My cat has a tail wound. What should I do until I can see the vet?

Question

Hello. I have a 3 1/2 year old cat who broke her tail in the middle. Well, she has a pretty bad hole in her tail. I am taking her to the vet, but I don't get paid until Thurs. I just noticed the wound Sat morning. So I've been cleaning it with mild antibacterial soap water and alternating with diluted peroxide. Once a day with the soap and the next cleaning with the peroxide. I also spray Bactine for pain relief. She's a great cat, what else can I do? And what I do I need to look for? Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Longhair | Female | spayed | 2 years and 8 months old | 10 lbs

Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA · Accepted Answer

I would discontinue the soap and peroxide. They are great for initial wound cleaning and removing bacteria, but continued use can damage healthy tissue and be very irritating and painful. You can just use a warm wet washcloth to clean the wound as needed, or if Fuzz will allow you can run that part of her tail under warm water for 5 minutes at a time to flush out any bacteria that may be present. Bactine is ok. Signs that she should see a vet right away would be a poor appetite, progressive lethargy, swelling around the wound, creamy discharge or a foul-smelling odor, or a rectal temperature over 103. After examination by the vet, they may prescribe antibiotics or other treatments, or may recommend amputation of the tail if any bones are broken. Wounds on a cat tail can be very difficult to treat since there is not a very good blood supply and it is an appendage that moves a lot!

My cat has a tail wound. What should I do until I can see the vet?

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