how to fix a broken cat tail?

[rubybeam]

Just now my sisters friend slammed the door on our 14-yr old cats tail, in a rush to get to some stupid plaything
of course my cat was yowling and screaming in pain, I immdeatly tried to calm him down by petting him and giving temptations.
I feel so sorry for the poor guy right now
he tries to claw you when you touch his tail, when I was petting him, his tail was twitching all over the place trying to get the tip up to show he was glad I was petting him
the darn tip wont move.
and the tail looks bent to.
I think its broken

my family currently cant afford a visit to the vet, and hes old almost near the end of his lifespan, hes alreadly gone blind as proof of how old he is.
so does anyone know how to mend a broken tail

[Silivren]

Um.. I'm not sure the only thing I can tell you is that if its broken he needs to see a vet asap.. Which with your money situation is unfortunate. But my neighbors dog fell down the stairs when she was in the care of her previous owners.. she broke her leg and it healed wrong. Now shes practically a three legged dog and the limb causes her extreme pain. My current neighbors would have it removed but the vet advises against it because the dog is old. : /

[Rawr]

Treatment

Treatment and prognosis usually depend on how extensive the injury is and if the nerves have been permanently damaged. If the cat still has sensation in its tail, the dislocation or break can be repaired and sometimes the cat can heal by itself without surgery. Cats that show more neurological symptoms may or may not fully regain its normal function. Cats that have impaired urinary functions can usually recover, although in some cases the cat may lose the ability to fully empty its bladder, in which case it must be manually expressed on a daily basis. Recovery rate decreases if the injury has influenced the anal sphincter function, and these cats might need special care such as periodic enemas. If the tail is paralyzed, amputation is sometimes recommended to avoid further nerve injuries via excessive dragging. Amputation of the tail does not influence the mobility of the cat, and will not hinder its daily activities.

Since nerves regenerate at a very slow rate, recovery from a tail injury can take a long time. Some cats will unfortunately remain incontinent for life. For these cases, there are some medications available that can improve urinary functions and help the animal regain a percentage of its normal function.


http://pethealth.petwellbeing.com/wiki/Cat_Broken_Tails

[Teigan]

.

[rubybeam]

luckily the broken part seems to be near the end, no bones coming through skin either, I might be in luck with my kitty

[AdamSavage]

Give it a couple days and see if it improves.

[Rhapture]

See how kitty is doing in a couple of days. Maybe it's just sore right now and the nerves are twitchy.

I know some people will say its just kids being kids but honestly it sounds like that kid needs to learn how to behave when they are in a house they are a guest in. You may want to speak to the parents of the child and tell them that they have injured your cat, they might even offer to pay the vet bill. If you are going to talk to them though, do it now because if you wait until the cat gets worse than they may just say that it wasn't their kid.

[rubybeam]

I know the kids dad, hes known around the town I live
Thing is I dont know if he'll accept or not. Hes drunk half the time and he isn't as nice as he used to be : /
hopefully fart will heal in a few days, hes back to his normal routine for now, no longer hiding in pain, just walking around though with a very twitchy tail thats hanging down all the time

[Tsiya]

^ What Rhapture said, and also if possible restrict kitty to a small room. The less he moves around the faster it will heal. We had a cat get caught in the fan belt of our van when I was little, she healed ok but her tail jerked instead of waved, was pretty strange but they can heal from crazy injuries if they have the chance. My cat is 17 and still ruling the house, so don't count him out because of his age just yet.

[AdamSavage]

My cat did something to her tail and it was droopy for almost a week but eventually it got better. I did watch her very closely to make sure she was ok. She acted 100% normal and didn't seem to be in any pain, so I held off on taking her to the vet. Give it a couple days but keep a very close on eye on the cat and give her extra attention to help with her mood and recovery.

[Corpsebryde]

Definitely keep an eye on her. Keeping her confined to a small room away from the hustle and bustle of the household is also good advice. It may turn out that it's just really sore. If it doesn't improve in a couple of days then try calling a veterinarian first to ask for any advice. This will give you a professional's opinion on what to do. You could also explain your money situation; some vets will work out payment plans. And ya, don't underestimate cats, even at 14. Mine's 22 and he acts like a kitten still ;p

[Xella]

Vesta—one of the two cats that were in the house when I was born—had a permanently-bent tail tip because her tail got caught in a closing door. She never went to the vet about it as far as I ever heard tell and it never seemed to bother her (tho' I was young so I might not have noticed), but every injury is different. My best advice is to keep an eye on him and definitely try to talk to your sister's friend and/or her parent(s).

[nirvana]

As already said, tail injuries aren't particularly worrisome, especially if it's just the tip. One thing you can do is -gently- feel the place of the injury. If kitty cries in pain or some bones feel displaced, it might be a good idea to take him to the vet. If not, he'll probably be just fine.