Broken Dog Tail: What Should I Do?

I have a very happy dog, however, of late my dog has been wagging his tail less vigorous and sometimes not at all even on things that excite him. To be knowledge, I know for the fact that he hasn’t injured himself, but I’m concerned if he has broken his tail.

From your description, I’m quite positive that your dog hasn’t broken his tail. To begin with, a broken tail can be flaccid and lifeless if there is nerve injury to the tail. It may also be swelling at the site of the fracture.

Furthermore, a broken tail is painful on touch and movement and your dog can be reluctant or unable to wag his tail at all. If you try to lift his supposedly broken tail to examine, your dog may yelp or even bite you. In some instances, defecation can be difficult in some dogs if they cannot lift their tail to poop—some owners often misunderstood this as constipation.

I would suggest a trip to your local veterinary clinic. An x-ray together with a physical examination by the veterinarian and history of trauma to the tail will help confirm the diagnosis and rule out other medical causes. Spinal and nerve problems environment influences or other medical conditions that affect the mood of the dog can also result in your dog wagging his tail less vigorously.

Also do watch out for any other signs of illness like lethargy, decrease in appetite, and/or depression. Make sure you leave nothing of this information out when consulting your veterinarian.