Border collie Jack passed away on February 28, 2022

[k9diabetes]

Re: Jack the project!

Jo-Ann! What a pleasure to see you here! How are you?

Natalie

[Dollydog]

Re: Jack the project!

Hi Natalie and thank you...I'm just awesome!! Our lives revolve around a gorgeous little girl who lives across the street from us....she will be 6 months old tomorrow! Her name is Keira and we just adore her. We always remember to let her parents(our son and his wife) know that they are just as important to us as they've always been....but I'm not sure we're very successful at that!!

I check up on everyone about once or twice a month....depends on how the old computer is working. Victoria is doing great....she would love to lick the baby's face but she's not allowed....just her hand.

Take care and will keep checking on you two...
Jo-Ann

[k9diabetes]

Jack's visit to the emergency vet

Yesterday was going along pretty normally. We got Jack out later than usual, about 4pm, took him to the park and let him chase a ball a few times and then walked our usual distance. More exercise than usual by a tad but not a lot. He also got hold of a few things at the park and ate them, no idea what. Most likely poop as that's what it usually is....

A bit later my husband and I went out to grab some dinner and take care of some errands, leaving Jack at home. Got home at 8pm, fed Jack and Katie, and then I gave Jack a rawhide for entertainment, one of the big knotted end ones.

He was acting a bit strange with the rawhide... he wanted me to stay with him while he ate it and he was chewing it frenetically. Usually he will gnaw on it fairly leisurely but instead he was hyper and crunching it into pieces... it's hard to explain but I commented a couple of times to my husband that he was acting strange with it. I watched him the whole time so I knew he hadn't swallowed any big pieces.

Once he finished the rawhide, he was antsy and unsettled. We took him onto the bed to lay down with him and see if he would relax. He couldn't settle. Every 30 seconds he got up and changed positions and groaned. He was obviously in pain and his tail was held at a weird angle. He didn't want to sit and asked three times to go out into the back yard where he just paced and circled.

Since he had eaten unknown things at the park and just had dinner, I was really worried about the possibilities of bloat or of a sharp bone or other object he might have consumed earlier. His stomach didn't seem tender but I was really worried because he was in such obvious pain.

So off to the emergency vet. We are fortunate that the e-vet is just 20 minutes from home and they were having a very slow night so Jack got lots of attention.

After a lot of examination, it seemed like his tail was what hurt. He was holding it at an odd angle still. But no obvious injury to it.

The vet on duty, who I liked very much, gave him an injection of a narcotic pain med and did some x-rays of his body from the tail to this neck - nothing obviously wrong, no foreign bodies, no sign of abdominal tenderness. We came home and with the pain meds Jack slept well overnight.

The first thing I noticed when we got home was that now, instead of being held at an odd angle, his tail was completely limp. And it has been that way pretty much since. He did manage to wag it a bit this morning, anemically but enough to know that his tail wasn't paralyzed.

We had to be out of town this morning so took him with us. He's better but not recovered. And still this limp tail just hanging there and freaking me out.

So I went online and boom... something I have never heard of: limber tail syndrome.

Common in hunting dogs but can occur in any dog with a tail.

http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/limbertail-update704.html

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/iss...s/15685-1.html

This sounds EXACTLY like what happened to Jack, who is improved 20 hours later but still not recovered.

Jack was already on an NSAID daily. We try not to give Tramadol because of a potential interaction between Tramadol and his Prozac so he got a narcotic pain killer yesterday, has been on his own today.

I had never ever heard of this before.

Natalie

[jesse girl]

Re: Border collie Jack

i have seen this in jesse before her tail would become crooked or cocked at a weird angle and i remember it did not take long to get better it almost looked broken running my hand down her tail she had no pain and i did not feel anything broken

its nice to finally have a possible answer for that it was very strange looking

it is kind of scary looking glad you found a possible answer and hope jack gets better soon

[Judi]

Re: Border collie Jack

I've never heard of that. glad you got an answer and I hope it doesn't happen again. scary

[BestBuddy]

Re: Border collie Jack

Wow never heard of that one.
Sounds like all will be well in a couple of days luckily.
Natalie, I hope Jack doesn't find any more new diseases/ailments for you.

