The research offers clues to potential causes of the illness – known as limber tail – which mostly affects larger working dog breeds, such as Labrador Retrievers.
Researchers say their findings are the first step towards preventing the distressing condition, which causes the tail to become limp and painful.
The team at The University of Edinburgh compared 38 cases of limber tail that were identified from owners’ reports about their dogs’ health with 86 dogs that had no tail symptoms.
Their goal was to gain insight into habits and lifestyle factors that might explain why some dogs are affected and not others.
The majority of dogs in the study were pets but those affected by limber tail were more likely to be working dogs, they found.
Swimming has previously been thought to be a risk factor for limber tail, which is sometimes known as ‘swimmers’ tail’. Some but not all of the affected dogs had been swimming prior to the onset of symptoms, the study found.
Dogs with the condition were more likely to live in northern areas, lending support to anecdotal reports that limber tail is associated with exposure to the cold.
Labradors that had suffered limber tail were more likely to be related to each other than unaffected dogs, which may indicate an underlying genetic risk.
Researchers say their findings are the first step towards preventing the distressing condition, which causes the tail to become limp and painful.
The team at The University of Edinburgh compared 38 cases of limber tail that were identified from owners’ reports about their dogs’ health with 86 dogs that had no tail symptoms.
Their goal was to gain insight into habits and lifestyle factors that might explain why some dogs are affected and not others.
The majority of dogs in the study were pets but those affected by limber tail were more likely to be working dogs, they found.
Swimming has previously been thought to be a risk factor for limber tail, which is sometimes known as ‘swimmers’ tail’. Some but not all of the affected dogs had been swimming prior to the onset of symptoms, the study found.
Dogs with the condition were more likely to live in northern areas, lending support to anecdotal reports that limber tail is associated with exposure to the cold.
Labradors that had suffered limber tail were more likely to be related to each other than unaffected dogs, which may indicate an underlying genetic risk.