My dog's tail is swollen and painful. What can I do tonight?

Poor Sunni! She sounds painful! She really needs to see a vet to get the appropriate nsaid pain medication for her size. She may have a sprained tail if it is sore and swollen just at the base of the tail, maybe 2-5 inches from the anus. This is common in large-breed dogs who have a big day of running or swimming (common in hunting labs) and then can't wag or lift their tail the next day. It is usually self-limiting, but extremely painful. Sunni needs some Rimadyl, Deramaxx, Metacam, or other dog-specific anti-inflammatory pain medication as this will make her feel much better much more quickly than time alone. Other pain medications like aspirin can have bad side-effects like stomach ulcers or GI bleeding, and would not recommend these. Maybe your vet has some donated medication or other options if you can scrape together the exam fee and explain your situation. Best of luck!

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.

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.

Poor Millie! The fact that the tail is swollen and that Millie is acting protective of it likely indicates pain, so I recommend making an appointment to have her seen by your vet as soon as you can, as you are correct that there are lots of important nerves in the area. Pain medication meant for people can be toxic to dogs and should not be used without checking with a vet first. If she is licking at the area, I recommend you put an e-collar (cone) on Millie to help reduce the risk of infection.

It looks like Bella likely either has an infection on her tail or may have possibly injured/broken a bone. Both conditions can cause swelling and pain. First make sure you protect the tail by having Bella wear an elizabethan collar. The more she chews on it, the worse she makes it. Secondly, call her doctor and get her in asap for an exam and appropriate medication as it likely hurts. If she will allow you to apply cool compresses, that can help with the swelling and the pain. You can wet a rag and put it in the refrigerator (NOT the freezer) for 5 minutes then apply it to the area. If she does not tolerate it, allow the rag to warm up a little (too cold might be uncomfortable as well). Hope she starts feeling better!

Poor Nala! I would look into "Snout Soother" for her paws or something similar to help soften her paw pads. Since she is in so much pain, I would have your vet take a look at her. She is likely going to need a pain medicine with an anti-inflammatory in it to make her comfortable. Your vet will also be able to make sure her paw pads aren't infected or have something more serious going on like an auto-immune disorder. I would not give her any human pain meds as most are toxic to dogs. I would also start her on a joint supplement like dasuquin or flexadin to help lubricate her joints. I hope this helps!

That is good that it does not appear painful. Swelling at the base of the tail can be related to a tumor, a fat pad or less commonly- cellulitis due to infection or congestion of the blood vessels. To know for sure, you would need to see a veterinarian so they can palpate the area. They may recommend to collect a small sample of cells to look at under the microscope to get a better diagnosis. I hope this helps to point you in the right direction. Please feel free to post any additional questions!