Tail Chewing

[CarmiesMom]

My MIgnon is 7 years old and he has a bad habit of chewing the end of his tail untill he like hits a nerve or something causeing him to go rigid but also turn in a circle i call it a seizure as thats the closest i can come to what happens it seems to be worse in the summer and our old vet who retired hasnt heard of this before and said my boy seemed healthy it happens randomly he'll start frantcily chewing on the tip of his tail then it happens affterward. if you react he'll ve you a look like "what?" i'm not sure if any of your cats have had this behaviour if so do you know anyway to prevent it? is it allergies ot r should i disscuss with the new vet? it dose leave scaly spots on his tail and thinns the hair at the tip.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I did find an article with some very interesting discussion points, and they might just give you some ideas to discuss with a couple of different vets - particularly the last bullet point below.

• Some vets believe feline hyperesthesia syndrome (FHS) may be a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder that begins as a reaction to stress and anxiety in the cat’s life.
• Others believe FHS is a form of seizure disorder because of the symptoms that precede an episode of self-mutilation including hallucinating, yowling, skin rippling, running and jumping, and muscle twitching.
• Cats with FHS may show strange behaviors if touched, such as tail chasing or biting at the tail, flank and sides, to the point of self-directed aggression.
• FHS can cause extreme self-mutilation such as biting, licking, chewing, and plucking of the hair, primarily on the back and the tail.
• This illness is usually a “diagnosis of exclusion,” meaning that your vet has to rule out any other physical illnesses that could cause this behavior. These other illnesses include allergies, skin diseases or external parasites (some cats react very strongly to flea bites, for example), and internal problems like back pain, arthritis, spinal problems, muscle diseases, nutritional deficiencies (particularly the B vitamin thiamine, which is very important to a healthy nervous system), or problems with the thyroid, kidneys or liver.

See article link below for where I found these comments, but please note that I am NOT by any means suggesting tail amputation (as was part of the dialog).
Why is my cat chewing her tail constantly? Is amputation her only hope? - Paws and Effect (paws-and-effect.com)

 

[CarmiesMom]

thank you i will bring this up with the new vet and see what she says he dosent usually bloody t but at one point last year when they had the road and sidwalks in our block torn out to replace the bridge he did end up making the tip sore to the point he allowed me to pour water over it while he sat on a towel draped over the back of a chair atter 3 good soakings of the tail tip it stopped leaving redmarks on the towel and he seemed to find relof in the cool water on his tail so i think it will probbly end up alergies though it could be OCD at 6 months old i had t send him to stay with my aunt 30 mi away who he didnt know as we were having work done on our house he was their from january threw april before i brought him home she told me he was a deamon cat and had attacked her and her boyfriend ..my boy is shy and only attacks when provoked..anyway this started at age 2 as once in a very great while once or twice a year but has increased to monthly now. so thanks