bump on dogs tail

[robert54843]

About half way up his tail its hard but not rock hard could it be frostbite?

[1bludawg]

Does he whip his tail while trailing? If so it could be broke.Feel the bump and gently move his tail back and forth. If its broke you should be able to feel it .It could also be from slapping his tail against the brush,making a callous.

[Emily]

frost bite doesn't usually cause a bump, and usually would start near the end of the tail, not the middle. If the dog went out in very cold weather with a small wet spot where the lump is, its possible, but its more likely that the fur would fall out than it would turn into a firm knot.

Could be a half-healed injury, a cyst, a bug bite. A lot of hounds whack their tails into things, wag them against hard objects, get them slammed in dog box doors, etc. Some end up with permanent kinks in their tails after getting trampled by littermates when very young.

If it doesn't seem painful and he's not a show dog, I wouldn't worry too much. If its painful for him or keeps growing, show it to a vet and get a professional opinion.