Advice please

Halfpass

Halfpass

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My lab came out with me today while I was hacking. We had a fab ride and Ben (the dog) was tired once we got home (thats normal for him). He wouldn't settle though and kept whineing so I took him home.
When I got home he was still very restless and kept yelping / whineing. It got to the point where he hid himself under my bed and just howled everytime he moved.
I quickly made an appointment at the vets who said they thought maybe his anal glands were full. They sorted this out and hoped for an immediate relief. Ben was still obviously in pain so vet has given him a pain killer and advised me to bring him back if not better by monday.
He is also on antibiotics for a sore / cyst on his face and the vet said this would kill any other infections going on.
Ben now can't wag his tail and seems very subdued. He is eating well and still wanting to go on walks. His tail is tucked tightly between his legs and if you try to pick it up he yelps.
Do you think he has broken his tail? If so should I take him back to the vets tomorrow or is it ok to wait till monday as suggested by the vet?
 
Sorry, no advice. Just ((hugs)) and hope he's feeling better soon. x
It's horrible when they are unwell and not able to tell you why.
frown.gif

Keep us posted.
 
Could it be something to do with his bladder/bowels/urinal tract? Has he 'been' or is there anything unusual in that department? Sounds like he might have some sort of complication down there.

Is he walking awkwardly? Could it be his joints or hips?
Sorry for the scattergun reply, these were the things that entered my head.
 
If he can stick it in between his legs I wouldn't think it was broken as in broken bones, but it def. sounds as if something is wrong. Being a lab I'm not surprised of the fact that he's eating, though something maybe being wrong with him.

It could be a bone pinching on a nerve inside the tail or just above. If it is, there's something you can do about that yourself, only problem is you have to be 110% that it is the case, and you need to be two people to do it.
One person holds the dog around the shoulder/upperarm area and the other person takes hold of the tip of tail and holds it out so the hole back, from the withers to the tail, makes a absolute straight line, and then you very gently pulls the tail a millimetre or so backwards.
I learned this while trying "Shiatzu" for dogs, but you HAVE TO KNOW that your dog either is healthy or does have a pinched nerve in it's back before doing this.

If you have ANY doubts, wait till monday and ask the vet to x-ray the back and tail.

from Sweden.
 
Sounds as though he has possibly damaged a vertabrae or his coccyx bone, it could be temporary and your vet has given pain relief and possibly anti inflammatory inj, he will need a few days recovery for any inflammation to subside and in the mean time he will be uncomfortable but the pain relief will take the edge of that, which is why your vet may want to wait a few days to re-examine, as if he has injured any of the above, he would not beable to use the tail until the swelling/inflammation subsided.

If he is eating, drinking and passing motions ok, then don't worry to much, however if you are worried pop him to the Saturday morning clinic for a quick check up so you don't incur any out of hours charges over the weekend.
 
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Look up "Cold Tail" quite common in Labs.

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Thanks this is exactly what I think he had. His tail is now wagging but still has moments when its not 'normal'.
 
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