Dogs affected by limber tail syndrome
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Dog with a limp tail? Consider limber tail syndrome
Not may dog owners are aware of the fact that dogs may develop tail problems, until one day the tail becomes limp, lifeless and flaccid as in limber tail syndrome.If you never heard about this term before, don't be surprised; many people are not aware of it and even some vets are not very familiar with it as it is not very common. Common scenarios that may bring a bout of limber tail syndrome are as follows:
- You bring your dog camping with you and decide to allow your dog a pleasant swim in a nice pond. After sleepy under the big starry sky, your dog awakens with a lifeless, flaccid tail.
- You take your dog hunting with you and after chasing pheasant for several hours, your dog displays his tail horizontally and drops down totally flaccid. Concerned your dog somehow broke his tail since he is no longer able to wag it normally, you take him to the vet.
- Your dog rolls in the mud on a pleasant outing in the woods and once home you give him a nice bath. You dry your dog with a few towels and put him in the crate for the night. The next morning, your dog's yowls in pain upon hitting his tail against the chair. You notice your dog cannot move the tail as usual
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Breeds Predisposed to Limber Tail Syndrome
Also know as "cold water tail", "limp tail" or "broken wag", this conditions seems to most likely prefer dogs of a particular breed. However, virtually any dog can be affected. Common breeds affected by this condition are:
- Labradors and Golden Retrievers
- Flat coat Retrievers
- English Setters
- English Pointers
- Beagles
- Foxhounds
Causes of Limber Tail Syndrome
Causes are yet to be really understood, but they mostly follow a pattern. Most common causes seem to be caused by the following:
- 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.
Symptoms of Limber Tail Syndrome in Dogs
Most owners are concerned upon settlement of symptoms. They are often worried because they cannot recall their dogs having any recent injuries. The most common symptoms of limber tail syndrome are quite obvious to the eye. Affected dogs will display the following symptoms:
- 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
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Diagnosis and Treatment of Limber Tail Syndrome
Limber tail is usually confirmed by physical examination. Upon visiting the dog, most normally exhibit a painful tail upon palpation. Veterinarians may therefore order x-rays to rule out any fractures. If blood work is done, the results show an increased level of a particular muscle enzyme called "creatine kinase" often abrevaited as "CK". This particular enzyme is associated with muscle damage.
Treatment for Limber Tail Syndrome
Treatment luckily is pretty straight forward and when diagnosed correctly will often consist of the following:
- Warm packs at the base of the tail
- Anti-inflammatory drugs recommended by vets (NSAID's). Please keep in mind that many over the counter anti-inflammatory drugs for humans can be potentially toxic and fatal.
- 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 lively once again and in no time!
Read here for a vet's advise and treatment option on a case of potential limber tail syndrome : Dog With Limber Tail
Other possible causes for what appears to be a painful tail
Not all tails carried low or held in an abnormal position are always due to limber tail. If your dog did not do anything that could have caused limber tail or if the problem appears to be elsewhere, consider the following possibilities:
- The tail got injured after being caught in a door or being stepped over
- A problem in the anal glands(impacted or infected) may cause a dog to carry its tail in an unusual manner
- A dog generally not feeling well or anxious may keep the tail low between its legs
- Back problems or any spinal injury can cause a tail carried low.
Disclaimer: This article is not to be used as a substitute for veterinary advice nor a diagnostic tool. Please see your vet for a hands on assessment and proper diagnosis. By reading this article, you accept this disclaimer.
© Alexadry all rights reserved
A video of a dog affected by limber tail syndrome
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Good to know. Thanks so much!
thanks a million i was so worried about my little sophie
very interesting hub :D so glad I read it!
Does anyone know if faecal and urinary incontinence can be a result of limp tail symdrome? My Boxer appears to have had limp tail syndrome in the past after swimming. This time she did not swim much, but stood in the cold water for several minutes watching my son surf. This time, not only is her tail limp (5 days so far), but she has also become incontinent and she is only 3 years old! I just hope she recovers fully, and of course now wish I could turn back time and not allow her to stand in cold sea water.
Don't know if this helps at all. I'm not trained medically to comment, but our dog kept her tail tucked in and we realized her anal sacs needed to be treated by a vet to remove matter that naturally collects there. A few minutes with the vet solved our dog's 'limp tail' -- but I don't know if that's at all the same as what you're describing.
