Pepper woke me up this morning at around 1 am. Since I had not let him in the yard after our evening walk (sometimes he holds back a little urine during the walk), I figured it's my own fault and let him out. Sure enough, that's why he was up. When he came back inside I noticed that his tail was hanging down, and that he was repeatedly biting it as if something irritated him. I didn't see anything obvious and decided to check again in the morning. Well, turns out I couldn't get back to sleep. After some tossing and turning I got up at 2 (urgh) and settled on the couch with the second book of the Hunger Games series. At least I was not bored (although pretty tired today)! I even got doggie company.
Turns out, Pepper's tail was still pretty limp later this morning. A quick check on the internet (amazing!) revealed that this is most likely a condition known as limber/cold water/flaccid tail. And breads that are most often affected are - drumroll - labrador retrievers and beagles. Of course. Looks like our little pooch welcomes every little ailment out there with open paws.
We've decided to keep an eye on it for now since it most often clears up on its own within a few days, and since he does not seem to be in pain when I touch his tail (there is a little discomfort, but no whining). In the mean time, we kept his butt warm with a hot water bottle and blankets which he seems to enjoy. He just looks so sad with his droopy tail. I sure hope I'll see some tail wagging tomorrow!
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