# Acting Strange after DayCare



## drivebyjune (Oct 14, 2009)

Hey I had a strange experience with my lab last night/this morning and it's this first scare with her and it's only my first dog on my own so not sure if I'm over reacting. Any advice would be appreciated. 

So we started our 10m female lab at a doggy day care one day a week for the day that we both have to work all day. She went for a few hours Monday just to get a feel of the place and then yesterday was her first full day (10 hours). The owner said she had a blast and was a well adjusted to all the other dogs. She took a nap in a crate in the middle of the day and always had access to a place to rest and drink water. She seemed super exhausted when I picked her up, but she ran up to the gate, jumped in the car and crashed on her bed as soon as we got home. 

About an hour after sleeping hard, she woke up in a panic. She was shaking, panting, and then peed a little bit. She jumped up on my bed and it took forever to calm her. After a little while, she tried to join us in the kitchen and whenever she took a step she would yelp and bite her tail/back leg area. We have poked on her all over and checked her pads for a splinter or something but she doesn't seem to be sensitive to touch in any particular area. 

I had a leftover rimadyl from when she got fixed and gave her that last night. She ate her dinner and drank a full bowl or water in the bed and then crashed for the night. I talked to the owner of the daycare and she again reassured my that nothing traumatic happened and that she was supervised the whole day. She did say that although the dog seems like she is having fun, the newness of the place can be stressful This morning she didn't get up with me like usual and every time she stood she just immediately sat back down and starting bitting her tail area again but more in aggravation than pain. But the pain must be internal because I can't find a cut or anything. And this morning none of the shaking/panting occurred.

I'm guessing if she isn't walking around in the next few hours I'll take her into our vet. Could one day at day care stress her so much that she just panicked? She has never showed fear for anything and is seriously the most happy go lucky dog I have ever been around. Do you think she is still just physically exhausted and sore? Any advice would be helpful because this is the first time that she has every acted like this.


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## 2tall (Oct 11, 2006)

Is she holding her tail at a "funny" angle? I may be totally off base, but if she was exposed to a really unusual level of exercise and activity, she could be suffering from cold tail. If that is it, it will resolve itself in about 4 days. But if it were my dog, I'd be off to the vet asap. Thats what I did when my dog first had cold tail, I'd never heard of it, and I just felt better ruling out anything else!


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## ErinsEdge (Feb 14, 2003)

Cold Water Tail-she was having a lot of fun she wagged too much I bet.
http://s109414744.onlinehome.us/library/cwtail.html


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## Leddyman (Nov 27, 2007)

If it is cold tail, she will be holding her tail straight down behind her. It will look unusual. She will not wag her tail because it hurts. Basically she has a sprained tail. If she is holding her tail up in a normal position it is something else.

If it were not cold tail, I would consider stress induced IBS, but that is just because that is what it would be in my dog. I'm not a Vet.


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## drivebyjune (Oct 14, 2009)

The symptoms seem to fit and since the day care was so new and fun she probably didn't stop wagging it. We have always said her tail is the most dangerous part of her body because it is constantly knocking over stuff with it. I called the vet and I am taking her in this afternoon to just get a good check on her but hopefully this is it. Thanks for the quick responses.


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## Guest (Mar 3, 2010)

99% it's cold tail. Some dogs it doesn't bother at all and others it totally freaks out... Not the daycare's fault, as I'm sure you know. Normally gone within a few days and rimdayl can help the dogs it really bothers. Hope she feels better soon.

-K


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## Blklab (Aug 1, 2003)

When my dog had cold tail she would do what you are saying. She would sit immediately and bite at the base of the tail. Normally a few days and she should be o.k.


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