Advice for suspected "Limber tail" or "Swimmers tail" in dogs

As we have just discussed, I suspected that your dog may have a condition called "Limber tail".

The term "Limber tail" is a popular term for a condition known in veterinary medicine as: Acute Caudal Myopathy. The condition is also sometimes referred to as "Swimmers tail", "cold water tail", "limp tail", "broken wag" or "broken tail"

Why does Limber tail occur?:

This disorder is typically caused by strong activation of the tail musculature, which causes a work overload of the muscle groups used to control and move the tail.

Typical situations that often cause this overload are for example:

- Prolonged activity often including swimming.

- Often occurs after activity in cold or hot water or activity in cold or wet weather. Long periods of transport in a confined space can also cause this condition.

Working dogs and active hunting dogs often develop this condition, but it can happen to any breed after this kind of activity.

Typically, your dog will behave fine immediately after being active, but will develop symptoms within 24 hours of the exercise. They often wake up with symptoms the next morning.

What are the symptoms of Limber tail?:

- Your dog may seem uncomfortable and in pain if you palpate the base of the tail.

- Your dog may have difficulty sitting down or passing stools.

- The tail appears limp and hang down from the the base of the tail. Sometimes the first 3-4 inches of the tail is held horizontally but beyond this point the rest of the tail is limp.

- The dog may lick the base of the tail a lot and find it difficult to settle down

Will a dog with Limber tail recover?

Recovery can take from a few days to a couple of weeks. A very few dogs may have a permanently altered tail posture and some will be prone to recurrence.

Treatment:

In cases of Limber tail, your local vet will typically recommend rest and perhaps prescribe anti-inflammatory medication if it is painful.

Prevention:

Try to identify the activity that caused the condition and avoid this activity in the future (for example intense exercise or exercise in cold water) or alternatively try to reduce the intensity of the activity. A gradual increase in activity will also allow the dog to build up fitness gradually and therefore avoid exhaustion of the tail muscles. If caused by swimming, the you can try to prevent future cases by a gradual adaptation to swimming activity (start with small short swimming trips - before day-long activity). And always remember quick drying and the use of a blanket/warm blanket so the risk of hypothermia of this muscle group v tail root is minimised.

Caution:

Other disorders (broken tail bones, hip/ lower back and/or disc disorders, problems with the anal glands, prostate disorders, etc.) can result in some of the above signs and it is therefore a good idea to have your dog examined by your local vet. Your local vet can localise the discomfort and rule out other problems that may be more serious. You are always welcome to contact Agria again for a follow-up call should any doubts or if follow-up problems arise.