My cat's tail is injured. Is it broken? How do I clean the wound?

Question

Hi, a door closed on my cat's tail, it left an open wound near the end of his tail, he can move his tail and it doesn't seem to hurt him (except when something touches the wound),how can i know (without a visit to the vet) if his tail is broken? and how many times a day should i clean his wound? Thank you. Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 13 years and 5 months old

Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA · Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, only an x-ray or a bone sticking out of the skin will tell you if it is broken. Tail injuries can be very serious, even if there is not a broken bone. Since they are very far away from the body, there is less blood flow that creates a condition for poor healing. I would strongly recommend seeing a vet. Depending on the amount of skin that is damaged, the vet may recommend amputation of the damaged part of the tail to help with healing. If you choose to treat at home, you need to try to clip the hair away from the wound so it can stay clean. You will need to prevent all licking, since this will delay healing and spread bacteria. You should clean it 2-3 times per day with water and a mild chlorhixidine wound soap. You can apply neosporin after cleaning the wound. Do not use alcohol or peroxide.

My cat's tail is injured. Is it broken? How do I clean the wound?

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