By Otto Rodriguez
PetLifePro.com
Being a dog lover for more than 45 years, I thought I’ve had known it all about canines, especially when it came to diseases and ailments.
But a couple of years ago, I took my mixed English Pointer-Lab to a nearby lake on a Winter morning so that he could get in the water and swim for a while. A few hours later my dog was in pain and his tail inflamed.
My first thought was “something he ate”, “an insect sting allergy”…
When I took it the vet, the diagnosis was almost cryptic: “limber tail,” he said.
Limber tail? What’s that,? I replied intrigued.
The “limber tail syndrome”, or acute caudal myopathy, is a disorder of the muscles in the tail, usually affecting working dogs. It affects mostly such breeds as English Pointers, English Setters, Foxhounds, Beagles, and Labrador Retrievers.
Cold water is to blame
Most of the time, Vets say, the condition occurs after swimming in water that is too cold or on rare occasions too warm and it’s caused by the narrowing of the space through which the spinal cord passes, typically due to degenerative change to the intervertebral disk spaces. New research suggests underlying genetic factors may partly explain the condition.
Later in life, the problem gets worse with extreme physical activity or after a trauma. Occasionally other changes are seen prior to or in conjunction with limber tail disease, such as urinary or fecal incontinence, postural abnormalities in the pelvic limb, or pain in response to touching the lower back.
Usually, when the dog is young the pain and inflammation go away in a few days with rest.
Pain relief, such as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine can be administered. Remember to consult with your vet before giving your pet any drug.
