COLD WATER TAIL..

DUCK2GET · Postby **DUCK2GET** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 8:23 pm

HAS ANYONE EVER HEARD OF THIS ,AND DOES ANYONE KNOW THE ANSWER HOW TO CURE IT ???OR WHAT CAUSES IT .. I HAVE A SIXTEEN MONTH OLD FEMALE LAB EVERY TIME I WORK HER HARD OR HUNT HER HER TAIL HANGS DOWN LIKE IT IS BROKE ITS WIERD THEN A FEW DAYS LATER ITS FINE....

LastFrontierLabs · Postby **LastFrontierLabs** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 2:30 am

Vets don't know exactly what causes dogs to get "cold tail" or "limber tail".
It has something to do with stress on the muscles at the base of the tail because sometimes even dogs that are just crated for long periods can get it...no exposure to water at all. However, it happens most frequently when dogs swim in cold water.
It is very painful for dogs! You should see your vet for Rimadyl or Deramaxx to help with the pain.
Hope this helps.

dawg-n-duck · Postby **dawg-n-duck** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 8:54 am

REST that will cure it ... like earlier stated it is extremely painful for them.

goosebruce · Postby **goosebruce** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 9:03 am

its an inflamation of the mussels at the base of the tail. for mild cases an asprin and rest will do it. once a dog has a bout, its more likely to have it again. icy water and a wet dog in a cold kennel on the way home seems to be pattern, but it can happen to dogs in warm weather as well. If its cold, I let the dogs ride in the back seat after toweling them off. Seems like cold dogs, and cold kids, do well in the back seat for the ride home... a lot of snoring and snuggling going on. travis

Jeff · Postby **Jeff** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:43 am

I don't know if I agree about the painful statement. Lacey gets it three or four times a year, no big deal, it looks funny, but she still hunts/hunt tests with it, no big deal to her or me.

Troy Williams · Postby **Troy Williams** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:57 am

Jeff wrote:I don't know if I agree about the painful statement. Lacey gets it three or four times a year, no big deal, it looks funny, but she still hunts/hunt tests with it, no big deal to her or me.

Stone had it once and it WAS very painful.........

Meeka · Postby **Meeka** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 1:39 pm

Sharkey had it a home recently when I let him out of his smokehouse after a very cold night. No water involved. Went away after a little while and we haven't seen it since. It didn't seem to be VERY painful, he kinda acted bothered at not being able to wag his tail.

Jeff · Postby **Jeff** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 2:23 pm

Troy Williams wrote:
Jeff wrote:I don't know if I agree about the painful statement. Lacey gets it three or four times a year, no big deal, it looks funny, but she still hunts/hunt tests with it, no big deal to her or me.

Stone had it once and it WAS very painful.........

HMM, that's funny how that varies from dog to dog. A lot of the dogs we run with down here get it, and it doesn't seem to bother them any other than the fact that they look real funny.

Dogzeye · Postby **Dogzeye** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 3:35 pm

It might depend on how much swelling there is. Mine gets it regularly, most of the time I quit working him at the first sign of it and it amounts to little more than a tail knub that works with the rest in tow and no real discomfort. When it has been bad, he can't sit or lay down without obvious discomfort and stays away from all of us as best he can.

Troy Williams · Postby **Troy Williams** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 4:24 pm

What's funny is how do "alot" of the dogs "down there" get it and get it often? I don't totally know what causes it but it seems that it's not cold water or it wouldn't be so common "down there".

What is your average winter time water temps? I'm gonna guess in the 50's minimum. That's not cold water by any stretch. It's cold on a cloudy, windy day but not otherwise.

Stone has had it only once and that was after an early season duck hunt from a pit box (kinda small) and then he was put away on the truck for my lunch and the ride home. He was extremely sore an hour or two after the hunt.

I wonder if it has to do with putting your dog away wet & being semi-cold? Do you all "down there" regularly put your dogs away wet after working? I don't do that anymore. I never put one away wet if it can be avoided and I NEVER put one away wet that has been working hard physically. They get toweled off with "The Absorber"(gotta have one if you don't-Walmart) and then staked out.

Give us more details..........

velcro · Postby **velcro** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 4:41 pm

my dog's had it half a dozen times and never seems to bother him. He also doesn't get any swelling with it. It does look rather funny sticking out about three inches then hanging straight down.

Jeff · Postby **Jeff** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 9:03 pm

Troy, Down here I would guess that the shallow water RARLEY gets below 50 degrees and almost never below 45.
I agree with the cold water or lack there of, as Lacey has gotten it before in the late spring down here which would be the equivalent of summer time most other places.
Some people do put their dogs up wet down here. However Lacey really never gets put up anymore as she rides in the truck on the back seat wherever we go now. However the CWT still shows it's head from time to time. I guess our club has about 30 active members and out of the 30, I've seen about 15 or so dogs in the group get CWT from time to time. To me water temp has nothing to do with it, but rather it appears to be how much swimming they do. Lacey got it a ton when we were doing swim by and also teachimg a lot of long technical water blinds. It really never matters what the temp of the water is, but rather how much work she does in the water. I'll make a bet with you, the season re-opens this weekend down here, its gonna be about 80, foggy, and also due to the heat and the S wind there will be a TON of water in the marsh. I predict that either Lacey or one of the dogs in the camp will get CWT this weekend in the swimming water if there are enough ducks for a gangbusters shoot.(that could be a tall order the way the season has gone so far) I'll keep you informed when I return from the hunting on Tuesday.

Troy Williams · Postby **Troy Williams** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 10:15 am

Ok thanks. I wonder if there may be a pattern that we could put together. Seems like that would be possible with the number of occurences you guys are having.

Troy

Dogzeye · Postby **Dogzeye** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 10:51 am

Troy the pattern is easy to identify. It's the anatomical and physiological differences between the animals predisposing the occurance that is going to be difficult to pin down. There is some vet school research being done on the subject, you can google and read some of it. I also have a link to some of the information you will find if you search this forum under this subject.

If have I understood what I have read in these journals and what I have observed in my own animal, you have the equivalent muscle inflamation that one might experience after a high-rep work out in the gym. This tissue inflamation reduces the vascular flow through the coxic tissue and deadens the the nerves controlling the lower third of the tail; this is similar to what one would experience with a sleeping foot. Depending on how long and hard the dog works during an episode you might have torn muscle tissue that would be similar to what one might experience after a low rep/high weight work out; soreness. JMO, your mileage may vary.

goosebruce · Postby **goosebruce** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 11:07 am

dogzeye... bout time you told a little about yurself... they way that post was written you've got some medical or vet background. face, yur cover as another dumb booty redneck is blown. bwhahahaha, travis

COLD WATER TAIL..

COLD WATER TAIL..

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