Dog's tail limp after daycare: Broken, sprained, or just anxiety?

You need to limit her movement as much as you can, keep her calm in the house, on her bed if possible, the less she moves the less she will feel the pain. if the tail is limp a fracture is one possibility, she might need an xray to rule it out.

Firstly feel the tail carefully to make sure it is not broken and there are no obvious lacerations or wounds. She may have trapped it in something or simply overused it and hence it could be painful or sprained. She could have been bitten in the tail or have a wound which has got infected, this can damage it. Sometimes dog's tails become fatigued after being in cold water for a long time, it can cause the muscles to seize up. If you find any sign of infection, wounds or possible damage take her to the vet for treatment. Otherwise give her time and it should improve with rest.

A limp, painful tail can happen with a tail sprain or ‘swimmer’s tail’, but can also be a sign of a fracture or neurologic disease. Even though you are far from home it sounds like Wilbur may be in pain, so it would be a good idea to have him examined by an emergency vet near you.

Hello. It's hard to know without seeing the dog but he might have a sprained tail, or "swimmer's tail." This is a common condition in large breed dogs like labs who overexert themselves by running for hours, hunting, or swimming. They overuse the tail and it becomes very swollen at the base, extending 2-5 inches toward the tip. These dogs won't wag or use their tails and are very painful when you touch this area. It usually resolves on its own but I like to prescribe anti-inflammatory pain medication because these dogs are usually really painful. If it isn't much better now, I'd take him to your veterinarian for pain meds!

Sounds like Flynn may have injured his tail and has what we refer to as limber tail. He should improve with time. In cases that are painful, we prescribe anti-inflammatories. In the event he fails to improve in 3 days, follow up with your veterinarian.

Limber tail syndrome, or acute caudal myopathy, is a disorder of the muscles in the tail, usually affecting working dogs. This condition is not a disease, but a symptom of overuse of the muscles of the tail which causes inflammation and pain. However, it has to be differentiated from other causes of pain in the tail, such as a fracture, cancer along the vertebra or spine, neurological disorders, metabolic disorders, intoxication, infection, and other disease. Without examining Cleo myself, I can't say for certain what is causing her pain. I'd recommend taking Cleo into your vet as soon as possible to have her tail examined.

This could indicate a fracture of her tail or dislocation as the tail has joints just like the rest of the body. It could also indicate an anal gland issue or even a problem with the lumbosacral joint. Do not give your dog in a human medication as it could be toxic to dogs. I recommend having your dog seen by her veterinarian or an emergency veterinarian as she may need x-rays to diagnose the problem as well as dog safe medication for pain. keep her quiet and restrict her activity until she can be seen by veterinarian and do not try to manipulate the site at all.