My cat's tail has a painful knot after being lost. What's wrong?

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!

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.

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!

Hi there. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like Felix has an abscess on his tail. it is very common for them to get this from the bite of another cat. The loss of appetite is usually due to a fever from the infection. The other possibility would be a fracture in the tail. Either way, he needs to see a vet for treatment. Your vet should be able to distinguish between these two possibilities with just an examination. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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.

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.