Broken Tail

[MissFoodie]

Has anyone had any experience with a broken tail (cat)?
He has a particularly long tail (40cm) and we think it's broken in the middle (of course), vet said there are only 2 options, either it heals (albeit bent) or amputation..... latter sounds too horrific.....

He still has sensation and can go to toilet, not sure about feeling pain though as vet pinched tip and he didn't react......

They said they cannot plaster or bandage, is it worth a second opinion from another vet?

[cozietoesie]

Amputation isn't that bad at all so don't worry if that's one of the options.

Did the vet not actually give you a firm recommendation?

[MapofTassie]

Our cat had his tail (all of it) amputated when he was hit by a car. He doesn't seem to have noticed it isn't there.
There was one incident of falling off a high window sill when he tried to turn around, but since then he has been fine.
The most shocking thing I found was that I could see his bum, normally his tail covered it!

[Purplemonster]

One of my cats had its tail amputated (all of it though, only two vertebrae left) years ago and its not nearly as horrendous as you might think. She has managed absolutely fine without it and the fur grows over so it doesn't look bad. I can't quite see how it is going to heal by itself if the cat has no feeling in the end of it? Surely it's more likely to do itself damage/ get it trapped if it's lugging around part of a tail it can't feel?

[Lonecatwithkitten]

I amputated the tail less wonders tail to just a tiny stump just under a year ago. The injury happen before she entered my life.
She looks great without a tail the only problem she had is her jumping is not perfect, but as I did not know her before injury.
If there is no feeling in the tail there is risk of further injury so then amputation is the best option. It is what I would recommend.

[MissFoodie]

he does have sensation, if you touch the tip, he wiggles it, he can lift it, just not completely vertically.....when its horizontal, it's bent, the vet said it could heal if he wasn't climbing too much, so trying to keep him indoors as much as possible

[MumnGran]

Those are the only two possible options (healing or amputation) so I don't think a second opinion would be money well spent. Your vet is opting to see if waiting may reveal that damage to the nerves is only bruising which will heal, and not permanent

If the tail heals with sensation and movement (i.e. the end of the tail lifts when the cat lifts its tail) and there is no serious infection which will not clear, then the tail may be "save'able"
If there is no sensation and the tail droops from the break point, it is actually likely to cause some real problems for the cat and so it is much safer and kinder to amputate at the damaged point.

The vet seems to have given you sound advice so far. Cats cope extremely well after tail amputation - although there may be some period of 'depression' they actually adjust very quickly, and rapidly compensate for the slight change in balance.

[MissFoodie]

ok thanks, well, feeling optimistic so far as he can definitely move the tip, he is on painkillers now (poor thing was not for a week and just hid the whole time) so hopefully will be ok, albeit bent - he has a beautiful long bushy tail, like a fox, would be such a pity :(