My cat's tail is broken, red, and losing hair. What should I do?

You should have a vet take a look at his tail to determine the best way to treat. It may need to be amputated and your vet can make that decision after an examination. He will also need an antibiotic and pain medications to help treat.

I am so sorry to hear that your kitty Pepper has an injured tail. I know how worrisome it can be when your pet has an injury. If you are seeing exposed muscle, bones or tissue, then yes this needs to be addressed by your local vet or it will most certainly get infected. Waiting until tomorrow is ok as long as Pepper is still eating well, drinking and has good energy level. Its best to replace all the litter with yesterdays news litter or crumbled newspaper shaving for now to help prevent further contamination of the area and you can try gently cleaning it with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water for now to keep the bacteria load down. I hope that Pepper does well at the vet tomorrow. Best wishes and take care. : )

Unfortunately, it's not possible to tell is his tail is broken from these pictures. I would have to examine the tail in-person in order to tell this. The wound does look quite deep though and it's definitely possible that it was broken. These injuries tend to be vary painful, so I would consider going to the ER vet if he seems very guarded and not interested in food - these are signs of severe pain. Otherwise, as long as it's not bleeding profusely, this injury can wait until your regular vet is open tomorrow. For now, you should flush the wound using a syringe or other dispensing device with warm water for five minutes. This may not be easy, because cats tend to hate water getting sprayed on them. I recommend having someone help you with this and wrapping Alexander in a towel to make sure the wound gets flushed well. Below is a link to a demonstration of an eye flush that shows how to restrain her well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDGzdUTUdNI Infection is the biggest concern with these wounds; so after flushing, it's best to apply an antibacterial cream to the wound. In order to keep the wound clean, it's best to flush the wound 1-2 times a day and gently wipe away any big crusts - make sure not to scrub the wound, because this can make it worse. Apply the antibacterial cream after each flushing. I hope that helps and Alexander gets better soon.

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.

Oh ouch! That looks really painful! I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. Topical antibiotics may be needed as well as pain medication. Unfortunately there is nothing safe for pain medication over the counter for cats. I agree that the cone is important to keep him from making it worse in the meantime. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Poor Cachou! It sounds like from your description that he has hurt his tail, and it is concerning that he cannot lift it at all. I would be afraid he may have broken his tail preventing him from lifting it. Given it's been two days now and he meows in pain every time you try to lift it, it's time for him to see a vet. I recommend a physical exam and x-rays of the tail. Once the cause of his pain is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options with you. He would also benefit from pain medications, which the vet can prescribe. Please do not give him any human pain medications as many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given. I would take Cachou into a vet today if possible; if not, take him in first thing in the morning. I hope this helps!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Bushita. Oh no, this is bad. This will be painful to her, and there are no OTC pain medications you can give her. Many human ones are toxic to cats, and are fatal if given. You absolutely have to take her into a vet now, this cannot wait until the morning. Please have her seen by a vet immediately. Best of luck.