by Janet Farricelli CPDT-KA

Created on: February 23, 2009

A cat's tail plays many important functions in a cat's life. One of its major roles is balance. Slow motion photographs of a cat falling from a height effectively depict the wide range of motions the tail goes through in order to adjust the cat's position and allow the cat to land on all its four legs intact. A cat's tail is also used to manifest emotions. If you see a cat with a lashing tail it is very likely nervous, you do not want to pet a cat in this state of mind! On the other hand, a tail kept straight up with the tip quivering a bit, is a sign that you have met a very friendly cat.

Because cat tails are pretty long, they are prone to injury. The most common injuries appear to be due to human intervention. How many times do people step on tails or close a door leaving the cat's tail stuck in between? A cat's tail is supported by about 10% of the cats over all bones. The bones composing a tail are caudal vertebrae. The tail is also made up of ligaments, muscles, skins and nerves.

The tail attaches to the the cat's body through the first vertebrae which is connected to the sacrum. When a cat receives an injury to the tail, it does not necessarily mean that the owner must visibly see a wound. There could be damage to the nerves or to the muscles that may not be clearly visible.

A cat with a broken tail however, usually will exhibit some particular symptoms such as :

-Abnormal tail position

-A tail dragged low

-Uncoordinated rear legs

-Loss of sensation in the tail area

-Distended bladder

-Dribbling of urine

- A flaccid anal sphincter with diarrhea or incontinence

The spine is very closely related to the cat's tail. There are many nerves nearby that are responsible for the control over the bladder, the bowel and the hindquarters. When the nerves are involved, the cat may lose sensation and may not appear in pain. This tends to happen mostly when the tail injury is closer to the cat's back. Cats affected by fractures further down the tip of the tail and cats showing pain usually have a better prognosis. Nerve damage usually leads to bladder and fecal incontinence and the rear legs may be uncoordinated as well. The majority of cats appear to recover with time, however those presenting loss of rectal control and flaccidity seem to have a 50/50 chance of recovery.

Diagnosis

The vet will very likely examine the tail, check for pain responses and do an x-ray. The cat ay be sent to a neurologist to asses the level of nerve damage.

Treatment

Some cats with low chances of recovery may need their tail to be amputated. This is because a tail carried low will get soiled each time the cat defecates and urinates making it prone to infection. Those with a distended bladder may require frequent manual expressions to prevent it from over stretching. If the cat tends to get constipated, enemas and special medications will be prescribed by the vet. Pain medicine, anti inflammatories and antibiotics may be prescribed. Nerve damage generally takes a long time to heal. However, many cats recover in a week or so when the nerves are not damaged.

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