Concerns about Lola's tail.....

[Meridith and Lola]

Would love to get some insight as to what has happened with Lola.

Lola has a beautiful teacup tail.  It is in up position 95% of the time but now it is hanging low and lifeless.

The background is I am renting a house by the bay/beach and I've taken Lola swimming once or twice a day for the past few days which she loves.  Basically it is fetching a frisbee which she does with such gusto.

Yesterday I had to leave the house for an hour or so and left Lola there with a friend and her dog (who happens to be Lola's sister).  When I got back to the house, I saw that the pool guy was there and I knew Lola would have freaked - she is a bit protective of the house which when I am alone in it is somewhat comforting.  My friend could not get Lola under control and because he was a big burly guy with a beard carrying lots of pool equipment onto the property she was really freaked and actually nipped the guy (no broken skin but definitely contact)  ( I will of course deal with this).  My friend finally got her into the house and locked her in there.  I got home about 45 minutes after his arrival and Lola was so out of breath and exhausted.  I was very upset when I heard the story.  The other friend that had come back with me who knows Lola really well said Lola must be remorseful because her tail is down - I actually wasn't noticing the tail at that time.

We get her settled down and left her and her sister for a few hours and go to the beach.When I come back that is when I noticed her tail just lying there very limp.  I do some research on the internet and come up with limber tail syndrome which seems to fit her symptoms and can be caused by swimming which uses the tail a lot.  It says give it some rest and it will come back.

This morning I decide to take her to beach for a walk and not the bay for a swim so her tail will rest.  As soon as we get out of the car and onto the beach her tail goes up to her perfect tea cup position.  I feel relieved that she seems to be ok.

We come back to the house and her tail is back in the down position so now I'm not sure if it is physical or mental and what to do to help her.  

She doesn't seem to have any pain when I touch the tail or when she sits on it.  She seems to have  good energy and is basically fine except for the tail.

Any suggestions/insight would be greatly appreciated.

Tail%20down.JPG

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

My Sasha went thru a period of a couple of days where her tail was down as well, it looked just like Lola's picture.  Sasha had not been swimming so I knew it was not from swimming but did read some stuff about "drop tail" and that it can be pretty painful to dogs.  When I touched her tail it did not hurt her or she did not seem to be injured, she ate, played just like she normally does then after a few days her tail was in the up position like it normally is :)    I was worried but then when it came back up I was OK with it.  This happened a couple of months ago and had not happened since.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It does sound like limber tail. It's caused by vigorous exercise, too, not just swimming, and has something of a "Weekend warrior" aspect to it. Dogs who suddenly get a lot more exercise than they have had on a regular basis are more likely to be affected. Recovery can take up to 2 weeks, and even in the best case scenario, would take more than a day. In one-third of the cases, it comes back as soon as the dog engages in vigorous exercise again. I would give it more time and then ease her back into an exercise routine.

I am absolutely sure that this is 100% physical and not "mental", lol.

More info on limber tail:

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/8_1/features/15685-1.html

http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/coldtail.html

[F, Calla & Luca]

Can she wag it? If she can that would be a good sign. Here is an article that gives some more causes.

http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/diseasesconditionsfaqs/f/_limptail.htm

[Meridith and Lola]

Lola is actually not a big tail wagger but she is able to wag it now. It definitely seems like this is the diagnosis but it was just odd to me that when she was at the beach all happy and away from where the "trauma: happened her tail seemed fine.

[F, Calla & Luca]

That is odd : )

[Ginny Nightingale]

Maybe she was SO happy to be on the beach that she overcame her symptoms--and it is possible that she is a bit less comfortable at the house since the incident and is less willing to "push" the tail motion--just a thought!