Prissy has been de-tailed

This morning, I took my precious baby girl in to get her tail docked. The tissue has been necrosing (vet's word for it) and she had no feeling in it anyway. I picked her up at 1 this after noon and I haven't stopped crying since.

I KNOW this was something she needed done. I KNOW that it couldn't have waited any longer. I KNOW that everything that could be done to make her comfortable has been. But all this KNOWLEDGE doesn't have any effect on my emotions.

Her tail is now bobbed to only 1 vertebrae. The vet said there was still enough muscle left that she should not have any problems with bowel movements. But the way it looks, the stitches, the raw edge... every time I look at her Nub it makes me just feel so awful. Even worse was that she was very heavily sedated, and even at 7 Pm tonight, she didn't have full use of her body back yet.

She's also not eating or drinking. I want to give her some Torbugesic for pain, but with her still groggy from the sedation, I'm scared to. When I picked her up, I just held her. I didn't put her down for several hours. She's just been clinging to me. I even made a sling out of a scarf so I could carry her around close to me. (and she actually LIKED it)

She's still staying with my friend for the night, who has agreed to look after her for the night. She's separated from the other kitties but I'm still so very worried about my baby girl. We're leaving early in the morning to go back to Clarksville, and I'm hoping that she'll be alright. If she hasn't eaten by morning though, she will go right back to the vet before we leave.

I'm just worried that she had such a hard time coming back from the sedation. She's an older cat, but she fights so hard. The vet sedated her as soon as I got there because of her cage anxiety. I just wish this was all over and my baby girl was better again. I feel so awful, how could this have been the right thing to do?

I just want my baby to be in one piece, and healthy and not in pain.... DH is trying so hard to cheer me up that I'm about to kill him.... I'll update on her condition as soon as I get back home to clarksville. Hugs to all and thanks for any vibes you can send my baby girl's way.

I am so sorry that both of you are going through this. As hard as it is to believe, you did the right thing. &

Praying for you both. It's so hard to see our kitties in pain and uncomfortable, but she'll be jumping around soon! She's probably not eating yet because she's so druggy. Did she eat and potty overnight?

How is Prissy doing today?
Love and healing vibes are on the way.

A friend of mine adopted a cat from animal care & control - an older cat who had been de-tailed. For what it's worth, my friend says this kitty adapted extremely well to both her new forever home and to not having a tail - like yours, had enough left so that bowel issues are not a problem.

You did do the right thing - but of course you're feeling more pain than your baby is.

Aw, vibes for Prissy. You definitely did the right thing for her! I'm just now reading about her tail now, don't know if there's another thread that tells what happened to her, but as you know, the tail is part of her spine. If it was necrosing - cropping it was the only option! Once that sedation wears off and she is all healed, I bet you'll notice her feeling and acting better than she has in a very long time.

One of my boys took 3 days to recover from anesthesia after his neutering because he was an older cat. 3 DAYS!! I felt awful, like I had done something terrible to him, because he was so groggy and miserable. After it finally wore off, he snapped back to his old self as if nothing had happened. Just give it some time and take full advantage of all these extra kitty snuggles you're getting! Please keep us posted on how Prissy is doing.

I know it's so hard to see them hurting, but she'll be back to normal in no time. Most of Freya's tail was necrotic when we found her and I was so worried about it when we had it removed (also down to just an inch or so) because she was so out of it for the first day or so. But now she doesn't even notice (in fact when we got Cotton, she was utterly fascinated with his tail - like she had no idea what it was) and it always makes us smile to see her flick her little stub around when she's playing.

Lots of healing for Prissy. You definitely did the right thing and I'm sure she'll show you that before long.

A number of people on the site have had to have their kitty's tails docked, - and the cats have always been happier after it's been taken care of! You had no choice, this was the right thing to do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

for both of you.

Stumpy had to have her tail removed after it was broken in a car accident when she was younger. When I first started fostering her the tail had just been done and had purple stitches and funny looking fur, but she didnt seem to notice or care. In her nearly 4 years with us she was energetic, playful and very coordinated, so I can honestly say it wasn't a big deal for her. Her little stump was adorable, and watching her twitch it when she was mad always made us laugh

We also had my childhood kitty's rear leg removed when he was 10 after he had a tumour wrapped around it that grew back worse after being surgically removed the first time. He jumped out of his cage when we brought him home and hopped under the bed for a while, then later on hopped on back out like he'd only ever had 3 legs.

You did the best thing for Prissy, and you'll soon see how adaptable cats are to things like that.

When we got Carly, I noticed that her tail dragged behind her. She had no feeling in it, unable to move it. We took her to the vet who said that her x-rays indicated a severe injury to her hip earlier in life that damaged the tail. Though the tail had good blood flow and not the problems that Prissy's did, it caused her problems. She had to have butt baths because the tail got in the way of her grooming. When Carly jumped down, it whacked everything that got in the way. So I began to see it as a potential problem and I was afraid she would injury it without us knowing about it. One time DH stepped on it and she didn't even notice.

So after a couple of years of agonizing it, we had it cut off. Carly has been great ever since. She can clean herself easily. I noticed she jumps down with more ease and her hip has been bothering her less. I think the tail caused some pain for her injured hip. Here she is after her surgery.



