Why does my dog yelp when I touch his tail? Medical or behavioral?

The most common things that could cause this behavior are flea bites around the back or tail, anal sacs that are full and itchy or infected, or a tail injury. You can check for fleas by combing the fur with a fine tooth comb. If you see fleas on the comb then give a bath and apply a flea prevention product. If you see him scooting I recommend your veterinarian express the anal sacs to empty the fluid and see if there is an anal sac infection. You can feel his tail and if there is a tail injury there will be one area that is more sensitive. Usually tail injuries will heal without treatment over a few days. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Savage.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While an anal sac issue is possible, other things like potentially a soft tissue injury to the tail, a fracture of one of the tail bones and even a condition called "lumber tail" appear more likely. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They should be able to localize his pain and proceed with diagnostics if needed as well as prescribing a medication for pain if it seems indicated. Good luck and have a good day!

If this has only been going on for a day or two, 'swimmer's tail' or 'limber tail' is a possibility. This is a swelling of the muscles at the base of the tail that can result in significant pain, and it can seem like the dog is unable to move it's tail. An injury would be less likely with no history of trauma. Spinal/lumbar pain is also possible. Anal gland inflammation could also cause some discomfort although it would be unusual to cause such extreme pain. Unfortunately I think a physical examination by a veterinarian would be necessary to diagnose the problem.

Beagles often have pain from intervertebral disc disease. I recommend a veterinary exam and they will probably prescribe pain medication and perhaps a muscle relaxer also. I treat these dogs with laser and acupuncture. It’s important to prevent jumping and let them rest. This may take a few weeks to resolve. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Pasky.

Lola certainly sounds uncomfortable! Discomfort with movement of the tail can have a variety of causes, including spinal/vertebral pain, anal gland problems (impacted, abscessed, or simply full), urinary tract infections, etc. From your description of yelping and panting, it does sound as though Lola is painful. She should see her vet for an exam. Your vet will be able to perform a rectal exam to check her anal glands, neurologic and orthopedic exam to check her back and tail function, and even a urinalysis to check for signs of infection.

She could have a tail sprain causing discomfort or skin irritation in that area. An anal gland infection would be another possibility. If she is that painful I would recommend seeing your veterinarian for an exam to determine what’s causing the pain.

Unfortunately groomers tend to think they know how to empry anal sacs andd offer that as a service. This is something only to do by a veterinarian who knows how to do this correctly. Groomers teend to squeeze the anal sacs from the outside and often cause bruising and possibly even cause damage. Please take CC to your veterinarian and have the anal sacs checked for bruising, impaction or injury and do tell the vet that she was at the groomers.