A dog with “Limber Tail” – normally this dog’s tail points upward in a backward C-shape, but after it spent several days swimming in cold water, it now hangs low and looks like it has been bent a couple of inches from its body.
Did your dog spend a lot of time in the water over the long weekend? If your dog’s tail is looking limp, they may have what is known as “Limber Tail,” also known as “Swimmer’s Tail.” If you have a working or sporting dog that loves the water, their tail may have been working overtime with all the time spent in the cold water. The good news is that this is not a permanent condition and your dog will recover in a short amount of time. In the future, you can help ease your dog into activity and limit the cold water to help prevent this condition from happening.
If you took your dogs outdoors, please check them for ticks! We’re seeing a lot of dogs in our Veterinary Medical Center with ticks on them. For tick prevention, you can get a prescription from your veterinarian that lasts anywhere from 30-90 days depending on the medication, or you can stop by your local animal or grocery store to pick up Front Line.
You can also speak with your veterinarian about Heartworm prevention medication. In Idaho, approximately 15-20 cases are reported each year. We screen the dogs we transfer in from warm climates, however many people moving from out of state or even snowbirds are unknowingly bringing this disease with them to Idaho.
Finally, and this is the BIG one, check your pets for CHEATGRASS! It’s everywhere and it’s a big problem right now. We have seen cases of it lodged in dog’s ears, paws, mouths and more! Any time you take your dog outdoors, please brush and check them as soon as they return to prevent the cheatgrass from getting into places where veterinary care (or even surgery!) is required.
Cheatgrass can be disastrous for dogs!