The dog’s tail is an anatomical part that can reveal a lot about the health and mood of our furry friend. Unfortunately, not all humans are able to receive, or at least immediately understand, Fido’s messages. As far as health problems are concerned , the situation is improving: we are all a little better at sensing that something is wrong, but perhaps this is also due to the presence of various indicators that can possibly put us on alert (loss of appetite, unusual aggressiveness, and so on).
To improve the living conditions of our pet and to build a deeper bond with her, it is therefore necessary to learn to observe her tail well. Here are some suggestions on the subject.“.
Canine Anatomy
Without going into too much detail, we will say that the dog’s tail is nothing more than a portion of its spinal column. This means that it is a living and vital part in which there are many nerve endings. The vertebrae that compose it have a variable number: depending on the breed of the animal, there are between 18 and 22 units.
On an anatomical level, this part of the body helps the dog maintain good balance during a relaxing walk, during a strenuous run in the fields, during a refreshing swim or when it becomes necessary to suddenly change direction.
Tail and health
The dog’s tail can be indicative, as we said earlier, of the health status of our pet. Among the most frequently visible pathologies on this part of the body we can mention here abrasions, generic wounds, fractures (remember that it is a relatively soft part but in which there are bones), inflammations and nerve lesions.
In the first case we are dealing with something not excessively worrying: Fido, most likely, will have dragged his beautiful tail on rough surfaces or, in a moment of distraction, will have gotten stuck somewhere. In some cases, however, he may have bitten himself: this behavior, if repeated, should obviously be reported to the vet. Sometimes abrasions can also hide food problems (allergies and intolerances above all), skin diseases, parasitic or fungal attacks.
It happens that not only does the tail have wounds, but it also swells and appears fractured to the touch. In that case, it would be best to give immediate relief to our four-legged friend thanks to a cold compress and then run immediately to the specialist.
Inflammations then mainly affect uncastrated male specimens. The phenomenon is especially observable when the animal, for various reasons, is prey to a hormonal storm . The pathology can be quite painful and it is therefore necessary to find a remedy immediately.
As for the neurological aspect, remember that inside the spinal column, and therefore also the tail, there are many nerves. This exposes this part of the body to a great variety of more or less dangerous traumas and capable of influencing various aspects of Fido’s life: pulling your dog’s tail, for example, could make him incontinent in the long run.
Why do dogs wag their tails?
Our furry friend also uses his tail to communicate. For example, we all know that a dog that wags its tail convulsively means that it is happy. Why? Well, because the joy hormones secreted at that particular moment will start to spread into the surrounding environment. In short, it is a way to make everything around him happier.
When Fido has messed up badly, is embarrassed or is afraid of something, he keeps his tail between his legs so as not to spread his scent into the air.
Some studies have also shown that a wagging tail to the right is usually associated with positive sensations while the movement in the opposite direction indicates tension and nervousness.
But the language of the tail does not stop there. When the movements are wide it means that the animal has friendly intentions, otherwise it is a bit wary. Slow gestures or general staticity instead communicate to humans a state of normality, while a high tail that moves continuously back and forth tells us that our four-legged friend feels threatened by something.
Some curiosities
Not everyone knows that dogs never wag their tails when they are not in company: it almost seems like they are talking to themselves!
Another curiosity related to the dog’s tail concerns the tendency to catch its own, a practice that is very amusing to humans. This behavior occurs because for the furry one it is a way like any other to entertain itself and to satisfy its predatory instinct. For this reason it is frequent especially in still young specimens. The older ones instead behave in this way when they fall victim to a parasitic attack or psychological trauma.
Finally, it is necessary to inform the reader that for some time now, European legislation has strictly prohibited the docking of dogs’ tails.
