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My 5 year old lab went swimming a great deal yesterday (we

Customer Question

My 5 year old lab went swimming a great deal yesterday (we were having a day out with the kids). This morning he hasn't been able to wag his tail and the tail just seems to hang down. Otherwise he is eating, sleeping, urinating and passing solid waste as normal. Could this be a condition called cold water tail and is there anything I do to help him?

Optional Information:
Type of Animal: Labrador
Gender: Male
Age: 5
Name of Animal: Jake

Already Tried:
We have just allowed him to rest.

Submitted: 330 days and 20 hours ago.

Category: Veterinary

Value: £13

Status: CLOSED

Accepted Answer

Expert: CriticalCareVet replied330 days and 20 hours ago.

Welcome to JustAnswer! I am a licensed veterinarian and specialist and will do my best to assist you today!

Yes - absolutely!

There are many other names for this including "Swimmers Tail" and "Limber tail syndrome"

This is very common with dogs that go swimming, thought to be more likely in cold water from vasculitis.

The tail of the dog often hangs down limb, starting at the base.

Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Setters and Pointers are most commonly seen with this.

Treatment is supportive care - and most often within 1-3 days everything is back to normal.

If painful, a NSAID like Ibuprofen from your veterinarian is common for a few days - such as Rimadyl or Metacam.

In the meantime, do not give over the counter medications due to side effects and the fact this will resolve regardless - not to do harm in the meantime.

I hope this helps! Please REPLY if more information is needed.

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Expert Type	ER/ICU Specialist
Category:	Veterinary
Pos. Feedback:	96.2 %
Accepts:	7348
Answered:	7/24/2012

Experience: Emergency and Critical Care Specialist

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