Thanks for your comments, iwasthinking.I'll check the anal sacs possibility with our vet. My dog's tail is still limp, but she is much happier within herself.
thankyou i never new this my dog is better now
i loved my dog until it died of limp tail it was a lab
i love u harley
my dog died of it to i miss my dog
Was searching for "Dogs affected by limber tail syndrome
", saw your Dogs affected by limber tail syndrome
in hubpage. Great info on dogs and their problems
thank you
DIED? from limber tail syndrome?
Are you sure it was the same syndrome? What exactly caused the deaths?
The only time I have heard of anything like this is a dog who BROKE his tail and ended up with a bone infection and died from the infection.
My adopted dog is I believe a terrier mix but she looks just like an Icelandic sheepdog.
I woke up this morning to find my girls tail looking as if she had been biting it all night long and yelping if I dared touch it at the base. The night before she was fine.
She has all the symptoms that are on this site. I am watching her carefully, hoping she has a speedy recovery. So glad I found this site!
ty so much for this site being here. my year and a half puppy Bazil was part beagle spent the day at my bf moms house playing in the pool with the kids and later that night i noticed his tail limp. i thought he'd broken it somehow, maybe someone closed the door on it or one of the kids might of pulled it but they reassured me nothing like that had happened and then i found this site and it all fit. i kept putting heating packs on his tail and had him rest and now its better. wagging and happy like he usually is
there are several reasons for a tail to look weird or being held in a strange way. symptoms should be watched carefully and if there's not an absolute clear reason why the dog could suffer of a "COLD TAIL SYNDROME" (like over exercising, cold water etc.) an anal sack infection, sliped discs, fracture of tail, nerve inflamation or muscular disease could be the reasons - in order to avoid chronic health problems it is advised not to wait for too long to consult an experienced vet in order to save a couple of $$$. besides that, homephatic globules of arnica act anti inflamatory and are always worth a try...
i have a 2 year old lab and he has woken up with this problem ! All systems are as you have said but worried now as a few people said that there poor dogs died of this ????? should i take him to the vets or see how he goes ....
I think seeing the vet is always the best option, at times this condition is painful and pain meds may be necessary. I have never heard death due to this condition,all I can think of are cases of ''death of the tissue and nerve damage'' as a complication or some other condition that may have mimicked limber tail but was something much worse..
This page saved me!! I am so guilty of taking my dog to the vet for everything and leaving with an "it'll heal on it's own" and a large bill. So when my dogs tail went limp, but everything else about him was fine I decided to google instead of rushing to the vet.This page describes my lab, and her issue, to a T and after a few days of letting it rest, he's already doing better,
Thank you!!!
omg these symptoms describe my Angus to a T I had a party at my house Sunday Angus was outside pretty much for 4 hrs straight playing with the kids, chasing the quad along the fence. Then yesterday woke up with a limp tail(which I didn't realize till lastnight), hard time sitting, didn't want me to touch his tail at all even yiped when I touched it. So glad I researched this, gonna try the heat packs tonight and try to keep him calm (that'll be a chore) he loves to play!!! Gonna keep my eye on it!!!
I came home from work last night to discover my poor pups tail looked like a noodle hanging off of her. Her tail normally stands strait up and she is constantly wagging it... :( You could tell she was trying to wag her tail last night, but not being very successful at it. I almost took her to the vet but found an article on Limber tail syndrom. It said an anti flammatory is usually helpful so I gave her a small dose of rimadyl and her tail is standing this morning and she is getting better at wagging it.... Thank goodness I found the article. The technician I spoke with was clueless as to what could be wrong with my baby girl.
Thank god for google, I would've wasted money taking my dog into the vet. I called 3 vet offices and no one had ever heard of it. Took her out hunting and it was 10 degrees out and I'm sure the swims in the river didn't help her cause! It's pretty hilarious having a retriever that is constantly wagging her tail and then it is just limp...she looks pretty pathetic without her weapon tail!
Thanks so much for this article. My dogs are like my children so I was super nervous when my dogs tail went limp within the hour. There was no excessive play, jumping or falling off anything so I was clueless. Just gave her a warm bath yesterday and of course she had to potty when she wasn't completely dry and its freezing! I am probably the reason this happened!! :*-(
This is the second time I have had a "limp tail." The first was after lake swimming and a year later after an outdoor bath in 50-degree weather. I am a 3-year-old lab and fairly active on a daily basis. Since this has happened twice and my breed is prone to this probem, what can I do to prevent reoccurance? Any suggestions?
