Cat Tail Problems

boomerang

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Hello! I've got a problem with my cat's tail that I'm hoping someone can help me with. About a month ago I came home from a trip and noticed my cats tail, about four inches, was limp. I read on the internet about broken tails. I figured her tail was broken and I'd wait about a week to see if it got any better. After about a week the tail was better. She was starting to move it. There was a lump at about where it looked injured so I checked it to find a burr. We dug the burr out and thought that was the problem. She continued to get better. About four days after the burr coming out, to my horror, I found the end of her tail, about four inches, laying in the floor. It had fell off. She wasn't bleeding and continued to play. She acted as though nothing happened. Now her tail is losing its hair. I never see her digging at it so I don't think it is from excessive licking. The tail's skin is flakey with a couple of bumps. Any ideas to what is going on would be greatly appreciated!

Boom
 

taterbug

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Aaaw! Poor baby! What type of burr are you talking about? I would be taking her to the vet and have it checked out. You sure don't want an infection setting up.
 
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boomerang

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It was a burr like you find in thick weeds outside. She doesn't go outside though so I don't know where she got it.
 

taterbug

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Well that sure is odd! You don't think it could have been a piece of broken bone that worked its way out?? I'd definitely be getting her to the vet.
 
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boomerang

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It was definatly a burr. I had come from TN and had been up in the mountains, so I figured I carried it in on something. She isn't in any pain. We just moved here and I'm apprehensive about taking her to the vet.
 

epona

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She needs to see a vet, this isn't a 'wait and see' situation. If the end of her tail really fell off, she could get gangrene and/or septicemia and die.
 

goldenkitty45

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I would take her to the vet to have everything checked out. It could be an infection or something happened that part of the tail fell off - that doesn't make any sense to me.
 

novemberflowers

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How horrifying!

I think anytime a part of a cat falls off, a vet trip is needed immediately. Hope it is all okay!
 
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boomerang

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We took Lucy to the vet yesterday. They said that it fell off because of some sort of injury to the tail...like getting slammed in a door or something. They said it wasn't odd for the tail to fall off. They told me to just wait and if the hair didn't grow back they'd amputate it. They also put her on antibiotics to take care of any possible infections. They said though it looked really good and they thought she'd make a full recovery.
 
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