My cat's tail bumps keep coming back. Is amputation an option?

It is difficult to diagnose without seeing the bump but it could be an infection, cyst, mass, or an injury. The best thing would be to have your vet take a look at it to determine the exact cause and best way to treat. He may need an antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, or other medications to treat. Your vet can do a needle aspirate, if necessary, to help diagnose the cause of the bump.

Place an e-collar (cone) on Baxter to prevent further licking or chewing. He would need to be physically examined by your veterinarian to determine if antibiotics would be indicated. Keep the area clean and dry. If Baxter allows, gently clean the area to get a better look. Your vet can shave the area if necessary and could perform a fine needle aspirate in the clinic to collect samples of the lump for pathology. Once results are in, options for treatment can be discussed.

Poor Abbott! It sounds like he had a pretty nasty infection with draining tracts! I'm so sorry that this happened to him! Unfortunately, the infection may have infiltrated the bone at this point, making it even more difficult to treat. Amputation is definitely an option, and most cats do great following the procedure (they are not very concerned with looks)! Abbott will have to be placed under general anesthesia, and the surgery itself typically does not take more than hour. He will likely need to be hospitalized for a few days following the procedure, but will go home shortly with an E-collar to prevent him from damaging the sutures. His mobility will likely be just fine, most cats continue living absolutely normal lives following an amputation. One of the concerns would be to keep him from getting overweight throughout the rest of his life, as he will have three legs to support himself. I hope this helps!

I suspect that Mishkey got attacked by another cat. Keep an eye on this area, if it isn't looking better in a few days, he should probably be rechecked by the vet. Sometimes that irritated skin will start to die and turn black, in which case it often needs to be removed surgically. Minimizing activity and giving pain medications as prescribed by the vet is the best you can do for him at this time. Make sure his food and water and litter pans are easily accessible.

If Cali fights with other cats, she could have an abcsess on her tail from a cat bite. I would be concerned because it’s bothering her, so I would take her into a vet today or tomorrow to have it examined, diagnosed, and treated. 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.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Rilian. He will need to see his veterinarian as he most likely has developed an abscess under his skin. Cat teeth are very sharp and puncture the skin introducing bacteria deep inside. The overlying skin heals quickly trapping the infection underneath. A visible swelling will develop. This is what I suspect has happened to Rilian. Most cats will develop a fever and may stop eating. He will likely need antibiotics and possibly to have the abscess lanced. In the meantime, it is fine to shave the overlying hair. I would not apply anything topically aside from water to cleanse the wound though. You can apply warm compresses for 5 minutes 3 times per day if he will tolerate it as well. I hope this information helps!