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AGAIN.
This is the second time after dock diving that he's gotten "limp tail", "limber tail", "dead tail", "cold tail", it goes by many names.
I'm so disappointed. I hope this doesn't end his dock diving career. We had entered, and paid for, today's splashes but of course we're not going. The poor guy.
There is a woman who attends most of the same dock diving events that I do, who is a sport/rehabilitation vet. I happened to be talking to her yesterday about his previous experience with limp tail after the last time she and I had been dock diving. I told her that I was being REAL careful to dry him off, not let him get cold, etc.
She told me that while cold can be a contributing factor, it's actually only one factor. She also said that movement and/or impact on the water are much more likely to cause it instead of cold/wet, but that the cold and wet could certainly make it worse. Interestingly, she said that shaking a lot (as in, to get the water off) has been implicated as another major contributing factor. He shook a LOT yesterday, I have to wonder if a combination of the cold water, the repeated jumps, using his tail as a rudder when swimming, and the constant shaking caused this.
So last night he started acting not quite himself, and this morning he has full dead tail.
I'm soooo disappointed. Now I know it's minor, it's not life threatening or anything, but I sure hope we can keep dock diving.
Anyone have any ideas how to prevent this, other than making sure to dry him right away and keep him warm, both of which I did yesterday????
This is the second time after dock diving that he's gotten "limp tail", "limber tail", "dead tail", "cold tail", it goes by many names.
I'm so disappointed. I hope this doesn't end his dock diving career. We had entered, and paid for, today's splashes but of course we're not going. The poor guy.
There is a woman who attends most of the same dock diving events that I do, who is a sport/rehabilitation vet. I happened to be talking to her yesterday about his previous experience with limp tail after the last time she and I had been dock diving. I told her that I was being REAL careful to dry him off, not let him get cold, etc.
She told me that while cold can be a contributing factor, it's actually only one factor. She also said that movement and/or impact on the water are much more likely to cause it instead of cold/wet, but that the cold and wet could certainly make it worse. Interestingly, she said that shaking a lot (as in, to get the water off) has been implicated as another major contributing factor. He shook a LOT yesterday, I have to wonder if a combination of the cold water, the repeated jumps, using his tail as a rudder when swimming, and the constant shaking caused this.
So last night he started acting not quite himself, and this morning he has full dead tail.
I'm soooo disappointed. Now I know it's minor, it's not life threatening or anything, but I sure hope we can keep dock diving.
Anyone have any ideas how to prevent this, other than making sure to dry him right away and keep him warm, both of which I did yesterday????