hold the dog’s tail to get that “perfect picture.” Sometimes it’s because the dog has an incorrect tail set or carriage, sometimes the handler wants to efficiently present the perfect silhouette to the judge or to get that photo done quickly, without worrying about timing the shutter click at the appropriate arc of the wag. Sometimes, it’s just habit, or the handler is accustomed to handling another breed.
In the UK, most handlers use a loose lead and free stack in the ring.
An interesting feature of dead/limber tail is the recovery. Often the base of the tail starts to recover, and assumes its normal carriage, but the rest of the tail still hangs. As the dog recovers, more and more of the length of the tail resumes its normal position.
That’s what hers is doing.
My black labrador has had this condition for over four weeks now. We’ve had a course of anti-biotics and anti-inflammatories, but so far no change.
Has anyone heard of this going on this long? All the blogs tell of recovery after a few days or a couple of weeks.
This is worrying me. Can anyone help?
Having an x-ray at the vet’s tomorrow.
I’d be really concerned.
It could be nerve or muscle damage.
And maybe a tumor.
It’s a good thing to see a vet about this.