Your dog has just come home from the BEST DAY EVER, and a few hours later you notice that he can’t wag his tail. Maybe you’ve also seen him whimper when trying to sit down, or just can’t seem to posture correctly to go potty. All of these things are symptoms of “Happy Tail.”
What is Happy Tail? I diagnose this all the time in dogs, and it is a common reason for dog owners to schedule an appointment. First, I always ask the important questions regarding if there was a possible bite wound to the tail, could the tail have gotten stuck under a chair or in a door, etc. If the answer is no to the “trauma-type” questions, then I ask if the dog was out having “too much fun.” The answer to that question is often “yes.”
Let’s step back and discuss anatomy for a minute. After the dog’s tail leaves the pelvic area, all that is there are some tiny vertebrae going down the tail, a lot of surrounding musculature, and the skin. While I have seen broken vertebrae in the tail, that is often due to trauma. Muscle tissue makes up the bulk of the “substance” of the tail.
So, now when we think about all the fun your dog just had at the dog park, or swimming for hours in the lake, or playing fetch in the backyard with the kids, it’s easy to see how they might “over do it” with their tail muscles. In the water, the tail acts like a rudder. Playing at the park, the tail shows how much fun they are having. In the backyard that tail wags and wags and wags so the ball is thrown repeatedly for them. Their tail is no different than our bicep muscle. If we suddenly hit the gym and work one muscle group repeatedly, a few hours or the next day, it will be VERY sore.
Next, what does this look like. Take a look at the first picture below of a normal tail. See how it sticks out straight behind the dog?
Now, take a look at this dog with “Happy Tail.” See how there is a slight hump near the top of the tail, but then the rest of it just hangs limp? This is the classic appearance of the tail when the dog is brought in to see me. Sometimes the dog won’t be painful on physical exam, but other times just a slight movement of the tail in various directions will cause them to yelp.
Okay, what should we do? First, even though we think this is what is happening, you should always schedule that exam with your Veterinarian to make sure nothing more serious is going on. If “Happy Tail” is diagnosed by your Veterinarian, you may be given a couple options. The first would be to just monitor for a couple days until the swelling goes down and the pain subsides. However, your Veterinarian may also prescribe a pain medication that is safe for your dog to take to help them wag their tail again faster, go to the bathroom more easily (since lifting the tail is an integral part of pooping!), and sleep better at night for a few days until your dog feels better. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do not give any human pain medications to your dog. Ibuprofen and Tylenol can cause liver and kidney failure. Your Veterinarian has safe options for your dog, and went to school for many many years to learn the proper dosages.
What is Happy Tail? I diagnose this all the time in dogs, and it is a common reason for dog owners to schedule an appointment. First, I always ask the important questions regarding if there was a possible bite wound to the tail, could the tail have gotten stuck under a chair or in a door, etc. If the answer is no to the “trauma-type” questions, then I ask if the dog was out having “too much fun.” The answer to that question is often “yes.”
Let’s step back and discuss anatomy for a minute. After the dog’s tail leaves the pelvic area, all that is there are some tiny vertebrae going down the tail, a lot of surrounding musculature, and the skin. While I have seen broken vertebrae in the tail, that is often due to trauma. Muscle tissue makes up the bulk of the “substance” of the tail.
So, now when we think about all the fun your dog just had at the dog park, or swimming for hours in the lake, or playing fetch in the backyard with the kids, it’s easy to see how they might “over do it” with their tail muscles. In the water, the tail acts like a rudder. Playing at the park, the tail shows how much fun they are having. In the backyard that tail wags and wags and wags so the ball is thrown repeatedly for them. Their tail is no different than our bicep muscle. If we suddenly hit the gym and work one muscle group repeatedly, a few hours or the next day, it will be VERY sore.
Next, what does this look like. Take a look at the first picture below of a normal tail. See how it sticks out straight behind the dog?
Now, take a look at this dog with “Happy Tail.” See how there is a slight hump near the top of the tail, but then the rest of it just hangs limp? This is the classic appearance of the tail when the dog is brought in to see me. Sometimes the dog won’t be painful on physical exam, but other times just a slight movement of the tail in various directions will cause them to yelp.
Okay, what should we do? First, even though we think this is what is happening, you should always schedule that exam with your Veterinarian to make sure nothing more serious is going on. If “Happy Tail” is diagnosed by your Veterinarian, you may be given a couple options. The first would be to just monitor for a couple days until the swelling goes down and the pain subsides. However, your Veterinarian may also prescribe a pain medication that is safe for your dog to take to help them wag their tail again faster, go to the bathroom more easily (since lifting the tail is an integral part of pooping!), and sleep better at night for a few days until your dog feels better. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do not give any human pain medications to your dog. Ibuprofen and Tylenol can cause liver and kidney failure. Your Veterinarian has safe options for your dog, and went to school for many many years to learn the proper dosages.
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