# Broken tail



## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

What do I do for a broken tail? Stupid Malinois.

I can't call my vet another hour.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

How'd it happen, Chris?


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

Maren Bell Jones said:


> How'd it happen, Chris?



I don't know what he was chasing but he scaled a 6ft wall to go after it and I don't know how his broke the tail. My wife saw him go nuts and then give chase to something over the wall. By the time I got out there and got him back in the yard, there was a huge kink in his tail about half way down.


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## Alan Fielding (Dec 7, 2009)

Hello Chris - I have heard of something called "limber tail syndrome " that occurs mostly in Hunting dogs . It apparently looks like the tail is Broken .


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

Alan Fielding said:


> Hello Chris - I have heard of something called "limber tail syndrome " that occurs mostly in Hunting dogs . It apparently looks like the tail is Broken .



I'm going to call the vet at 9am but I don't think it's that. He was fine this morning before I was in the shower and before he jumped my wall. He's not fine now so something happen during his chase. I stuck him in his crate so he's not running around the house. He seems not too bothered by it now but if I touch his tail he doesn't like it which is not normal.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Try to keep him quiet and to an area where he can't whack his tail against something. You could probably try splinting it with something like a paint stir stick and athletic/medical tape if he lets you to keep it still. Icing it for a few minutes will probably make it easier to reset, if the vet tries it. The tail has a good blood supply, so it can swell pretty good pretty quick. I have not seen one done yet, so definitely consult your vet. Let us know how it goes.


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## Mike Scheiber (Feb 17, 2008)

Call before you go prolly nothing they can do lucky its 1/2 way down and not up near the body it can end a working career, see what the vet says good luck dang


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## Molly Graf (Jul 20, 2006)

probably nothing the vet can do other than charge you $$$$ to x-ray and tell you "yep, it's broken" or "no, it's not". After that - what could they do other than give anti-inflammatories, pain meds which you could do at home - keep him quiet - and it will probably heal with a kink in it. Doubt there is anything you can do other than pay the vet or not.

molly


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## Selena van Leeuwen (Mar 29, 2006)

like molly said, nothing a vet can do, except charging $$$$$. keep him quiet, give it some rest, maybe some pain killers. Will heal eventually, maybe with a little nick in his tail.


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## will fernandez (May 17, 2006)

dock it and come down anyway


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

A paper towel tube over it and then taped...that is what we did for our GSD mix when I was younger......made it heel straight. 

Only thing, after one break, it seemed like Shep always broke it since he would wag it furiously and then smack it on something....we ended up docking it after a few times of that.


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## Jason Hammel (Aug 13, 2009)

Why can't he muzzle his dog ice it and try for a reset like a broken finger? then splint it and do the round of anti inflammatory and pain med? 

How bad kinked is it Chris? like 90deg? or 10deg?


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

You sure it's a broken tail Chris? When my dog stuffed his back, his tail was clamped down and out kinda like it was a broken tail, other than that and him slowing up a bit those were the only giveaways that day.

Hope the dog's Ok.


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

maggie fraser said:


> You sure it's a broken tail Chris? When my dog stuffed his back, his tail was clamped down and out kinda like it was a broken tail, other than that and him slowing up a bit those were the only giveaways that day.
> 
> Hope the dog's Ok.



We're going in at 2pm. The vet didn't think it warranted an emergency visit as long as I keep him calm and in the crate.

I'm not sure it's broken. There is a kink and a knot in his tail that I can feel with my hand. One of my dog buds is going to meet with me soon. He has dealt with this before.


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

I saw a malinois at an avi dog course this year get limber tail/cold tail. It went out from the body a bit and then just hung down. It healed on its own in a few days. The dog could still work...but could not wag its tail, or lift it up...and it was sore.

Hopefully that is all it is, and it is not broken. If it is broken...as has been said, hopefully it is not too high up as I have heard that can be painful and have lasting effects.

Good luck and let us know.


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

Jennifer Coulter said:


> I saw a malinois at an avi dog course this year get limber tail/cold tail. It went out from the body a bit and then just hung down. It healed on its own in a few days. The dog could still work...but could not wag its tail, or lift it up...and it was sore.
> 
> Hopefully that is all it is, and it is not broken. If it is broken...as has been said, hopefully it is not too high up as I have heard that can be painful and have lasting effects.
> 
> Good luck and let us know.


I thought you needed cold/damp conditions for limber tail ?? Just curious as I had read a little about it the time my dog got hurt with the symptoms sounding very similar.


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

Tick bites can cause "dead tail" as well. Kim Gilmores Terv had that happen last year.


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## Gerry Grimwood (Apr 2, 2007)

That's a common occurence with Schutzund people and their dogs, I think they do that to try to correct less than ideal heeling then make up some excuse about an accident happening :razz:


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

went to the vet. He doesn't think it's broken. There is a big knot in his tail like maybe was whacked on something. Vet thinks he'll be fine in a couple of weeks.

But yeah Gerry, I think you're right, I thought that heeling stick was for whacking him but for being out of position. Why didn't somebody tell that it was supposed to be for guidance and not whacking?


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## Gerry Grimwood (Apr 2, 2007)

Chris Michalek said:


> But yeah Gerry, I think you're right, I thought that heeling stick was for whacking him but for being out of position. Why didn't somebody tell that it was supposed to be for guidance and not whacking?


No Chris, when the dog is forging you just reach and crank the tail like a chickens neck.


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

Good news Chris!


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

Jennifer Coulter said:


> Good news Chris!



yes but he's supposed to rest for 10 days and that's not easy for a malinois. Just wait until Pika is hurt....


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

Gerry Grimwood said:


> No Chris, when the dog is forging you just reach and crank the tail like a chickens neck.



your advice sucks. I did that and it cost me $127!


