It is most often seen in working breeds like English Pointers, English Setters, Foxhounds, Beagles, and Labrador Retrievers. Ages of affected dogs range from 0.5-9 years old. In English Pointers the most frequent age of onset is reported to be 2 years old. Typically the presentation is a young adult dog with an acutely flaccid tail that hangs down from the tail base or is held horizontally for 3-4 inches and then drops down. Pain may be seen on palpation of the tail base and some owners report that the dog seems uncomfortable and painful.
Rest is recommended.
Some owners and trainers feel that antiinflammatory drugs shorten the recovery time if given when the condition is first seen. Some owners reported that they grab the tail as a means of correction. Ongoing studies suggest that limber tail is associaed with muscle damage in the tail with dogs examined early in showing elevated muscle enzymes eg., creatine phosphokinase.