I’m writing this because I’d like to hear from anyone who has been through something similar, just to give me a bit of hope.
On Sunday evening, 19th August 2018, I noticed that my 6-year-old cat, Kissie, had a limp tail. It was very out of character for her, as she usually spends all her time with her tail held high in the air.
I felt the base of her tail and could feel a lump. With tears in my eyes, I shouted to my partner that we had to call the emergency vet. At that moment, I was convinced Kissie had a broken tail.
The vet met us at the surgery at 9pm. He felt the area, took her temperature, and examined her, concluding that she had a dislocation at the base of the tail. He explained that this can happen if she got her tail caught somewhere, if she fell on it, or if someone accidentally stepped on it and she pulled to get free.
Anyway, he gave her two injections and some anti-inflammatories to take at home for three consecutive days, then every other day until the bottle is finished. He told me that normally she should be back to normal in two to three days. If that isn't the case, her fur will start falling out because of necrosis caused by the lack of blood flow in the tail, and he would have to amputate in 10 days' time.
It has been two days now and there is no improvement. The vet isn’t really answering my questions over the phone and we are only nine days away from a potential amputation. I am so scared! I feel completely helpless and the time feels like it's dragging on forever.
Has anyone ever dealt with a similar story? How long did it take for your cat to recover?
Translated from French
The forum content is sometimes translated from another language, and posts may concern countries with different animal laws. Do your research before making any decisions.
Since the forum is translated by AI, the translations may contain errors.
Hi, I am so sorry, my heart goes out to you. My little Lilou, I found her abandoned on the street when she was only 3 months old. I looked after her, had her chipped and spayed; she was only 11 months old when it happened. I found her in the garage three days ago now, she was hiding and I realised she couldn't stand up anymore. I was frantic. It was 11 pm, so I called the out-of-hours vet who told me it could wait until the morning. At 8 am the next day I took her in; they treated her and gave her a steroid jab to last 3 weeks, but she still wasn't doing well. I took her back again because she wasn't eating, she had worms around her back end and was wetting herself! I told them she was suffering and needed to be put to sleep, but they said "no, no, there's no reason to!" They cleaned her up and gave her back to me, and she died in pain, exhausted, not having eaten for 3 days. I'm absolutely devastated. Apparently, she’d been hit by a car and had a fracture in her lower back, but she couldn't handle the shock and she passed away. I'm so sad for you. To reassure you, I was probably going to have to have her tail amputated as well, and I would have much preferred that to her dying. There's nothing worse.
Hi, I was wondering how things turned out in the end and if you had to have part of the tail amputated? I’m in a similar boat myself. Thanks, all the best.
Hi! Well, after getting back from the vet – who told me that if there was no improvement, it would mean amputation – I gave the stronger meds that were prescribed. It worked! My cat was a bit spaced out, but after 2 days there was a clear improvement! He was lifting his tail again two weeks later and he's doing great now, but I don’t let him outside anymore because I’m too worried... You could also try seeing a feline osteopath; they’re usually very affordable and can give you a diagnosis. I think it might depend on the age of the cat too! I hope everything goes okay for you :)
Hi there, I was wondering how things turned out for you and if you ended up having to have part of the tail amputated. I’m in a similar boat myself. Thanks in advance, best wishes.
Hi, I’m going through the same thing at the moment, but I think my cat has been mistreated by my neighbour. We’ve already had rows because my cat is curious and goes onto her patio, and I’ve actually caught her throwing a bucket of water over his head...
When I brought him in one morning (as I’d started only letting him out at night so she wouldn’t see him), his tail was hanging limp. I tried anti-inflammatories but they didn't work, so the vet did an X-ray. Two coccygeal vertebrae are touching at the base of the tail, but the rest of it is still functional. I’m giving him 1-2 months, and if there’s no improvement, they’ll have to amputate part of the tail so it isn't too heavy for him... I’m really not happy about that idea, and I don’t know if it’s possible for him to ever lift his tail again... I hope so, because as my vet said, cats are surprising and have nine lives. He’s only 3, so maybe he’ll recover, I hope so.
Hi everyone, I’m going through the exact same thing right now. I actually think my cat has been mistreated by my neighbour; we’ve already had a few rows because my cat is curious and wanders onto her terrace, and I’ve even caught her throwing a bucket of water over his head...
When I let him back in one morning (as I’d started only letting him out at night so she wouldn't see him), his tail was just hanging limp. I tried some anti-inflammatories but they didn't help, so the vet did an X-ray. It shows that two coccygeal vertebrae are touching at the base of his tail. The rest of the tail is still functional, so we’re giving it a month or two, but if there’s no improvement, he’ll have to have part of his tail amputated so it isn't too heavy for him to carry... I’m really not comfortable with that idea at all. I don’t know if he’ll ever be able to lift his tail again... I really hope so, because as my vet said, cats are full of surprises and have nine lives! He’s only 3, so maybe he’ll pull through – I certainly hope so.
An amputation isn't actually such a major surgery; cats tend to bounce back really well from them.
However, if it’s necrosis, there might be other options besides amputation, like skin grafts, antibiotics and topical treatments until the skin regenerates.
My girl had her tail amputated a month ago and had necrosis too (along with plenty of other issues from a road accident). The necrotic area is looking really healthy now and she’s adjusting well to life without a tail!
Don't lose hope, cats are incredibly resilient! Try to stay calm even if an amputation is necessary.
I’d definitely get a second opinion, though, as your vet sounds a bit vague.
Go and see another vet; sometimes a second opinion helps you see things more clearly. Going from an injection straight to amputation is quite a leap. I’m not a vet, but it might not have to come to that—maybe surgery would be enough. Don't leave it too long.
