Tail injury

[AgostoMortal]

Hi, My adult cat Lemon, who is an indoor/outdoor guy is very healthy (and his hair looks fantastic) but it showed up recently with a "whole" in his tail (no hair and some scratches). I followed this up and it got worse, It does not look like a fight injury nor a entanglement or scratch made going from place to place. I applied Neosporin but he eats it or clean it immediately. What can I do? (see pics) Is this a common issue? thanks for any tips.
Regards!
Agustin

 

[FeebysOwner]

HI. That could be almost anything. Since Lemon goes outside, it probably has something to do with places/things he has gotten into. Personally, if he were my cat, I would have that checked out by a vat - it could either be - or become - infected. And, unfortunately, treatment really should also involve keeping him indoors and using a cone/e-collar to help prevent him from licking it until it gets better. Nothing wrong with plain Neosporin (no pain meds included), but it won't be much help if you can't stop him from licking it off.

 

[AgostoMortal]

Thanks for your quick reply, we tried to keep him indoor..and it looked like the hole was healing but it got worse this morning.

 

[cat nap]

Hi, My adult cat Lemon, who is an indoor/outdoor guy is very healthy (and his hair looks fantastic) but it showed up recently with a "whole" in his tail (no hair and some scratches). I followed this up and it got worse, It does not look like a fight injury nor a entanglement or scratch made going from place to place. I applied Neosporin but he eats it or clean it immediately. What can I do? (see pics) Is this a common issue? thanks for any tips.
Regards!
Agustin

Hi A AgostoMortal ...it really does look like a 'burst abscess'...and I definitely think there are puncture marks there, especially where you see the holes.

Sometimes when cats fight, then punctures are not even noticed, until well after an abscess grows, and bursts.
It honestly can be from paw with claw strikes, or bites.
I think that even squirrels will defend themselves, if a cat is trying to chase them.

(My cat was given antibiotics and 'an iodine scrub'...last november, and the Vet did flush out the wound, as well. I didn't even know it was an abscess, until the Vet told me. I had thought that my cat had jumped badly and fallen and hurt his front elbow. It turned out that he also had a scratch on his cheek, which the vet noticed. (Either his female sibling sister scratched him, since he does sometimes get into fights and playfights with her, or he might have gotten them from the neighbour's cat, when he had gone out and in, with my dog.)

Lemon's tail does look like it is healing, since the abscess burst.
It actually looks like you cleaned it well.
You may try a warm saline water flush on it, but because it's the tail, it is a very, very sensitive area.
If you can get the iodine scrub, then I'd try that.
Antiseptics Safe and Toxic to Cats - Cat-World

What is good is that it is draining, and you are not seeing any white or yellow pus on it. That would be infection again.
I think what you are going to see, is more of his fur falling off around that area, and it may open more.

Having abscesses open and drain is actually a good thing, but I'm not sure how open they should be..before you actually see them heal over. I always get nervous about that part, and if they close too soon, will they trap infection inside. I might be overly cautious, but hey, they are our cat companions,...how can we not be.

If you could get him checked by a Vet, I would do that, too, just like FeebysOwner mentioned,...since it may get further infected, and also because of the location, being that a cat's tail has so many nerve endings, and is very sensitive.
Good Luck to your Lemon, and you.

 

[AgostoMortal]

Thanks so much. Cat nap.