Why some dogs 'lose their wag'

Some dogs can lose the ability to wag their tails because of an often painful issue called limber tail.

While it is known to typically affect larger working dog breeds like Labrador retrievers, researchers at the University of Edinburgh set out to determine why it appears to develop in certain members and not others.

The team assessed 38 canines with limber tail reported by their owners and 86 dogs with no apparent symptoms.

The researchers found that "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."

They also identified a higher incidence rate among working dogs but only found a mild correlation with swimming, which some had considered to be a contributing factor.

However, as a press release issued by the university states, "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. Experts hope that further studies will identify genes associated with the condition, which could one day help breeders to identify animals that are likely to be affected."

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