Broken Tail?

Washington Hunter · 11-30-2003, 02:49 PM

This weekend I took my Labrador out hunting for the very first time. We were out for 3 days hunting all day each day. We got home last night and Poacher (Our Lab) was running around the living room and he was holding his tail at a rather odd angle. The base of the tail was being held up (Maybe 3" ) but the reast was drooping down. My father and I both can' t remember the last time during the trip when he had held his tail straight up like he usually does. He won' t let me touch it to try and see if something is wrong...

To my question(s) -

Could his tail be broken?

If it is, how serious is our situation?

What can I do to figure out whether it is or is not broken?

bobcat 10 · 11-30-2003, 03:34 PM

only way to find out is take him to a vet. i say it may be a fracture in one spot or it may be broke,hard to say without me seeing the dog.

go deep hunt hard.

Tree climber · 11-30-2003, 04:58 PM

take the dog to the Vet !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..don' t take chances.

charlie brown · 11-30-2003, 06:07 PM

Not much to do but take the dog to the vet. We had a beagle that had a broken tail. Not much to do here but they gave the dog steroids, and a few days later the dog was fine, I can' t remember if the tail straightened out over time or not though.

Washington Hunter · 11-30-2003, 10:33 PM

lol Thanks for the help guys, but no vet needed!

I posted the same questions in another Froum and was told that this is a common problem called " Limp Tail." It' s mainly just sore muscles and should go away in 2 - 5 days depending... Buffered Asprin can be used if the dog seems to be in pain, but it HAS to be buffered.

wvvet · 12-01-2003, 07:17 AM

Sounds like your getting good advice. Take him to your vet and have it looked at. If it is broken, it can be set and a brace applied. Fractures of the tail will usually heal on their own, but unfortunately you often end up with a kinked tail. Good luck

ps I got a chuckle out of your dog' s name.