My outdoor cat has recurring red sores on her tail. What to do?

If Jagger goes outdoors he may be developing abscesses at the base of his tail that are rupturing and healing - abscesses most often form after a cat bite. He may also have a dermatological condition like allergies, fleas, or 'stud tail' that is causing bacterial infections at the base of his tail. I would recommend making an appointment with your veterinarian to have these sores examined. He may need antibiotics.

It looks like it could be an injury to your cat’s tail. If he’s allowed outside, he could have gotten into a fight with another cat causing the wound. Cat bites frequently become infected and cause an abscess, so I would have this checked out by a vet today or tomorrow. The vet can clean it up and can give antibiotics as needed. I hope this helps!

This looks like is may be a bite wound abscess that ruptured. Ideally, it should be addressed by your veterinarian. Surgery may be indicated to clean and flush the wound. Antibiotics and pain medication may also be indicated. Place an e-collar (cone) on him to prevent licking until he sees the doctor. You may need to confine him indoors until he is healed.

This spot on Snowball could be from an injury, or it could be due to allergies, fleas, or a ringworm lesion. I would have him seen by a vet for this. The vet can examine the spot, and do blood tests, use a flea comb, and a Wood's lamp to diagnose what caused the spot. Once the cause of the spot is diagnosed, the vet can prescribe an appropriate treatment.

A flea allergy often causes irritation at the tail base or top of the tail. It could be some other cause of inflammation as well, but I would recommend that you start her on a good monthly flea product if she's not already on something. You can try a product such this: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-spray-with-5-hydrocortisone. Also, put an e-collar on her to prevent her from licking at it; and if its not improving within a few days, arrange for her to see a vet. You may be able to find a house call vet or mobile vet in your area who would come to your home, this may make it easier for you both. Thanks for asking PetCoach!

Brownie may have draining abscesses from bite wounds or other trauma. This is a common location for cats to bite one another. Try epsom salt/warm water compress on the lesions several times daily until you can get her to the vet for antibiotics and pain medication.

That looks like it should be seen by your vet. Treating the underlying problem that is making him itch or sore in those places and encouraging his licking is important so hopefully this won't happen again. Your vet will do an exam, possibly look at some cells from the lesions under the microscope to see if they can determine what the cause may be, and based on those results will be better able to tell you what is going on and how best to treat it.