My cat's tail got slammed in a door. What should I do for the injury?

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.

Hello. I am so sorry about Dionysus' injury. There really is not much for you to do at this time. Your pictures do not show a completely limp tail, so that is a good sign, possibly that the tail was only bruised & not broken. So, have him checked tomorrow & hopefully he will be just fine. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Oh my. Your poor kitty needs to visit your vet soon to get this taken care of as this cannot be treated at home. This is a degloving injury and will need to be handled by a medical professional. Just leave it be until you can get Amelia seen by your vet. I hope that Amelia's tail injury gets resolved soon! Best wishes and take care.

Hello. I am so sorry about poor Jordan. Based on what you describe, it sounds like it was his tail that was caught in the door. The question you need to ask is how painful was this for him? If he is still uncomfortable & flapping his tail around tomorrow, I encourage to let your veterinarian take a look, possibly take an x-ray, & put Jordan on a couple of days of pain medication. I do hope he is feeling better soon & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Ouch, poor kitty! It could be his tail is broken from being shut in the door, and he needs to be checked out by a vet right away. Please take him into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Best of luck.

Hello. I am so sorry that your kitty was injured. Technically, this is an emergency because if an infection gets started in the bone, it can have serious consequences for her. It is very unlikely the tail will heal on its own, but I have seen this injury in feral cats & the tail tip can eventually just slough off. Keep cleaning the wound but do make an appointment with your veterinarian at your earliest convenience to have this taken care of properly. All the best & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.