Tail pull injury in cats

Tail pull injury in cats

Tail avulsion, also known as ‘tail pull injury’, occurs commonly in cats (Davies and Walmsley 2012). If the tail becomes trapped whilst the cat is moving, the resultant traction causes avulsion of the tail from the sacrum. The resulting damage to the neuromuscular tissues in the region leads to a variable degree of dysfunction of the pelvic limbs, bladder and rectum. In a minority of cats this can lead to chronic urinary or faecal incontinence and may lead owners to choose euthanasia. For allcases of tail avulsion it is important to make an accurate diagnosis of the degree of neurological dysfunction early in the course of disease and then perform serial neurological examinations to track the progress of recovery. This will help in the provision of an accurate prognosis to the owner for the return of tail and urinary/ faecal function. The main treatment priorities are to provide adequate analgesia and to ensure the bladder does not become irreversibly damaged, as a result of excessive and prolonged distension. The decision making process regarding whether to perform tail amputation or stabilisation will also be discussed.