By now, prolonged isolation as a result of the coronavirus pandemic has turned into a less-than-ideal situation for most of us. But one group is loving the quarantine life: dogs.
In fact, one happy pup was so overjoyed to spend more time with his humans that he ended up injuring himself.
Rolo, a 7-year-old Dachshund in the United Kingdom, suffered a sprained tail while celebrating the around-the-clock companionship.
“My dog has been so happy that everyone is home for quarantine that his tail has stopped working,” said Rolo’s owner, Emma Smith, in a now viral Twitter post. “The vet said he had sprained his tail from excessively wagging it.”
Tail injuries can happen for a number of reasons. While trauma, such as getting stuck in a doorway, is an obvious culprit, excessive wagging can also be problematic, says Dr. Lauren Jones, a veterinarian in the Philadelphia area.
“For those exceedingly happy and excitable pups, tail injuries can be a fact of life,” says Jones. “Extremely excitable dogs may even repeatedly wag their tails so forcefully that the tip of the tail bleeds, developing a condition known as ‘happy tail.’”
Painful, limp tails can also be a sign of a more serious underlying problem. Neurologic conditions, limber tail syndrome, back pain, or anal gland issues can cause a dog to hold the tail abnormally, notes Jones.
If your dog is carrying his tail awkwardly, it’s important to have him evaluated by your veterinarian. “Although most of these conditions recover over time, often with prescription pain medications, some require more extensive diagnostic testing and treatments,” says Jones.
As for Rolo, he’s in good spirits and expected to make a full recovery, said Smith in a Twitter update.