Dogs affected by limber tail syndrome

-Sasha, a four year old Golden Retriever has spent the day camping with her owner. Since the weather was mild, the owner allowed her to take a pleasant swim in the big park's pond. After a comfy night under the starry sky, Sasha wakes up with a flaccid tail. The owner, concerned she might have broken it, takes her to the veterinarian.

-Miller, a 7 year old English Pointer looked forward for hunting season to start. Finally, he is brought out and is happily chasing pheasant. He does a very good job and the owner is very proud of him. The day after, Miller's tail is oddly displayed. It extends horizontally and then drops deep down totally flaccid. Miller is unable to wag his tail as he usually does that morning. He is brought to the emergency room for a broken tail.

-Sonic is a 5 year old Beagle. After rolling in the mud he is granted a nice warm bath. He is dried with some towels but he is reluctant to stay stil so he reamins a bit humid. The owner thinks it's OK since it is spring and the weather is a bit milder, so she put him in his crate for the night. The following day he is unable to move his tail as usual. Upon palpation, he yowls in pain. The owner also notices that some of his hair at the tail base is raised up. He is brought to his vet, leaving his owner very puzzled.

Upon seeing the vet, Sasha, Miller and Sonic present a painful tail. Each respond to the pain elicited upon palpation. All three are sent for X-rays. The x-rays surprisingly show no fractures in all three cases. There is only some local muscle swelling. Puzzled, one vet decides to have some lab work done. In the meanwhile, the other two are sent home with pain medications.

When the lab work returns the results, an elevated muscle enzyme is shown. To be specific the lab work shows an increased level of a particular muscle enzyme called "creatine kinase" often abrevaited as "CK". This particular enzyme is associated with muscle damage. He calls the owner and tells him to pick up some anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve the pain.

All three dogs were exhibiting the typically odd symptoms of a condition known as "Limber tail". Also know as "cold water tail", "limp tail" or "broken wag", this conditions seems to most likely prefer dogs of a particular breed. Common breeds affected by this condition are:

Labradors

Golden Retrievers

Flat coat Retrievers

English Setters

English Pointers

Beagles

Foxhounds

The most common symptoms are as follows:

Limp tail

No wagging

Tail that extends horizontally for 3-4 inches and then suddenly drops flaccidly

Hair standing up at base of tail

Pain upon palpation

Local swelling

Causes are yet to be really understood, but they mostly follow a pattern. Most common causes seem to be:

Overexertion

Climate changes

Being crated for a long time

Inappropriate crate size

Exposure to cold weather

Warm or cold bath

Swimming

Overuse of tail

Excessive exercise without proper physical conditioning

Sporting dogs are particularly prone to this condition. It is vital that if you own a hunting dog or a sporting dog that you gradually introduce your dog to exercise. Sudden bouts of prolonged exercise especially after long periods of rest are potential triggers. Avoid crating your dog too long and ensure the crate is large enough to allow your dog to stretch and turn around. Avoid your dog's exposure to cold drafts especially if your dog is wet and do not allow contact with wet bedding.

Most owners are concerned upon settlement of symptoms. They cannot recall their dogs having any recent injuries. Once brought to the vet's attention, many veterinarians are not aware of this pretty rare condition (yet common among hunting/sporting dogs) and may submit various diagnostic tests.

Treatment luckily is pretty straight forward and will consist of:

Warm packs at the base of the tail

Anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID's)

Rest

Most cases resolve pretty quickly. More often than not the pain seems to subside within 24 to 48 hours. Complete recovery is mostly seen within a couple of weeks. In some very rare cases the tail may never return to its normal position but again this is pretty unusual. Do not be alarmed if at a certain point during recovery the tail may seem to be kept a little to the side. This should resolve shortly.

Whether you call it limber tail, cold water tail, frozen tail or simply broken wag, rest assured that your dog's tail will very likely go back to normal and you will get to enjoy your dog's tail wagging once again and in no time!