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Good to hear, Chris! So just ice that tail and we'll see ya next weekend. ;-)


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

Maren Bell Jones said:


> Good to hear, Chris! So just ice that tail and we'll see ya next weekend. ;-)



we'll see. I want to go and I'm still hoping the Mal can work by then but right now he has trouble sitting.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Did the doc give you anything for pain control and swelling? Icing it for 10 minutes 3-4 times a day will also help.


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

Chris Michalek said:


> we'll see. I want to go and I'm still hoping the Mal can work by then but right now he has trouble sitting.


Unless there's something other than the obvious that would be unusual about this injury I'm betting he will be better sooner than you think. The turn around appears to be pretty quick unless the dog is flat out wreckless and a spaz.


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

Maren Bell Jones said:


> Did the doc give you anything for pain control and swelling? Icing it for 10 minutes 3-4 times a day will also help.



he gave me rimadyl but I don't like that stuff. Just ice for the swelling. I think the pain helps him stay more calm. He's not completely himself today so thats good.


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## Anne Jones (Mar 27, 2006)

An aniti-inflamatory might help him a bit, though. Do you have any Metacam (meloxicam)? It is not as bad as most of the other meds. It is the only anti-inflamatory that my holistic vet will use. (short term) Given at night once a day, it was pretty effective in helping with the pain management when my girl had her back injury. I always keep some on hand, for emergencies.

I hope he is feeling better soon.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Carprofen (Rimadyl) is probably the most prescribed pain med and anti-inflammatory. If it's used short term, it's usually fine to use, but with any long term NSAID for something like arthritis, it's a good idea to get blood work first. Just make sure you give it with food (my Rottie gets hers with a big tablespoon of peanut butter) to avoid the gastric side effects. They used to think that it was a good thing to keep the dog in pain and not do pain meds because they would not use it as much, but they have now done studies where an animal in pain is not going to heal as quickly due to the stress and the inflammatory processes. I'd do the pain/anti-inflammatories for what your vet prescribed, ice it, and keep him quiet as possible for a few days. And we'll see you next weekend. ;-)


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## Anne Jones (Mar 27, 2006)

Maren, I didn't mean to step in any toes here, I have no vet training (have worked in dental for 20+ years). Just suggested the anti-inflamatory meds as it would be in the dog's best interest for comfort & less stressful healing. I know most people cringe at the thought of giving their dogs Rymadil. As stated, my holistic/ chiro vet will only prescribe Metacam as an NSID when one is necesary. She feels that it is the least of the evils & the only one that she feels comfortable prescribing. I know that my female would not have been able to get any rest & releif at all without its use when her back injury was in the acute stage. I suppose most vets have their own feeling about prescribing different meds as do the owners in administrating them.


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

Maren Bell Jones said:


> Carprofen (Rimadyl) is probably the most prescribed pain med and anti-inflammatory. If it's used short term, it's usually fine to use, but with any long term NSAID for something like arthritis, it's a good idea to get blood work first. Just make sure you give it with food (my Rottie gets hers with a big tablespoon of peanut butter) to avoid the gastric side effects. They used to think that it was a good thing to keep the dog in pain and not do pain meds because they would not use it as much, but they have now done studies where an animal in pain is not going to heal as quickly due to the stress and the inflammatory processes. I'd do the pain/anti-inflammatories for what your vet prescribed, ice it, and keep him quiet as possible for a few days. And we'll see you next weekend. ;-)


If I show up and his tail falls off from the work, you have to sew it back on. Deal? :wink:


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Oh yeah, no offense taken at all. Pain management is a bit of an interest of mine. I don't mind meloxicam either and both are NSAIDs with similar properties. All NSAIDs, including carprofen and meloxicam, have potential side effects, just like in people. If a dog needs to be on them long term, blood work is a great idea, particularly for a senior dog or for labs. When my senior Rottweiler needed to be put on carprofen for pain control, the orthopaedic surgery resident didn't insist on blood work before putting her on it long term, but I insisted.

The interesting thing about carprofen is it is the most prescribed NSAID for dogs, which in some ways means it is better characterized by others that aren't prescribed as commonly, like firocoxib (Previcox), deracoxib (Deramaxx), and meloxicam (Metacam). Because it's the most commonly prescribed drug for pain, statistically you will see more side effects emerge because of a larger sample size. Which is also why you see the "OMG, Rimadyl killed my dog!" stories. You can have thousands patients that do great, but it's the one that doesn't that stands out. BTW, I am neither a fan or a detractor of carprofen. Dogs, like humans, are very individual how they respond to pain relief. You sometimes just have to experiment with what works for an individual dog. Kinda like how some people do really well with Tylenol, but not with Advil or Aleve, or vice versa.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Chris Michalek said:


> If I show up and his tail falls off from the work, you have to sew it back on. Deal? :wink:


My herding instructor's sheep tend to have a problem getting stuck in the fence and lacerating themselves lately, so I finally put together a first aid kit for my car. I have no access to drugs yet though and I ain't getting bit. :razz: I do need to go pick up some paint stir sticks. They make awesome lightweight splints.


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## Candy Eggert (Oct 28, 2008)

Maren Bell Jones said:


> My herding instructor's sheep tend to have a problem getting stuck in the fence and lacerating themselves lately, so I finally put together a first aid kit for my car. I have no access to drugs yet though and I ain't getting bit. :razz: I do need to go pick up some paint stir sticks. They make awesome lightweight splints.


Speaking of splints. We had a lady fall in training one night at the club and break her arm. We took two tugs and a leash to make a splint and told her to explain that "doggie bondage" at the hospital :lol:


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