Well it seems I'm living at the vets and funding said vet lately! Sunday evening my boy sat with me on sofa watching TV.  He just seemed to jump down then went to the foot stool to go under. I heard a slight thud and thought his bumped his head again.  He then went to the other side of the room and hubby went to cuddle him and he sat down.Hubby touched his tail/back end and he gave a little yelp. We then saw his tail hanging differently?  We tried to look and he wasn't at all happy and shaking like a leaf. He climbed on sofa and curled up. We left him to settle as it was 10:30. I'd got to take mom in law for eye op at 8 am today. I noticed this morning tail still a bit between legs and he didn't wag it properly.Got app for vet 11.20 am.
He had a walk no problem he passed a poo no problem just his tail looks different.
Race to vets after collecting mom in law from day surgery. Went to vet 45 min wait. Well vet looked and thought anal glands?
He hates his analysis gland squeezed but in she went and they were not at all full. Had to sit on floor as he was trembling by then. Tried to stroke tail he moaned.  She said could feel no swelling or lumps but something upset him....
Gave him a painkiller/anti inflammatory injection (took 2 attempts)
He looks better wagging tail sort of. Got painkillers give over 5 days.
As app next Thurs re skin condition said check tail again.
Can he have broken a small bone?  Should they x ray it?

A friend's border collie dislocated her tail. It looked very peculiar but in time went back to normal. One of my Sphynx cats has obviously broken the end of his tail as it is bent, so yes I would think a dog could break a bone in it's tail.

Does sound like a dislocation. It happened to one of my dogs years ago and was very painful.

It could be dead tail / limber tail

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limber_tail_syndrome

I have a dog who started to yelp if I touched her tail.  Took her to the vet - one I hadn't seen before, and I wasn't in the least impressed at his total lack of interest.  I live to regret not questioning him, or asking to see someone else.  When she started to show obvious signs of pain a couple of weeks later, it was already too late.  She had, by then, got a bone infection.  The only treatment being amputation.  It broke my heart, but I had no choice.  Please get another vet to really inspect this.  I know I may be overly cautious, but still say investigate fully.

This is almost how his tail is hanging & he really does wag his tail all of the time.... I'm unsure of vets thought process re check anal glands first! Very young vet...
I'm in two minds to leave it 24 hours and if same go back to vets.

has he been bathed, or been swimming, in the past couple of days? It sounds as if he could have limber tail.

He hasn't been swimming but he had a bath Sunday morning with his Malseb shampoo for itching. We didn't over rub or scrub tail...
Read up on limber tail and it does sound like it. I'm also wondering re JeanSW  comment re could be a break and worried re infections. He is currently on antibiotics. ...

I've seen him tonight wag it a little more when hubby came home but still happy tuck between his legs. It sort of sticks out then hangs down.

I'd never heard of limber tail before! His on his bed and ill give him his meds in morning. Vet never said to rest him. Should I call and ask vet if they think it could be limber tail? Least his had a painkilling/anti inflammatory injection today.

If it is water tail it normally sorts itself out and as he is on painkillers anyway that would sort it. can take a good few days to start looking better.  some say apply heat to the tail if it is.

When I collected my most recent girl, she had been bathed to remove her kennel smell, and her tail was drooping from about the fourth vertebrae downwards. Limber tail can be caused by vigorous shaking after a bath, or after swimming, and usually returns to normal after a few days.

My first experience of dead, or limber tail was with one I'd bathed, pre-show.   To my horror her tail went up for about 3 - 4 inches and then just hung down.   In a breed who should carry their tail!!    It was clearly irritating her but as I always bath a couple of days before a show to allow the coat to settle down again, by the day of the show it was up again.

Not to rule out a break/fracture of course - and for that your vet would need to x-ray to be sure I'd have thought.   But hopefully this is just limber tail!!   I tend to think this is caused by a chill to the anal glands.   I had mine on a back step in quite a brisk wind while I towelled her dry when this happened.  Ever since I've been 'aware'!!

Well I have a new dog and tail this morning! His tails wagging fully and will let me touch it. Doesn't seem to be hanging! He had another painkiller early am...

Looking back to Sunday we had a walk 7am in pouring rain I rubbed him down. Half hour later I did bathe him thinking his damp I'm wet still in his new shampoo.  He had his usual warm shower down but we had to wait 10 minutes for shampoo to work magic.  We then rubbed him dry am he hates the hairdryer so we let him dry as we sometimes do. All day no problems another walk. Then we had the scenario at 9.30pm.

I wonder now looking at comments that it was dead/water tail and he got too wet? Trouble is the vet advised me to bathe him again 5 days after first Malseb wash. Do I do this? Or just sponge under tummy and top of back ?

Im glad I went to the vet for pain relief as he was in a very sorry state even glade for the advice here!
His now resting behind sofa and ill watch his tail and keep giving painkiller once a day.

It can be painful so glad you have painkillers - it can be quick as a few days or longer but does recover - one of my boys got it after a very rainy walk!

Rachelsetters wow after a rainy walk! Hope we do not get a wet winter! Did you find it reoccurred at all? I've just watched him jump onto foot stool and curl up. Tail just bumps out a little still.
I'm wondering to just sponge his dry patch on back with shampoo and tummy rather than a bath in case I risk hurting him and setting it off again.

Never heard of condition and once again valuable advice/insight given on here....

nope do you know we didn't and I have not (touches wood) experienced in any others

he had also paddled on this very very rainy walk - I mean it was bucketing - plus he liked to wag his tail ALOT!

It definitely can be painful for them though - it's really weird isn't it seeing it just hang there but recovers and then no stopping that wagging again soon I bet :)

My GSD used to get "dead tail" and scared us when it first happened, she loved to swim and got it regularly afterwards, never seemed to affect her personality though but she did get CDRM at 9 so not sure if has any link with that, her daughter never had it.

Just rang the vet to ask if it could have been this and about bathing him in 48 hours. Nurse never heard of this she went off ask one of the vets. She said vet advised wet tail only in smaller animals hamsters etc I'd said limber/dead tail to the nurse! I'm not ringing back.

I'm just wondering thoughts re full shower Thursday or just sponge his back/tummy  on patches of skin that need treatment? Thoughts?

Gave up using malaseb years ago, found it caused more problems than assisted, also recall reading somewhere it should be used with gloves. would recommend that when using you rise until you think all residue has gone then rinse again for a similar length of time.

There are too few things that I've found really assist, but one is coconut oil, our remaining elderly hound has had skin issues for years & there's nothing worse than watching the discomfort of an itchy itching dog. But having found coconut oil,  use it every other day on offending areas (dewlap, groin, stomach & armpits), yes it's a bit messy (great for your hands) but as long as I keep to the regime he remains comfortable & itch free.

wet tail in hamsters etc is completely different, shame they didn't actually listen to what you said

Furriefriends I nearly shouted but you asked re wet tail!

Vet never mentioned using gloves. I may thou. Coconut I do love the smell of. I have these new tablets vets pushing Apoquel everywhere in reception re break the itch cycle...

If it's any consolation I have been using malesab for a couple of years now and it works well for mine and I've never worn gloves.not saying I am right but it's not affecting any of us. In fact if o noticed that in the instructions I might have queried putting it on the dogs aquopel has its problems just like steroids but it's using these things with knowledge and as part of while régime