I really feel for you.. being a lab you really must love swimming and how to resist jumping into a tempting lake? What can I say.. don't over do it.. if you have not been out for some time try to not over-exert yourself.. tell your owner to gradually work you and condition your body gradually before going on an outing...
Also tell your owner to very thoroughly dry the base of your tail AND the entire croup and upper thighs area after getting wet.This should help; You should also not be crated after getting wet. Best wishes and have fun!
Reference link:
This blog was very helpful. After returning home from an eight day trip and having a friend pick my dog up from the kennel prior to getting home I found my dogs tail looking funny. He is a pit mix (thinking with lab). He is a big, big tail wagger when excited. He greeted me with his tail sticking out about 3 inches and then hanging down. It seem a little swollen at the 3". The description of limber tail fit his symptoms. I think he over used it at the kennel with all the excitement of the other dogs or when my friend picked him up. I waited a week and sure enough it healed and curves back up again.
my dog rezzy an american Staffordshire aka (Pitt bull) just got limp tail for the second time in his life the first time was when we went hiking near the river and him being "aqua dog" couldn't resist diving in. it was chilly so i immediately i took him back to the car and dried him off... despite the effort he still got limp tail within a few hours. it scared the crap out of me. i googled it immediately and called a vet to double check. tonight in the middled of winer we visited a friend and rezzy played with his rotty friend for hours we brought them in every so often but they started to play in the house so we let them out again and now my poor rezzy is whining in pain with his tail clamped tight to his body. like before i felt around for anything that might be broken and found nothing. so from two times experience i can say a warm pack helps if you can keep you dog relaxed and laying down. with the pain lots of recoup time ( limit running, jumping and excessive playing) that does not mean you have to crate your dog up till it heals just try to get them to rest more. some anti inflammatory meds help a great deal if its painful for your dog. the first time his limp tail lasted for 3 days im hoping we will be as lucky this time too. im told it can last over 2 weeks. though google is great for getting info please for your dogs safety always atleast call and check with a vet to be sure your doing the right thing for your pet.
My basset hound, Twix, has had limber tail twice - both times while swimming, and both times after a day of lots of activity. Each time, it has first presented with a crooked tail where her tail goes sideways in the middle a bit (like a crimp) and then an hour or so later, it goes completely limp. Last time, it only took 2 or 3 days for it to heal. We're on day 3 this time and have seen little improvement, so I'm guessing we still have a few more days of a pathetic little pup on our hands.
Interesting, I had no idea this even existed. I love learning new things everyday. And being a big breed dog lover, I will now have this information just incase. Thanks...Useful
Thank You Soooo Much. I was so worried!!!
Interesting...Phoenix's tail went limp after a hot day hiking to the lake. Heat, more than usual excerise, water-although he is beagle/lab, he refuses to swim but will get in the water up to his belly. This has happened before, but I can't remember the cercumstances. He's feeling better now, glad it's nothing to serious.
Thank you sooooo much for taking the time to write this very useful article, I'm getting him a hot pack right now :)
Dogs do not die of limber tail ignore those two people who posted that....sadistic people who I'm sure do not and have not ever had a pet. Sheesh!
My Mom's had dog had it a couple years ago after a bath. You'd have thought the dog was dying the way Mom was acting when Missy "cried" trying to wag her tail. Cleared on up it's own after couple of days.
thank you for this website. this was very helpful and reassuring. my owners want my beautiful Golden Retriever tail back. I can't wait to knock drinks off the table again!
I washed my dog after a really big run. She swam in ditch water and smelled. I washed her and she got limp tail.
It looks a little better today she is lifting it up some.
But my vet recommended pure canned pumpkin to add fiber in her diet. Not the pumpkin pis mix but the 100% pure pumpkin. She does like it...
my jack russell tail just flopped last night,wont let anyone touch him,hes 8 yrs old,hasnt had bath or been swimming but my 13 year old son got back the night before after being away for a week,dogs tail wagged alot before this happened
Great information..
