Is a Dog Capable of Breaking Its Tail?
I received this very question this week (and many times previously), hence today’s posting topic.
- “Is it possible that my dog broke her tail? Do dogs’ tails break?”
Yes.
- “Isn’t a tail comprised of cartilage?”
No.
- “If my dog carries his tail to the side does that mean he broke it?”
Not necessarily.
A dog’s tail is comprised of individual boney segments much like the vertebrae of the rest of the spine. If a dog does fracture his tail and it is not reset, it may regrow at a funky angle.
The signs and symptoms vary wildly:
- Some dogs show pain and others don’t,
- Some dogs will still be able to wag their tails once broken and it is not necessarily indicative of a tail break if he or she suddenly can’t (it can mean other things too),
- It can be as insidious as hitting against an entry door or something as conspicuous as having had it stepped on (it happens to, or because of, the best of us!),
When in doubt, get it checked out!
(source of pic is http://sketchedout.wordpress.com/2007/11/11/tail-wagging-the-dog/)
