poorfarm Posted September 8, 2005 Report Share Posted September 8, 2005 Today I brought home from the Humane Society, a 1 to 2 yr. old smooth B/C... she is skin and bones, has kennel cough and not very healthy... My intentions as always to get her ready for adoption into a new home..but.... she is carrying her tail down, does not lift it to deficate, but will wag it a little.. it just kinda bounces along with her... seems like she has some control but not on the top part of it... Is this Cold Tail?? Do they have to be in cold water to get it?? I have been around dogs all my life, and a retired vet tech and would you believe, I have never seen a diagnosed case of cold tail... She was in with a Pit bull and a boxer, so may be injury, although not sore at all.. Thanks in advance for any help... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitch Posted September 9, 2005 Report Share Posted September 9, 2005 I would definitely have a vet check her out and get an xray. Keep us posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Nichols Posted September 9, 2005 Report Share Posted September 9, 2005 Here's an article about cold tail: http://working-retriever.com/library/cwtail.html But since you don't know anything about the history of the dog (like whether they were fine before), I'd definitely take the dog to the vet. Dana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rave Posted September 9, 2005 Report Share Posted September 9, 2005 Since I doubt the dog went swimming at the shelter, it sounds like something else a vet should be checking out. Cold Tail doesn't last but a day or two (yes, my BC has had it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvw Posted September 9, 2005 Report Share Posted September 9, 2005 My BC had "cold tail". He had NOT been swimming. His tail was just like it was dead. Flopped around behind him pathetically. It healed very slowly from the top down. I think it was 2 1/2 months before I saw him curl it up over his back again when he peed. It didn't seem to bother him other than the very first week when it happened and he seemed painful. My vet said she could prescribe steroids for him. I declined. Jennifer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rave Posted September 9, 2005 Report Share Posted September 9, 2005 2.5 months? You sure it was cold tail then? Doesn't sound like it. I'm sure there are other afflictions that would produce a painful tail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poorfarm Posted September 9, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2005 Someone on the Yahoo BC List sent me a web site for Labs, who get cold tail frequently.. It said it can last from a couple of days to weeks depending on severity.. and steroids and rest were the only known treatment... Not much is known about the infliction at all.. and I guess it can come from stress, over exhertion and almost anything... If it is an injury, it is nerve, because it dosn't hurt her at all... The shelter kept the runs sopping wet, because of no A/C, so the dogs would stay cool... She does seem a tiny bit better today, can wag, but cannot get her tail up yet.. Does that sound like your dog Jennifer?? Taking her to the vet today, but as she said, I knew more about Cold Tail then she did, as she never saw it either.. Alas, that is why we want to hear from people with experience... Thanks to you all so far, and hope I get more opinions.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvw Posted September 9, 2005 Report Share Posted September 9, 2005 At first Seamus could not lift his tail at all. After a couple days he could lift it at the base just enough to poop. Every couple days he could lift it a little more, like it was healing vertabrae by vertabrea. Yes, he could wag it since he had control at the base. We continued to train and run Seamus in trials through all of this because he didn't seem to care. Perhaps that is why it took so long to fully heal. And probably it would have healed faster with steroids. I just try to avoid them. Jennifer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Nichols Posted September 9, 2005 Report Share Posted September 9, 2005 My labs have gotten it a couple of times. I usually know at least one friend that this happens to each season. Both times one of my dogs had it was after swimming (and I think it was early in the year when it was cold). But most lab people believe it is more likely some form of bacterial infection that doesn't necessarily have to come from swimming. It's rather scary, but with my dogs it cleared up within a couple of days. I did not treat them with anything, nor did I even take them to the vet. I did give them some time off training just to make sure they didn't injure themselves. I was worried that if they couldn't move it, then it would be easier for them to accidentally injure it. If you've taken the dog to the vet & she hasn't found anything, it might end up being that. If it hasn't cleared up within a week, I'd probably suggest talking to your vet again to see about getting radiographs to make sure she doesn't have a broken or malformed vertebrae or spondilosis or something similar. Did the shelter people say her tail was normal when she first came in? If so, that would be more promising. Best of luck! Dana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poorfarm Posted September 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Hi Dana, no actually the shelter people didn't pay attention to her tail...and I volunteer there 3 days a week and I didn't notice either.... She wasn't the happiest camper there, so didn't give the tail much thought til after I got her home.. Now, she is the happiest sweetest thing, that kinda wags all the time... I swear I think I saw her move that tailhead just a little this morning and extended it some when defecating, but that might be my want to's too... She does seem to wag more, and like I say, no sorness, no bumps.. Vet says wait and see or steroids, but don't want to put her on those just yet...She has a lot of eye and wants in with the sheep something fierce, so I think she will make a great dog, if she just comes out of this and the kennel cough OK.. I believe there must have been a litter of these smooths in town, cause this is the 3rd one we have had, all identical... 2 males and now this bitch....The boys, unfortunately are in heaven herding stock, and I grabbed this one... The shelter puts down anything with kennel cough and I understand that when you are dealing with 100 dogs... Will keep ya all informed.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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