Why does my dog’s tail hurt when I touch it?
Limber tail is a painful muscle condition that is thought to be caused by overexertion. It causes pain at the base of the tail that is usually sensitive to touch and the remainder of the tail is often limp. It most commonly affects large breed, working dogs.
Do dogs feel pain in their tail? That’s because the tail DOES have pain receptors, but they do not react the same when relaxed as when excited. By the way, because a dog does not feel pain does not mean they cannot do damage.
What to do if you dog doesn’t like their tail to be touched?
Now we better understand why your dog doesnt like their tail touched, we can think about what to do about it. In many cases, we will simply need to respect their boundaries. We should never invade the dogs space or disturb their privacy. In cases where a dog has been abused, it is even possible they will react negatively and there is even a risk of attack. It is important to understand this is not the dogs fault, but the situation will need to be managed.
It is important to use common sense. If a dog does not like to have their tail touched, we need to be careful not to do so. We should never try to force interaction. We also need to be careful with other family members, especially children. Kids often like to pull on a dogs tail, even if they dont know what they are doing.
Of course, if the dogs tail is broken or has an injury, we will need to treat this problem. Take the dog to a veterinarian for diagnosis and follow their advice until the tail is healed.
Signs a Dog Is Sensitive to Touch
Dogs may show a variety of signs suggesting they are sensitive to touch. These signs may include the following:
Did You Know?
Dogs show whats known as a cutaneous trunci reflex, also known as panniculus reflex, when they are touched along the spine. The skin twitch observed in this area is likely a defensive mechanism to remove foreign bodies or insects, explains veterinarian Dr. Deb.