Why is my senior dog's tail swollen at the base but not hurting?

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Sometimes if dogs get a bit more fat on them they can have a thickening near the top of the tail that looks like a swelling but is just fat. If it is not red, hot to touch, or painful, then I would monitor it. If it is growing then have it seen by a vet. It sounds like it is likely just normal anatomy though. You can always post your question again with pictures. Best of luck with Leila!

I would recommend that you have your dog evaluated by a veterinarian. Possible causes of wounds in the area that you mentioned can be caused by anal gland infection or abscess, perianal fistula, or wounds caused by excessive scooting - which can be caused by intestinal parasites or allergies (fleas, food, environmental, etc). Until you can have your dog evaluated by a vet, it may need to wear an e-collar or cone to prevent licking these areas. Licking will spread bacteria and delay healing.

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!

Bailey needs to see a veterinarian to have his tail evaluated. If he is that painful he may need to be sedated. The Veterinarian would be able to examine his tail and determine what is going on. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Difficulty walking is a situation that always warrants a visit to your veterinarian. We could have a musculoskeletal injury or a neurological issue, such as a herniated/slipped disk in the spine compressing the spinal cord. Your vet can do an examination to see if there are neurological deficits and may also recommend an x-ray to help determine the cause of the trouble walking, and if it is related to the swelling of the tail. Limber tail doesn't normally cause a swelling of the tail, but can cause the tail to be carried strangles, where it will stick out for an inch or two and then hang down limply. If the tail is truly swollen I would be more worried about an injury and x-ray may be needed.

The bump could be caused by an infection, allergic reaction, cyst, benign or cancerous mass. The only way to know for sure is to have your vet do a fine needle aspirate. It is a very easy proceedure that takes just a few minutes. Once it is diagnose, your vet can decide the best treatment. Please call your vet and schedule an appointment, especially since it seems to be bothering her.

Sometimes dogs can get what we refer to as 'happy tail'. This is where they wag their tail so much that they hit it on walls and furniture and it causes an injury. This looks like what may be going on with your dog. Although Diesel's looks pretty painful and like it may be infected. You could try using a topical antibiotic, like neosporin, and see if that helps. If there is no change I would recommend you take Diesel to the vet because he may need an oral antibiotic and the vet may choose to wrap the tail to keep it protected.