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My cat's tail is injured. Is it broken? How do I clean the wound?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 13 years and 5 months old

Hi, a door closed on my cat's tail, it left an open wound near the end of his tail, he can move his tail and it doesn't seem to hurt him (except when something touches the wound),how can i know (without a visit to the vet) if his tail is broken? and how many times a day should i clean his wound? Thank you

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on March 8th, 2018

Unfortunately, only an x-ray or a bone sticking out of the skin will tell you if it is broken. Tail injuries can be very serious, even if there is not a broken bone. Since they are very far away from the body, there is less blood flow that creates a condition for poor healing. I would strongly recommend seeing a vet. Depending on the amount of skin that is damaged, the vet may recommend amputation of the damaged part of the tail to help with healing. If you choose to treat at home, you need to try to clip the hair away from the wound so it can stay clean. You will need to prevent all licking, since this will delay healing and spread bacteria. You should clean it 2-3 times per day with water and a mild chlorhixidine wound soap. You can apply neosporin after cleaning the wound. Do not use alcohol or peroxide.

3Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA
Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist
Published on October 30th, 2017
I would discontinue the soap and peroxide. They are great for initial wound cleaning and removing bacteria, but continued use can damage healthy tissue and be very irritating and painful. You can just use a warm wet washcloth to clean the wound as needed, or if Fuzz will allow you can run that part of her tail under warm water for 5 minutes at a time to flush out any bacteria that may be present. Bactine is ok. Signs that she should see a vet right away would be a poor appetite, progressive lethargy, swelling around the wound, creamy discharge or a foul-smelling odor, or a rectal temperature over 103. After examination by the vet, they may prescribe antibiotics or other treatments, or may recommend amputation of the tail if any bones are broken. Wounds on a cat tail can be very difficult to treat since there is not a very good blood supply and it is an appendage that moves a lot!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on January 17th, 2017
I would gently clean her tail with an antiseptic soap and warm water, then have her seen by a vet in the morning. If there are puncture wounds, it's likely Sadie was bitten by something causing the hairless, and that can lead to infection. She may need antibiotics to treat the infection, and the vet can prescribed that. Please do not put any neosporin or topical antibiotic ointment on her tail. Although quite safe on superficial wounds, cats groom and ingest most of the topical ointment you apply and therefore should be used only under direct veterinary supervision and if there are no other appropriate options. Many human ointments contain multiple other ingredients which are not necessarily safe to be swallowed. The vet can prescribe oral antibiotics if needed.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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