Took roxy, my 10month old lab tho the beach today, after a good swim, she seemed fine, but then started crying, and whimpering, I noticed the absence of tail movement, I'm sure she has limber tail..the water was cold, and I did let her over do it a bit.feeling a bit guilty now.
Thanks for the helpful information..was starting to worrie.
This site saved us a visit to the vet and a lot of money. After our beagle mix had a bath, her tail did this exactly to the "t". With a few days rest and some baby aspirin, she healed with 72 hours. Thanks!
my lab went swimming in the sea yesturday and mad run along the beach for an hour, last nite he was whining on the sofa and his tail is limp he keeps licking near his bottom, he doesnt seem to mind me toching him and hes stopped whining, hes full of spring and as lively as ever except his tail is hanging down, im guessing this is limp tail??? my vets charge 40 pounds just to see him before he has any treatment, he seems fine hes eating and drinking and playing just with a limp tail will this right itself?? id hate to think im ignoring a severe problem
If you are concerned see your vet, but from your description it does sounds like limber tail syndrome. Of course, there is no way to tell for sure without having him seen, so only assumptions can be made, best wishes!
There is a lot of relief that comes after reading this article.I'm not sure if read this correctly but could an outdoor bath be the reason for this? Jude got a bath in 65 degrees weather and I didn't do the best job drying him out. I can't think of anything else different and I believe this is the only thing out of his routine. Did I read these factors could also trigger limber tail syndrome?
Gave Blaze a cold water bath. Poor chap was shiverring and even cried out once, which was strange because he's nuts about water. By the evening he had all the symptoms described above. How to keep him from wagging that tail is going to be the big challenge.
Yes, a cold bath may cause this, if he was OK prior to that and that same evening he got a limp tail that is the most likely cause. I have seen friends dogs get it from giving their dogs a bath and putting them in their crate only to open the cage hours later with their dog with a limp tail.
Is he still wagging it? Many dogs keep the painful limp tail between their legs, sounds like you have a tough guy that cannot keep his happiness at bay!
Yes, I took him to the vet. She gave Blaze an anti-inflatory shot and another of nuerobeon. She also bandaged it, as the pain seems to be at a spot 3 to 4 inches from the base. He is still uncomfortable but getting used to a 'stiff and lean tail.
BTW, the vet advised against fermentation. I have my finger's crossed. He's sleeping like a baby next to my feet. Bandaging has helped.
Marginal improvement. Trouble is his insane fondness for people. Despite the pain, he still wags it, then contorts to look at it up close! I always thought tail wagging was a uncontrolled reaction.
Anyway, Alexadry, your hub sure calmed us all. Even the vet had limited experience of this condition. I'm hoping he has a fairly calm night. Thanks.
Keeping fingers crossed for a speedy recovery, best wishes and thank for the update!
48 hours after the first signs followed by acute discomfort, Blaze is almost 80 per cent back to normal! I'm keeping him on an oral anti-inflamatory syrup and will keep the neurobeon going for a week perhaps.
Thanks ever so much.
Happy to hear he is doing much better! Just a side note for others reading- and I know most likely the one you are giving is by prescription-: over the counter anti-inflammatory drugs such as Tylenol and Ibuprofen are dangerous to dogs, only aspirin is "safe" in dogs when given in the right dosage and short-term.
The anti-inflamatory is an oral veterinary suspension which according to our vet is fairly mild. Today he gets the last dose of 3.5 ml. In India it goes by the name of Melonex.
Blaze's tail is more or less back to being a straight line. If it's still a bit sore, he certainly isn't showing any signs of discomfort.
Good to hear Blaze is feeling better! Best wishes and kind regards.
Hi Alexadry,
Blaze's brother (same litter) is with my father. This morning his back legs seem to have folded up and he's toppling over. Pasha and Blaze will be 3 yrs old in April.My dad is in another town so I haven't seen Pasha yet. My vet says its possible that what happened to Blaze's tail nerves is what is happening to Pasha,s legs. We're just moving from the cold towards a moderate climate in India. How common is a thing like this? Besides anti-inflamatory and neorobeon for the nerves, what else should we do? Thanks
What was the vet's diagnosis? Limber tail mostly affects primarily the tail, what you describe sounds more like something affecting the nervous system.
