Do you think your cat has broken its tail? If you notice that he is in pain and his tail seems floppy, you are understandably concerned.
In this article we will help you know if your cat has a broken or injured tail, and what to do to help it. We will discuss the symptoms, causes, anatomy of the tail, what to do, and treatment. Read on to learn more.
How to tell if your cat’s tail is broken or injured
Whether or not you witnessed the injury, there are different ways to tell if your cat has injured its tail or even broken its tail. The most common symptoms include:
- Lack of tail movement.
- Bleeding
- Puffy tail.
- Loss of hair.
- Difficulty controlling bowel movements.
- Your cat is hiding, crying, or aggressive.
This way, you can recognize when your cat is in pain and you can act quickly before it becomes too serious.
The cause of an injured or broken tail is always injury. Perhaps your cat was out exploring when an accident occurred where it fell or something fell on its tail. When a cat hurts its tail, it can fracture, break, or even dislocate. Minor injuries can include scrapes, hair loss, swelling, or some bleeding. Major injuries can include nerve damage, blood vessel damage, broken bones, etc.
With that said, the most common cat tail injury is a fractured tail, as it can be caused by a wide variety of accidents. Fractured cat tails near the base are more serious as they can also involve damage to the nerves or blood vessels, making it a more serious and painful injury. Fractured cattails near the tip are less painful and often less severe.
Nerve damage in a cat’s tail injury is usually indicated by a floppy tail, lack of tail movement, and difficulty defecating. They will likely cry, hide, be aggressive, or freeze due to pain.
Anatomy of a cat’s tail
The tail of a cat is made up of about 22 caudal or coccygeal vertebrae, which are small rectangular-shaped bones that decrease in size from base to tip. The feline tail is a continuation of its spine. The sacrum around the hip separates the lumbar vertebrae from the tail vertebrae.
The spine of cats is more flexible than that of dogs, especially around the tail area, which allows them a lot of mobility and flexibility, as well as serving as an axis of rotation when they fall to readjust their posture and intervenes in the center of its stability.
What to do if your cat hurts its tail
Help your cat stay calm
The first thing you want to do is help your cat stay calm. He may be scared and in pain, so it is your responsibility to help him overcome this problem as well as possible. To help her calm down, you can make sure she rests in a comfortable and cozy place, perhaps on her bed, box, or cat carrier.
Leave a bowl of cool water near him, talk to him in a low voice, and pat his head so he can try to calm down. Make sure there are no other stressful triggers around him, like loud sounds, other pets or people, etc.
Look at the wound
Now that your cat is a little calmer, you can visually observe the tail. Is it flabby, swollen, or bleeding? Try to observe any other abnormal behavior in your cat. Are they crying or hiding? You should take all of this into account when you call your vet and tell him what happened, as well as the symptoms that your cat has. Avoid touching the tail, as it may cause more pain or damage the animal’s injury. If you must touch the tail, do so very carefully.
Call a vet
Now you should call your vet. Even if your cat suffers from one of the symptoms mentioned above that raises suspicion of a minor injury, it is enough to call a vet. We should never wait to contact a professional when our cat is behaving abnormally or is in pain as it could cause greater damage and make your cat suffer for longer.
It is best to take them to the vet as soon as possible so that they are properly diagnosed and treated. Your vet will ask about the symptoms and then ask you to bring the cat to the clinic.
How to treat an injured or broken cat tail?
Each injury will be different, therefore, it is the veterinarian who must diagnose the injury and find the appropriate treatment for your pet’s condition. Let’s take a look at some treatment possibilities for a fractured cat tail.
Minor injuries to the cat’s tail
For most fractured tails, the tail will heal naturally, but over time. This implies that it was a clean break that did not affect any nerves or blood vessels. In these cases, the vet will simply make sure it is healing properly and provide your cat with pain relievers to help ease the pain.
Serious cat tail injuries
In severe cat tail injuries, the bone has been broken beyond repair or the injury has damaged the animal’s nervous system or blood vessels. In these cases, where the tail cannot heal on its own, the vet may need to dock the tail. They may also need surgery to repair any nerve damage. If this is the case, your vet will provide you with more information.
Fortunately, most cats recover very well from this procedure and adapt quickly to their shorter tails. They will be jumping and playing again in no time. Talk to your vet about the procedure and ask about the recovery time as it will depend on your cat’s injury.
The most important thing to do when your cat suffers a tail injury or is experiencing symptoms of an injured tail is to see the vet as soon as possible. The faster you go to the vet and treat the injury, the faster your cat will heal and recover from its unfortunate mishap.