Why is my cat licking her amputated tail and losing fur suddenly?

Hello. A properly done tail amputation should have healed in several weeks. This is probably a neurological response to the actual surgery, a type of phantom pain going on that is causing the cat to lick, groom & attack the area. The cat probably needs to be seen again, either to do a little more surgery & place her on a medication that will hopefully decrease the phantom pain sensation. Often a medication called Gabapentin is necessary. This should be completely healed by now. Please encourage your roommate to take his cat to the vet as soon as possible. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Sky has been having issues with her tail. It does appear that she has a wound on her tail, either from the original injury or from something unrelated. It is difficult to tell from the picture whether or not the wound is extensive enough to need stitches, but it may need antibiotics to help prevent infection. I would recommend she be re-evaluated by her veterinarian to assess the severity of the wound, and if further treatment and/or antibiotics may be needed for it to heal. Good luck!

We definitely recognize phantom limb pain in animals, just like they do in the human medical field. Especially since there is some fur missing at the stump, and as Sunny is growling, I suspect that is that is going on. Please take her to your vet for some appropriate pain relievers. Also acupuncture may help with this condition, so ask your vet for the names of some veterinary acupuncturists in your area.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Bubba! Without seeing the missing leg in person or a picture it is hard to know what is going on. I worry that there is foreign material or some other source of chronic infection in the stump of the leg. I would take her back to the Vet for an exam. Personally I would X-ray the remaining segments of the leg and consider exploring the stump or removing more of the leg higher up to prevent chronic trauma and infection. Another thought is phantom or chronic nerve pain. Bubba might feel tingling and is self mutilating. Your Vet can try medications for this. I would take Bubba back to your Vet to start figuring this out. I wish you the best of luck!

Hello there, Sorry to hear this happened with Luna. Most of the time, tail fractures will heal well with medical treatment and minimal long term issues in pets. That being said, open wounds or complicated fractures could mean a necessary tail amputation. I'd recommend having Luna seen by a veterinarian for a physical exam. They can prescribe pain medications to keep her comfortable while she heals. They may recommend an x-ray to assess internal damage. If there is an open wound, they will likely recommend a course of antibiotics as well to prevent infection. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Raoul! I would worry about trauma: someone pulled his tail, his tail was ran over and fractured or other nerve damage. Ideally he should be seen by a Vet to potentially X-ray to the tail to look for fractures. I hope this helps and I wish Raoul the best!

The most common cause of hair loss around the tail is from flea allergies so I would definitely check her thoroughly for fleas. Other possibly causes are anal gland problems, seasonal allergies, ringworm, mites, infections. She should be examined by a vet to determine the cause and appropriate treatment.