Jenny

[k9diabetes]

Re: Border collie Jack

He seems slightly better tonight. Wagged his tail a little a few times in the past few minutes while playing, though it is still painful enough that he refuses to sit.

It was a good chance to check out the ER clinic as it changed hands last year. The vet we had last night used to be a tech for the vet I really love who is mostly retired now and she had his clinic's very open and supportive style. And they were great handling Jack. I was back with him everywhere except for the x-rays and they were very gentle with him.

Natalie

[Shellie]

Re: Border collie Jack

Wow! Who would have thought their tails could get 'broken'! That's amazing but I'm very glad Jack seems better! How awful to have something we love so much get injured!

[CarolW]

Re: Border collie Jack

Gosh, Natalie! So sorry about the "cold tail" - that's what I knew it as.

I encountered that at a clicker-training workshop, around 1997 (where I knew more than the presenter, but the presenter was doing well with it) - when a four-month-old Lab attending the workshop had "cold tail." She'd had it from a day or two before. So sad, seeing her discomfort, and the tail just hanging down. She (the dog) was a good sport about the whole thing.

The presenter was a local veterinarian (from the Big City - not very local, but within half a day's reach).

Today was Camellia's Bath-and-Spray day; it took me ALL DAY to catch her for the bath, and she takes a couple of hours to dry; then comes the spray.

Well, I suddenly got very paranoid about Cold Tail, and shut her in (blocked the dog door) for a while. Nearly panicked when I stepped outside briefly, leaving her in, and saw through the window that her tail was hanging limp - I'd let her out to pee in the chill not long after the bath, when she was still quite wet. Power of suggestion!

Managed the spray about 1.5 hours after the bath, and was watching her tail.

WHEW - her tail came back up. Relief! I have to control myself some, so as not to be too suggestible!

I read the links you provided; most interesting. I'm curious that they call it "Limber Tail," when it seems to me, the tail is anything BUT limber!

You are such a good caretaker, Natalie. Hope Jack recovers in the next few days, with no remaining difficulties afterwards.

Camellia is waving her tail, suggestively, at Jack, and says, Look, Jack;here's how it's done!

Yeah, riiiiiiiight!

Wishing you the best!

Love and hugs,
Tue, 6 Mar 2012 21:10:19 (PST)

[Abby's Mom]

Re: Border collie Jack

Glad everything is well for all of you...I too never heard of that. I wonder if it only occurs in certain breeds. For example how would know for a Dog that had a cropped tail?

They certainly keep us on our toes!

[Patty]

Re: Border collie Jack

Wow, interesting Natalie. Glad Jack is doing somewhat better. Hope he recovers quickly. Also glad the Emergency Vet is so great!

[buddingartist]

Re: Border collie Jack

Wow, I have learned something new today. I never even thought that the tail could affect a dog's balance.

Jack knows he can throw all kinds of curves at you Natalie because you are so knowledgeable and if you don't know, you will find the answer.

It's a good thing that you had access to excellent vet care and hope Jack recuperates quickly.

Louise

[k9diabetes]

Re: Border collie Jack

Jack seems slightly better today but he's still subdued and didn't really object to being rested today. This evening when he went out to potty, he managed to raise his tail above his hips for a couple of seconds. First time he's done that since Monday night. It's mostly hanging limp with just the first few inches standing away from his body a bit. But he has wagged it multiple times today.

If I want to turn in an insurance claim I will need a formal diagnosis - not sure whether to get that from the e-vet or talk with our regular vet.

Jack was due for blood work anyway so had them do a panel and everything looked lovely on that, including his thyroid level.

And Jack was so good at the vet's too. They put him through quite an exam - the orthopedic exam involves a whole lot of pushing and pulling on his legs and neck - plus x-rays and a blood draw and a urine draw and an IV injection of the pain med. He managed to tolerate it very well and was not muzzled. Everyone on duty that night was very relaxed and had quiet personalities.

Think I will call the regular vet tomorrow and see whether I should bring him in for a formal diagnosis.

Natalie

[Soaphie & Sydney's Mom]

Re: Border collie Jack

So glad you are seeing come improvement Natalie. Also glad his blood work is fine.

[jjefferjo]

Re: Border collie Jack

Glad jack is better and I must say
Nobody but you Natalie