And now



I wish I had done it earlier.

I love the little bunny butts - they look so cute!!!

Originally Posted by sarahp

I love the little bunny butts - they look so cute!!!

Click to expand...

She does have the cutest little butt now.

Much is a Manx so she has just a nub for a tail. I'm beginning to see Lucy's tail as a strange thing.

that Prissy starts feeling better have her surgery.

How are you and Prissy doing?

The internet here was out when we got home yesterday. It was down due to the snow, I suppose, but it's back up now.

Prissy finally starting eating about ten this morning. She tried to eat a little last night but she threw it back up. I don't know if it was the medication still, or the stress of the trip home, or maybe pain. But she has been nibbling on her food as per usual today with no more vomiting. She even begged to be let out in the snow. I let her out for just a few minutes but it turns out she just wanted out long enough to use the "outdoor litter box". It was actually kind of funny to watch her dig a hole in the snow and squat in it to do her business. Afterward she wanted right back in. That's my girl. She's always preferred outside potty to inside.

She will NOT leave a bandage on her nub, but she's not messing with the stitches so I'm not going to push the issue. Katachtig, Prissy had many of the same issues as your kitty. Her tail was mostly limp, banged on everything, got in her way and has gotten wounds on it several times because she just didn't have feeling there. When it would bleed, she would just groom it constantly because she was licking the blood, and didn't realize it was coming from a wound because she just couldn't feel it. I'm getting used to the way it looks but it just seems like I've mutilated her. :-(

Today she has been pretty good. she has slept near me or on me most of the time. She has been doing a lot of sleeping, but at least when she is awake she seems pretty happy. She is acting happier already, and it doesn't seem like she even really misses her tail. I am happier now that it's not in her way, but I wish I could make her heal faster. Every time I look at her shaved butt and her little nub and her stitches, I feel awful.

The vet said to get the stitches out after just a week. A week? Really? It doesn't seem like she's going to heal fast enough for that. She hasn't had a good bowel movement yet, but I keep waiting. She had a bit of diarrhea yesterday, and had to get a butt bath because it got everywhere. But there have been no problems today. She has been grooming herself but leaving the actual would alone, so I'm happy.

Thank you all for all your support. I logically know this is right but since I'm against breed specific docking in dogs, I feel hypocritical, even though this is a medical thing and not for aesthetics. i appreciate all continued vibes for my girl and her continued and rapid recovery. I'll update tomorrow, or sooner if there are any changes. thanks all.

By the by, I will post pictures soon. I've got several in my email inbox, but they're not showing up to be downloaded for some reason. I wonder if the snow really is out to get me? For pre-op pics, Prissy is the middle kitty in the top row, the Tuxie. (Sorry GK, lol) The pic shows her tail after the end had broken off and after the kink had formed from her sitting on it. From the kink to the end was necrosing, and from the hip to the kink was still mostly alright, just with limited muscle control and more limited feeling. She really has just a nub now.

And to those who don't know the story on Prissy baby's tail, here goes.

Prissy isn't the brightest crayon in the box. (being tossed out of a speeding car at 4 weeks might have something to do with that.) She has no idea that things will actually HURT her, as evidenced by her habit of laying down in front of cars pulling into my mom's yard. At any rate, twice now, I have heard the sound of a rattlesnake, and searched it out, only to see my fearless kitty sitting a foot away from it. The last time, she had a 6 footer cornered and she was sitting there just staring at it, like she was hypnotized. Heart in my throat, I called her to me and the snake actually let her turn around and walk to me. (a promptly put her in the house and "took care" of the snake afterward.)

At one point, I had to leave Prissy with my mother for about 2 months while I moved out of state and looked for a new place to live. when I came back down to get her, I found the base of her tail swollen and oozing, and her tail limp. As far as the vet and I could figure, Miss Fearless finally got herself bitten. The venom could have caused the necrosis and the nerve damage, for sure. The very end of her tail had already necrosed and broken off by the time I came down to get her, so the vet put a drainage tube into the base of her tail and gave her some meds. She's been living with her limp tail since then.

Several times I have gone to vets about how the vertebrae were fused, and how she gets wound without knowing and all the other problems she has had, but no one (until now) has been willing to do anything about it. They all wanted to wait until it got worse.

I'm glad that we won't have to worry about this anymore, but at the same time, I wish Miss Fearless hadn't gotten hurt in the first place.

Originally Posted by SamhainBorn

Thank you all for all your support. I logically know this is right but since I'm against breed specific docking in dogs, I feel hypocritical, even though this is a medical thing and not for aesthetics. i appreciate all continued vibes for my girl and her continued and rapid recovery. I'll update tomorrow, or sooner if there are any changes. thanks all.

Click to expand...

I think you are being too hard on yourself. There is a big difference between medically necessary and owner preference.

I'm glad to hear that Prissy is feeling better. They really don't miss it and adapt very easily.

here are some pics.

Wow those are some pictures....but it looks good as far as that goes...not red or anything that you can tell in the pics anyways.... for Prissy to heal fast.