Springer - limp tail

[larkstar]

Copilot tells me that the sudden limpness in my springers tail is likely to be Limber Tail Syndrome - most probably due to the amount of exercise she's been getting over the last week - as you'd expect - she wags her tail non-stop when were out walking - and while on holiday we're out for 5-6hrs a day - it seems to be the muscles at the base of the tail that have become strained through over use. Anyone else seen this is their springer (or other)? Apparently with rest, for a couple of days, she should recover. I don't have any metacam and I'm not going to give her any human painkiller - I have heard and read that some people do - she'll have to make do with rest and TLC.

I have had labradors most of my life and they have all had this at some point, usually after prolonged swimming.
It seems to settle after a few days of rest but does leave them a bit subdued when it's going on. I'd imagine because it feels a bit strange/sore when they're wagging it.

Limber tail is excruciatingly painful in general if you touch these dogs tails they scream. I would not leave her without pain relief, I would advise the vet to get something appropriate.

With rest it generally gets better in a few days.

Probably best to speak to vet if in a lot of pain but our boy was uncomfortable not screaming in pain. We also had painkiller at home for him anyway.

Vets prescribe Paracetamol, so I don't know why you are so against it. I'd rather give half a tablet of that than leave a dog suffering.

Thanks all - reassuring to know it's not that rare. Actually - she's not in obvious pain - I talked to my vet friend of 30+years (in another European country) and I've felt all over her tail and back end and she's not complaining so she's not recommending human painkillers ATM (she has suggested a 1/3 paracetamol tablet in the past for other things) so it's just rest - I kept her on the lead all day today to stop her from running around so much - she's nearly 10 and never had a whole walk on a lead before. We could tell straight away as soon as it happened that her tail didn't look right. I kept her on the leash but let her off a couple of times and within a minute she just came back and sat down - she always does this when she's got a thorny stem stuck in her hair or a thorn or thistle-y seed pod stuck in her foot - it's her way of asking us to check her over. I'll keep a close eye on her. We've walking 8-12 miles a day 5 days straight which is 2-3 times her normal walk so it's no wonder she's overdone it - it's time for us to adapt and accept that she's not as young as she used to be.