dogs tail

Question
I noticed a few days ago that my beagle (8 yrs old) tail is swollen right by where it connects to his body.  My husband thought that it was a bug bite and looked for a bite on it. We look at it a couple times a day now, and he doesnt pull away or yelp.  I have even squeezed it to see if I could get a reaction from him, and nothing. He just looks at me and then falls over so that I can rub his belly. He wags it without a problem and sits fine.  His eating it normal. No problem going to the bathroom.  It has been swollen for 5 days now.  Some of the swelling has gone down, but it is still hard and swollen. It is not his whole tail..just about 3 inches from his body.  The swelling seems to be on both sides of his tail.  Is this something I should worry about?

Answer
Kim,

Your dog should be seen by a veterinarian. It sounds like a more internal problem as opposed to something orthopedic, like the tail being pulled out of the joint - as this would cause a more 'soft' swelling and likely more pain than you are describing. Several conditions and circumstances can lead to a hard, swollen area, and all of them require a veterinary exam for diagnosis to be possible.

Best wishes.

Ashley