My cat's tail is limp and looks infected after being outside. What now?

It could be that Moochacho injured his back or tail while outside. I would keep him indoors tonight and do not let him outside in the morning. If his tail is still limp in the morning, give the vet a call and make an appointment for him to be seen that day. Do not give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given. The vet can prescribe pain medications as needed, and treat the cause of the limp tail. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Hello and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! When a cat is holding their tail lower or not able to move it around normally it can indication an issue with the sacrum, an injury to the tail, or even a neurologic issue. If Dora seems to be acting otherwise normally (eating and drinking normally, walking normally and without a limp or stiffness, not hiding, still grooming, using the litter box normally) it may be okay to wait until tomorrow. However, this could be a sign of pain and heat can be from inflammation or infection. If you are concerned that Dora is in pain it may be worth it to make a trip to the emergency veterinarian for peace of mind. And certainly if Dora is not walking normally, not eating or drinking or having trouble urinating or defecating you should definitely see a veterinarian tonight. Good luck and I hope Dora is feeling better soon!

This appears to be a classic presentation of a tail-pull injury. This happens when the tail gets pulled very forcefully (either it gets stuck under something like a car tire, or gets pulled by someone). This causes significant damage to the major nerves at the base of the tail, which is very painful and can cause paralysis of the tail. This requires that you take Kovu to a vet as soon as possible. It's not an emergency, but best if you go to a vet within 24 hours, because he will need pain medication and possibly other treatment. Your vet will be able to give you a better idea about the severity of the injury and prognosis. I hope that helps and Kovu gets better soon.

It sounds like Chairman is doing well overall, but still has some clinical signs that are somewhat concerning to me. There could possibly be something neurologic occurring slowly, which is why you are not seeing any serious adverse systemic issues at this time. I would schedule a visit with a vet to see if they can detect something sooner than later and possibly nip a problem in the butt.

Unfortunately it seems as her tail is limp, which means there is likely to be a fracture of the tail. this is not something that can be repaired, the only medical solution for this condition is tail amputation which will need to be done at some point.

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.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Mister. I would assume from what you are describing that one of two things has happened. Mister either got into a fight with another cat/some wildlife or he has suffered some other trauma such as hit by car/other. I would advise taking Mister to your veterinarian. They can get a detailed history and do a thorough examination of the affected areas. Typically with fights, the hind end is involved since one cat is often running away from the other cat or animal that is attacking it. Of course bite wounds and scratches can occur anywhere on the body. Your vet can then discuss a sound treatment plan which could involve sedation/anesthesia, clip/clean wounds, drain placement, antibiotics, rabies booster, pain medicines, anti inflammatory medicines, etc. If you are not sure what happened, your vet will most likely advise a rabies booster shot (if no fever) in case this was a wild animal such as a raccoon, skunk, etc. Good luck with Mister.