Fuzzy Bum Nelly

Well last night after arriving home from work we did notice Nelly's tail had risen a bit more and was wagging a bit better. By this morning it was even better than last night. Not 100% as it's still a bit tender towards the top but she's much better than what she was. I spoke to the vet this morning and said to just see how she goes over the next week - if it's still sore we'll need to take her back. She's on chicken, rice and veggies for the next week and after last nights first meal.......she thinks she's in heaven. Abit better than those bikkies day in and day out. LOL :D Kimmie

I agree with Scarlet and setting aside a clam shell or an area in the yard where a sandpit can be made and encouraging the puppy to did in that area. It is hard..... and very frustrating sometimes but trust me...... once they get out of that stage (and they will get out of it ), they bring so much joy and love to your life. You do look back and say to yourself.... "How did I ever cope" but then those big brown eyes look up at you and you automatically know how you coped. Just perservere and try and have an area where he can dig .. ... try hiding toys or a bone in there and show him that he's allowed to dig in that area. Always praise that and frown upon the other digging he may do so he knows the difference. My Nelly is 3 and a half now and is so well behaved. Don't get me wrong, there are those phases she goes through and just has a dig here and there but there's no more pulling clothes off the line, no chewing shoes, no chewing wooden doors and fencing etc. Just be stern and hopefully things will start to look up for you guys. Kimmie

Thanks squeak...... I've never heard of cold water tail. I will mention this to my vet as I should be speaking to him tomorrow. He did feel like there were certain parts of the tail that were more tender than others. We arrived home this afternoon and although she's not 100%, her tail does have a bit more of a wag to it. Will see how it is tomorrow morning and then call the vet and tell him and ask if he wants to see her again. I'm happy to learn that limp tail is not usually a symptom of anal gland blockage. It helps rule one part out. :rolleyes: We've got her on chicken, rice and veggies for the next few days to hopefully settle her tummy and stop the diarrhea. Will keep you up to date with what happens next.

Any other reasons why a tail would go limp?

When we arrive home from work we are always greeted by our loving adorable Lab Nelly. Now when Nelly sees us - she does a few circle spin arounds and her tail is CONSTANTLY wagging. (as I'm sure all you are aware of with your own dogs) We call it the HAPPY METER. However yesterday- her tail was just limp. You can see that she was trying to wag it because the bottom was swaying a little bit but from the base down it just flops. I rang the vet straight away but because it was after 6pm - the vet had already gone home so I wasn't able to get in till first thing this morning. I checked everywhere for ticks or sores but couldn't find anything. She's very tender around the back side of her around the tail base and if we're trying to take a look she's turn around from us so we can't get to her behind and she'll have her tail in between her legs. We were thinking that it may be her anal glands. I've never had a dog thats had that problem so I never really knew that the signs were. Then last night I was up all night worried about her as she had started to get diarrhea (sp?). Anyway, we got to the vet this morning and he seems to think it may be a bite of some sort. He gave her an injection for the pain to ease her a little bit and said that if the tails not right tomorrow to bring her back and we may have to shave it - then if we can't find any bites..... do an xray to see if it's damaged. I sure hope she's going to be ok. He had a look and feel around the tail and thru the fur but couldn't find anything. Has anyone experienced anal gland problems and what are the signs? Does the tail usually go limp? I hope my baby girl is going to be ok. I hate seeing her in pain. :rolleyes: