Tail end of a Basenji

[Natalplum]

I noticed when I got home from work that Mick's tail was between his legs. It did not have any trama so that leads me to believe either Mick has some feelings that we never seen before (sadness) or he's just lazy and doesn't want it up on his back like normal. Please let me know if anyone else's B has experienced this. Why does this occur?

[lvoss]

When I noticed that my boy Nicky was dropping his tail and not putting it up, at first I thought it was because he was getting older and just wasn't holding it up anymore. I had him seen by a chiropractor because he was just dropping it down and often not curling it. After his adjustment he started holding his tail back up just fine.

[Natalplum]

Yeah Mick is only 1 yr old. He never really had a tight curled tail but just the same it's not right.

[tanza]

Could he have injured himself on something? Trama doesn't have to be visable if something like a soft tissue injury? I would give it a day or two and see if it doesn't get better.

[Quercus]

Mine will let their tail droop if they aren't feeling quite right, or if they are cold. I agree with Pat…give it a day or two, and if it is the same, I would say there is something wrong either with his tail, or somewhere else in his body.

[BDawg]

Mine will drop their tails if they are not feeling good– particularly after they've had shots or if their glands are impacted. Also, one of my kids will drop hers if she's scared or about to throw up. Hope that helps-- I do not think it's unusual. :)

[sharronhurlbut]

I hope he gets his tail up again.
I have never seen one down for a long period of time, unless there is an injury or pain.

[Natalplum]

Well, here some good news. He's tail goes up occasionally but certainly not like its normal self. He does not seem to have any pain in it. I gently massaged it and he didn't seem bothered by my touch. It still flops to the down position though. I'll see how he's doing tomorrow and call the vet if I feel its not perking up.

[bellabasenji]

Keep us posted, I hope he gets the curl back soon!

[nodakerdeb]

I've never seen that either – except when they are getting a bath.

[tanza]

Not that this is what is going on with this guy… but puppies when teething will drop their tails... The first puppy that I had that happen with, freaked me out... (along with ears dropping also)......

[BDawg]

Is he acting lethargic?
How is the rest of his personality?

[mauigirl]

Riley drops his tail when he is not feeling quite right. I have seen it at the park before. Liz and I both noticed that he was acting off, like he was nervous. I noticed that he dropped his tail when a particular white German Shepard was near him. I suppose the GSD made him uncomfortable…..we were glad when he left.

Best of luck for finding out what is going on

[Natalplum]

Ok so heres the deal…...I noticed a day before his tail went limp that it was real puffy. You know when cats get scared and they puff up to look bigger? Well that is what Mick's tail looked like, then it went limp now its back to puffy and limp. What in the world is going on with this? I called the vet and he has an appointment to get it checked out.

[Natalplum]

Oh to answer your questions BDawg, no he's not lethargic. He's playing and running like normal.

[snorky998]

I agree with BDawg, impacted glands.
It could also be a simple tail sprain or a problem in the lower lumbar or sacrum. I'd have a vet check done just to reassure yourself.

[Jylly18]

This happened to my dog, Tosca, about a year or two ago. I still to this day have no idea what happened, but I think it was some kind of injury. What happened was that my husband I had a long day, too long for Tosca to be crated…so we asked our aunt to come relieve her, let her out to go to the bathroom, walk, etc. and put her back in until we got home. At this point, we were also leaving her out short periods of time to see how she would do. Anyway, there was miscommunication, and our aunt left Tosca loose in the house, instead of putting her back in the crate. I was freaked out until we got home, and luckily found no damage. However, that night, and at least all the next day her tail was down, just like that. She was acting her normal self, but would kind of whimper if you touched the area, hinting to me that something was sore. I called the vet, and they said (it was a weekend) to just keep an eye on her, and call back on Monday if things weren't better. Well, by Monday the tail slowly began going back up again, and was back to normal before long. Soooo...I still have no idea what she did to injure her tail, but luckily it was no big deal...hopefully you are just dealing with something similar, and it will get better soon, good luck!

[Natalplum]

Well, his tail returned to normal just 2 days after. He has his 1 year check up this week so the doc will check it for any problems. Thanks for all your input and advise.