Besides providing your dog with nutritious diet and regular grooming and exercise,there are lots of other small gestures which go a long way in ensuring that you’ve healthy and happy pets. A routine visit to the veterinary is part of a proper care for a dog. The yearly vaccinations and regular check ups are an essential part of pet care and all this costs money. As a responsible owner, I am sure that most of us plan out a monthly budget keeping the dog’s needs in mind; however, emergencies and unplanned expenditures do happen. A well planned dog insurance can then save the day for you and definitely for your pet. Some basic pointers, however, need to be paid special attention to, while selecting an appropriate dog insurance policy for your pet.

Whenever you approach a pet insurance company for a dog insurance plan for your pet, make sure that you have completed your background research about the company. Existing clients of the company or interaction with past customers can be a good way to judge the service and product offering of the insurance company. Once you are confirmed about the reliability and credentials of the company you can go ahead and plan the right policy for your beloved pet. Dog insurance plans will be decided after keeping the age, gender and breed of your pet. Make sure that you find out about all the diseases covered under the plan, as some of the hereditary or genetic diseases can bePriceyto cure.

A secured dog insurance plan should also cover the regular veterinary expenditures and unplanned medical emergencies. Some insurance plans also have provisions for special circumstances like a lost pet scenario or perhaps injury to a third person by your pet. Carefully weigh all your options andchoose the plan most suited to your pet’s requirements. You will find that the nominal premium which you pay on a dog insurance turns out to be much less than what you would normally pay from your pocket for the same expenses. So, get your dog an insurance cover and both of you can rest simple for life.

Limber tail syndrome, cold water tail, dead tail, broken wag, broken tail are all common names for an occurrence among sporting breed dogs. While Labrador Retrievers appear to be especiallylikely to this injury, it has also been seen in different sporting breeds like Pointers, Flatcoats, Setters, Beagles and Foxhounds.

This affliction is described to be when a dog’s tail hangs down from the base or is held horizontally out approximately three inches and then drops down. The dog may seem uncomfortable and show some pain.

The cause of limber tail is still unknown but has been associated with overworking especially in unconditioned dogs, swimming in water that’s too cold or even too hot and cage transport. It is also believed that it can be caused by the motion the tail makes while swimming which can overwork the muscles in the tail or from excessive tail wagging. A combination of these factors could also be the cause in developing this condition.

Sporting dogs may be more prone tothis injury due to the way they use their tails during hunting and swimming. Studies that are being done are showing this syndrome to be similar to muscle fatigue and the overworking of the muscles in the tail. The syndrome can effect both male and female dogs and effecting dogs ranging in ages from 6 months to 9 years.

The main treatment for limber tail syndrome is to just let the dog rest and leave the tail alone. Recovery can be seen within a few days but can take up to two weeks. Anti-inflammatory drugs administered early by a qualified veterinarian may hasten the recovery.

If you are an owner of a sporting breed dog, there are somesuggestions that are believed to help dogs against this ailment. Many times there isn’t a way of preventing the injury because sporting dogs love water and it is there natural instinct to hunt. However you can try not to keep your pet confined in a kennel for long periods of time and if you do hunt with your dog, conditioning is important especially in younger dogs. Allow your dog to rest during vigorous exercise. Regardless of the weather, keep your dog’s bedding dry and when traveling, allow your dog to stretch frequently.

Even though limber tail may be rare when compared to the entire dog population, it is commonin pointing and retrieving dogs. Dogs that have been afflicted have a one in three chance of a reoccurrence and a small percentage of affected dogs may experience permanent damage showing signs of a distorted tail posture.

This odd occurrence with sporting dogs has been known for many years among sporting dog enthusiasts. When an average individual owns a sporting dog and this occurs, the first reaction is that the dog has a broken or damaged tail. This occurrence has also been misdiagnosed by veterinarians. If your pet shows these types of symptoms and the symptoms last longer than two days, it issuggested that you take your pet to the veterinarian. A simple x-ray can give piece of mind and let an owner know if there is internal damage to the tail.

Sources:

http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/c oldtail.html

http://www.siriusdog.com/limbe r-tail-syndrome.htm

http://www.justlabradors.com/a rticles/lab_health_and_nutriti on/limber_tail_syndrome.html