This may sound a bit strange but last night (11.30 pm whilst everyone else was asleep) Hamish (Goldie) was moaning and groaning. I duly got up to let him out, but he just stood there and did nothing. He came back in and we all went back to bed. As soon as the lights went out the moaning started again and he was also licking his bum. I let him out again and this time he did pass a small amount of poo. Again we went back to bed but the moaning and bum licking continued. It did eventually subside and finally we all got some sleep. However, this morning his tail is limp, it's as if he has no feeling after about 4 inches from the base of his tail, it just sort of hangs. Even out for our lunchtime walk there was no action. He has poo'd normally, but I wonder if anyone has any ideas. My initial thought was anal glands, but why would his tail appear paralysed?

Friend had a dog who damaged his tail causing it to droop. Can't remember how. It did right itself eventually, but took a while :)

Daisy

Has he been swimming? I found this.Not sure about the licking though!

Edited to add: this.

My dad trapped our first Goldies tail in the door and he broke it but it was at the tip, it never grew to full length and had a kink in it but it still wagged after it healed.

Thanks for the swift replies and links, and yes he had been in ponds yesterday. I'm going to the vets with one of the others later so will mention it, but hopefully it's nothing to worry about and will right itself in a couple of days. Agility tommorow may be interesting.

Now I think about it, our friend's dog was a young gundog and the swimming thing sounds familiar :)

Daisy

How did you get on at the vets?

If your dog was a beagle, I would say they could have "beagle tail".  For some reason, they can get it after being bathed - possibley because they get cold (no body really knows for sure) but the symptoms are a very droopy tail and can cause some tingling in the tail.  However, it does right itself on its own after a few days. 

Could well be as simple as anal glands -dogs tend to hold it in a particular way then. I remember working at the vets and people coming in saying their dog had broken their tail, when it just needed its anal glands emptying. Hope that's all it is!

Yes, my old girl has just had blocked anal glands. The tail clamped to her bum and not wagging as normal was the first clue. She wouldn't jump and when I checked her she squeeled,so off to the Vets.Soon recovered after they were emptied and she had antibiotics. Hope your boy is soon sorted out.

Sounds more like "Labrador tail", as our vets call it, to me.  Be interesting to hear what your vet said.  Two of my dogs have had this.  Both recovered quickly and completely, though it looked pretty painful at the time and I certainly wouldn't have done agility with them.

Hope he's wagging again soon!

Definitely agree! This is seen quite a lot in Goldens. Many a person has not been able to show a dog after bathing them and then getting 'Cold tail'- 'Dead tail'. They reckon it is caused by the top of the tail staying wet and getting cold. They reckon it is quite painful for the dog but it does get better in a few days.  The only way to help prevent it is to really try and dry the top of the tail off and don't leave it sopping wet. I'm sure he will be better in a couple of days.

Yes I know it as Golden Tail -seems it has one name per breed. :)

Glad I read this as our Golden swims every day of his life - even in the dead of winter when I have trouble standing upright in the gales - and he doesn't get dried until we get home which can be as much as an hour and a half after his swim. So far he hasn't been affected but I will make sure to dry his tail as soon as he comes out of the water.

The only time so far this winter that he hasn't been in the sea was yesterday when the waves were so huge they towered above him as he stood on the beach so he contented himself with a paddle instead.

Well the vet more or less said unless they see him they couldn't really advise and to bring him in if it was no better. Luckily today it does seem a bit better and by our lunchtime walk it was nearly normal, hopefully it will stay that way. It isn't causing him any pain, so I'll see how it goes.

My Golden swims all year Harley but I have a towelling coat to put on him for the trip home on cold days. After 30 minutes in his bath robe (the OH calls it his smoking jacket :-D) he's almost dry; he seems to like having it on too. It's great for bath days in winter too.

Good news! Tail back at full mast and wagging happily!

That's great news. I'm glad he's back to his waggy self.

One of my dogs had this once, but after a couple of days the tail was up again.
Glad your dog is feeling better.
Rachel