The vet my dad went to also said much the same thing and is following a similar line of treatment which was adopted for Blaze's limber tail. Vets in India feel that most highly pedigreed dogs are developing all sorts of previously unheard of problems owing to inbreeding. This may be a universal issue, but even our Army dogs (mostly labs) are more fragile than before. Anyway, Pasha seems to be a bit better - my dad took him for a short walk in the evening.
Great to hear, thanks for the update, if it was limber tail it should get better in a few days. I agree, over breeding is making dogs weaker and weaker, sometimes I think all purebred dogs should be put on an island where they will breed and finally yield a very strong and healthy dog, natural selection is much better than human selection! best wishes!
Alexandry, I am so thankful for your hub. My son gave our 3yo Black Lab, Emma Grace, a bath outside a couple of days ago after she had been playing outside, running and fetching for approx. an hour. The temp. was in the low 50 degree range,so it wasn't extremely cold. However, the water from the faucet was much colder than what Emma is used to with inside baths. We did not notice her tail drooping until the next morning. When talking with my son about it, he did admit that he did not dry her off immediately after bathing, and they remained outside for a short time after the bath. He did not towel dry her once inside, because she was no longer dripping wet. He also admitted that during the bath she had tried to run away and he grabbed her by the tail to keep her from running away. I told him NEVER to hold or pull her by the tail again,and I pray that his restraining her by her tail, even so briefly, did not do irreverable nerve damage. I thoroughly examined her tail, and it does not appear to be broken, and suprisingly she does not appear to be in any pain. She does not whine or show any indication that it hurts with palpitation or moving, and if it is swollen, it is a very little bit. It is hanging as you described, standing straight out for approx. 3" past the root and then hanging flaccidly. She can wag, but not as vigorously as before. She is a very happy energetic lab with a long curled-up tail that is generally rapidly wagging most of the time. Friends and family joke about how she hits her strong tail against everything near, when she's excited...hitting against our legs feels like your getting a beating with a whip. I sure hope to see that beautiful tail curled up and wagging again very soon. It's so much a part of her happy personality. It's only been a couple of days, but it makes me sad to think about it not getting better. I am restricting her to brief outside potty breaks, keeeping her resting and warm, and giving Rimadyl twice a day, starting this morning, after reading the posting on your hub from fellow dog owners. Hopefully, this has saved us a visit to the vet, as I have spent thousands on her with bilateral ACL repairs in hind legs last year. Again thanks so much for the info. and I'll keep you informed of her progress. Good Luck to everyone else experiencing this unfortunate syndrome. Best Wishes!!
Happy to hear the hub was helpful to, yes, let me know if the limber tail gets better, best wishes!
Just the information I was looking for:) My shitzsu just stopped wagging her tail a couple of days ago. She does not have any pain , her tail just hangs there. Hopefully it will return to normal
Well, hang in there! no pun intended! If it doesn't get better though have her see the vet, best wishes for a speedy recovery!
I'm happy I found this website..I was very worried about my 8 year old chocolate lab. He woke up this morning not himself at all..Was very slow and lethargic, not interested in a morning walk and when I gave him a pat on the behind, he yelped. He went swimming twice this past weekend. I'm hoping he is feeling a bit better tomorrow morning :)
I hope so, if it is this condition is gets better in a few days, best wishes!
My dog has this problem today and has had it before She went swimming yesterday for a long time, diving into the pool for a tennis ball over and over. I've tried to explain to my husband when she needs to be cut off despite the intense amount of energy she still has for it after an hour or 2. She doesn't know what's best for her, but i do. It's happened before. The following day after swimming her tail that is almost always all the way up is down and looks different. The thing most bothersome is she can't quite sit right or get comfortable. Laying one way and constantly changing positions. I believe last time it lasted for about a day so i'm really hoping she's feeling her normal self by tomorrow. I have given her half and ibuprofen early this morning and again late afternoon. I can't tell if it helps her or not pain wise but i hope it's atleast beneficial for the anti-flamatory. After reading some things it seems to be somewhat common after swimming which is a relief that we can for sure know it's due to that. I will just have to be much more strict from now on about how long she plays for and taking it easy with her. Thank you to everyone for sharing their stories. My advice is among others with just trying to keep them rested if it does not seem incredibly severe you may save a trip to the vet's office. If it is severe or it lasts longer than 24-48 hrs than they should see the vet.
Eternal Evolution 3 years ago
Interesting, never knew about this problem.