Water tail (again)

I remember seeing Amts post about her Ally having Water tail. Saffy loves the water and I'm going to try and find somewhere safe so that she can have a swim. What I'm worried about is her suffering from water tail. So what's the best thing to do after she's been in the water to prevent it from happening?

Thanks,

Graeme

whats water tail ??

ok BEFORE Ziggar jumps on me i just googled and found this and answered my own question
What Is Limber Tail Syndrome?

Limber tail syndrome and "cold water tail" while known to those who work with hunting dogs, may not be familiar to veterinarians. It is most often seen in working breeds like English Pointers, English Setters, Foxhounds, Beagles, and Labrador Retrievers. Ages of affected dogs range from 0.5-9 years old. In English Pointers the most frequent age of onset is reported to be 2 years old. Typically the presentation is a young adult dog with an acutely flaccid tail that hangs down from the tail base or is held horizontally for 3-4 inches and then drops down. The tail remains in this position even when the dog moves about.

Pain may be seen on palpation of the tail base and some owners report that the dog seems uncomfortable and painful. The best thing to do is leave the tail alone.

Rest is recommended. Complete recovery is usually seen by 2 weeks and often occurs within a few days although it recurs later during training in 1/3 of the cases. Some owners and trainers feel that anti-inflammatory drugs shorten the recovery time if given when the condition is first seen. You might also use warm packs at the base of the tail which will help the relief of pain.

The cause of limber tail is not known although it is thought to be associated with hard workouts (especially in underconditioned dogs), heavy hunting, and swimming or bathing in water that is too cold or too warm. Some owners reported that they grab the tail as a means of correction. Tail conformation (high set or very active), gender (males more frequently affected), and nutritional factors have also been suggested as possible causes. Ongoing studies suggest that limber tail is associaed with muscle damage in the tail with dogs examined early in showing elevated muscle enzymes eg., creatine phosphokinase.

LOL Thanks Emma... I guess I really should have tried that myself

So from that I'm thinking that making sure the water isn't overly cold (like it's going to be too warm here ) is the best prevention.

Graeme

i searched it for myself G, not to get at you last time i asked what something was after someone else asked about something ( ) Ziggar kindly reminded me about Google so i was just showing him that I CAN do it when i try

Amts will probably be able to tell you more about it if you pm her with Ally having it a few weeks ago.

It always take me ages of searching the interweb to find Google Emma

Thanks Carole, I might just do that

Graeme

Oooh that makes for interesting reading! I have never heard of it before now

Hiya

Well Luna's been swimming these past few days and she hasnt got a water tail...

Its a combination of loads of things... How long the dog swims for (that particularly day), the temperature of the water. If you just make sure Saffy's dried with a towel when she's done swimming, I'm sure it wont be a problem.

Acually Luna wasnt dried untill we got home yesterday, come to think of it... Cos I didnt bring a towel on our walk. And we had a good 30 minutes to walk home... So aslong as its not freezingly cold IN and OUT of the water and you dont make her swim for hours, you should be okay

But hey dot sue me if I'm wrong.. I dont think there's one sure way to prevent it (yeah not let your dog swim, but that's not an option for me)

Good luck

The other method to prevent it of course is to get a docked dog!