WAGGY AGONY Lockdown joy hits tail

A SAUSAGE dog has been learning how to wag his tail again – after breaking it getting too excited on lockdown.

And charities warn there could be a spike in cases of “happy tail syndrome” during quarantine, as pets like Rolo do extreme wagging, causing sprains and other injuries.

Rolo’s owner Emma Smith explained: “My dog has been so happy that everyone is home all the time for quarantine that his tail stopped working.

“So we went to the vet and the vet said he had sprained his tail from excessively wagging it.”

She posted her pet’s predicament on Twitter – and Rolo became an internet star with a million likes.

A dog’s tail has 20 vertebrae, although some breeds have fewer. Those with long tails and big personalities, such as labradors and pitbulls, tend to be most affected by wagging injuries.

Luckily, seven-year-old Rolo got pain relief from a vet and was soon able to wag from side to side – but has struggled to lift his tail up in the air.

He has been “chilling” at home in Essex this week and Emma said he was “almost back to full wagability”.

A Dogs Trust spokesman said: “Having their family home all day is bound to be an exciting time for dogs which can mean much tail wagging.

“Unfortunately we’ve been reading reports of dogs being so excited they have injured their tail – something people are calling happy tail syndrome. If your dog does happen to injure their tail, we’d recommend contacting your vet for guidance. We would not recommend attempting to bandage it.

“We understand vet practices are only open for emergencies but they should be able to provide helpful advice over the phone.

“We have lots of advice online that will help dog owners to keep pets calm and occupied throughout the day, such as treasure hunting for treats and building a doggy den to give them somewhere comfortable to relax.”

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