Dribbling urine and having diarrhea are not symptoms of a broken tail on their own. If the tail injury was severe enough to cause these signs, the cat will definitely be dragging the tail.
If you happen to notice a hard, non-painful kink in your cat’s tail, it’s probably because he was born with the kink in the tail or it’s an old, already healed injury. Never pull or try to remove a severed portion of tail since there are tough tendons and sensitive nerves. If you pull or stretch the tendons, you’ll damage the use of the tail, hind limbs, bladder and bowel functions. It may also cause arterial bleeding, which is difficult to control and potentially life-threatening for your cat.
The vet will examine the tail for signs of physical or neurological damage. If the vet suspects nerve damage, your cat may have an electromyogram test. Anal sphincter and tail muscles are tested for nerve input. This lets the vet know if the tail will be able to recover. Your cat may still be in pain when you bring him to the vet’s office. Stay close to him and speak in gentle comforting tones. You may want to loosely wrap your cat in a towel and place him in his carrier when you bring him to the vet’s. This will calm him. [6] X Research source
Your cat may need to stay at the veterinarian’s for a few days to either rest and heal, or to determine the extent of the damage to the tail. If your cat’s tail must be amputated, don’t worry. It may take him a while to adjust to the lack of nerve sensation and change in balance. But, your cat will adapt to the change and his mobility won’t suffer in the long run. [8] X Research source
Cats that are sick or injured often prefer to be away from children, other pets and a lot of noise or activity.
If you notice these problems continuing, talk to your vet. [10] X Research source The vet may need to test your cat’s urine for infection and adjust any medications. [11] X Research source
Many of these, like aspirin, or tylenol, are very dangerous to give to cats. They can have severe, even fatal, side effects in cats. [12] X Research source
Many of these, like aspirin, or tylenol, are very dangerous to give to cats. They can have severe, even fatal, side effects in cats. [12] X Research source
Don’t use soap and peroxide since they’re irritating and damaging to tissues. If you see dry scabs, remember that they’re good and don’t scrub or pull them off.
You may want to keep an Elizabethan type collar on your cat to keep him from licking the injury. It could take up to 2-3 weeks for a tail fracture to heal, depending on the severity of the injury. Note that it may not heal perfectly, leaving a kink in the tail, but there should be no pain. All open wounds should also close up.
