Old dog, Tail hanging down

Renno123

Hi, I have a very old dog. she will be turning 18 in a few weeks.
in the last week or so, her tail has been hanging down, almost tucked between her legs.
as would be expected with her age, she is stiff.
would this be a sign of pain or mood?
thanks

sillysmiles

I've seen my sisters dog do this when she was constipated!

VonVix

That sounds to me like a "I'm not feeling good" sign. I'd bring her to the vet to investigate further. It could be anything, but you have spotted something that is (I presume) out of character for her, body language wise. I wouldn't ignore it.

Renno123

thanks, she is going to the toilet fine.

RubyK

Our old Kerry did the same, unfortunately she wasnt in good health Best go the vet.

Ms Doubtfire1

+1 for vet. time for a healthcheck

Renno123

thanks, i brought her to the vet a few days ago and brought this to the vets attention.
she is on drops for an eye issue so maybe its related.

aonb

OP, how lucky are you to have an 18 year old dog.
She is so precious, and needs to be taken care of, shown all the love and TLC that such an elderly dog deserves.
If I see a dog with her tail hanging between her legs, I immediately think sick/scared/unhappy - i.e something is not right
You have had her at the vet to have an eye problem seen to - did the vet do a thorough check up? Is the vet a small animal vet (as opposed to a large animal vet, which can be a completely different attitude)? If this is new behaviour - the droopy tail - I would certainly investigate. Is she eating well? If shes stiff, she may be in pain/arthritic - worth having her checked and getting some pain relief. Is she eating well? is she alert? is she drinking well? Is her bed nice and soft and supportive for her elderly bones? Are there fireworks in your area that shes scared of? how are her teeth? nails? lots of things to think of and check. She is a precious age, and wont be with you forever, its up to you to make sure that her latter years are comfortable and happy.