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How to get my cat's tail injury to heal when she keeps licking it?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | British Shorthair | Female | spayed

My cat (11 months) injured her tail. She is an indoor cat and her tail got trapped under the bed somehow. It's been 5 weeks now and she has been to the vet 4 times. Everything heals well and only once we take to the cone off after seeing a vet, the bleeding occurs again where the scab is. She is licking the wound and this is the problem. We are at loss as what to do. She has been given m*cam for a month now. How long will it take for this injury to heal?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jenny, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 17th, 2017

Tail injuries can take longer to heal. make sure there is no infection trapped under the scab that is causing it not to heal completely. You may need to discussed surgery with your vet to debride the scab and get new fresh skin and cells to aid in healing since it is not healing on its own yet. You may have to keep the e collar on until the scab is gone completely so she has nothing to lick and bite and open up and make worse again. I would ask about a topical with an antibiotic and a steroid to help with pain and discomfort while it heals and see they have a therapy laser to add to help bring in new cells to speed up healing.

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    Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would recommend keeping the cone on until the scab falls off and you know for sure the wound has healed completely. Just because there is a scab does not mean is is healed underneath. I would also recommend adding a medication such as Gabapentin, which can help with nerve pain. If she is experiencing nerve pain, this may also explain why she keeps chewing at the wound and reinjuring herself. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns!

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