# Cat is biting the end of it's tail until it bleeds...



## Bean

Hey - it's me! The irregular poster some may remember with the screwed up cats. lol.

So about a month ago, I had to work a lot of overtime. Like - 12-14 hour days. I'd leave home at 8, get home at 9 or later. My cat Fred is a bit needy, and shortly after all the overtime ended, Fred started chasing his tail (more than usual). Sometime's he'd bite it and meow like it hurt. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first.

Then I saw quite a large gash in his tail. Maybe about a centimeter long, 1/2 centimeter wide. I took him to the vet (my normal vet was out and had to go to another), and she said it looked traumatic as if it got stuck in something or the other cat did it. I was kind of sceptical, as there isn't really much in my home to do that and he'd been catching his tail a lot. sometimes he would get on a chair back and chase it almost falling off (sometimes he did) so I was thinking maybe he stepped on it and it tore while he was running around in circles trying to hold on.

Anyway, the biting continued, and it took forever for it to heal as he was licking the scab, biting it off or just biting his tail and breaking it open. I tried pretty much everything. Clipped his nails, sprayed the tip with some of the bitter stuff so he would be less prone to bite it. Maybe that was a bad idea. I'm giving him anxiety relief drops too. And I play with him for 10 minutes or so when he starts on it, which means I'm playing with him like every 30 minutes. He's been chasing it less lately, and the scab that wouldn't heal finally fell off last night (he hadn't really been able to touch it the last week).

Last night I heard him yelp again and inspected his tail. The very tip has a smallish scab on it. Then I got home from work today to blood splatters and drops in the living room. There's a big mass of dried blood in the hair on the tip of his tail. I guess this is going to be an ongoing issue.

I was hoping it would go away - that maybe he had had some kind of trauma, and the healing of the scab bugged him. Maybe it itched, or he didn't like the feel of it. But now that he's made a new sore it's looking less likely. Any ideas on how to stop him? My vet seems to not have any ideas.

I've heard it could be anal glands, but this is the end of his tail and it seems to be a game for him. He gets his tail going, and then sees it and goes after it. Might be a bit anxiety related as it happened after the overtime. I've also read it could be a neurological disorder, which sometimes results in an anti-depressant type of medication, or in tail amputation. Is that what I'm faced with?

My other cat has also started having minor seizures. She's quite old, and I'm not 100% sure what that is either. I had he into the vet once, but there was no set verdict as she looked fine afterward. They seem to happen after my two cats have an altercation, when she's prone to a lot of physical/emotional exertion. It doesn't happen a lot, but both the last times have resulted in a seizure. I don't know if that has but the younger, tail biting cat on edge.


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## Jeanie

Bean! My friend and former colleague! I'm so glad to hear from you, but sorry to hear your cat is having a problem.  Have you tried an Elizabethan collar? With that on, she won't be able to bite, and you'll know if she is or is not the cause of the bleeding. I so hope she recovers soon! Please send me a PM with your latest email address. So happy to see you back home!


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## marie73

There's a product called Bitter Apple, mostly known for use on wires and things pets shouldn't chew, but it's also safe to use on pet fur - it's right on the bottle. It's used on dogs and cats who have problems with chewing their tails, etc. It really tastes awful, according to Cali. 8O


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## Bean

Jeanie said:


> Bean! My friend and former colleague! I'm so glad to hear from you, but sorry to hear your cat is having a problem.  Have you tried an Elizabethan collar? With that on, she won't be able to bite, and you'll know if she is or is not the cause of the bleeding. I so hope she recovers soon! Please send me a PM with your latest email address. So happy to see you back home!


I tried the e-collar, but I returned it after he took off running in circles at full speed and ran into a wall, where the e-collar popped off. I think he'd hurt himself.


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## Bean

marie73 said:


> There's a product called Bitter Apple, mostly known for use on wires and things pets shouldn't chew, but it's also safe to use on pet fur - it's right on the bottle. It's used on dogs and cats who have problems with chewing their tails, etc. It really tastes awful, according to Cali. 8O


I actually have this Bitter something spray. It's safe for injestion too and doesn't have alcohol to irritate the wound. It's mostly rosemary based with a bittering agent, although it doesn't seem to affect him. He seemed to want to lick it more. To the point where I tasted it, and it felt like I chewed on a fresh rosemary bush for a couple hours. lol...

He's fine right now. It seems like he's good for a day after he really hurts himself. Not sure if it's for attention too. I'm amazed he's let me on the computer for this long.


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## Heidi n Q

Please do some research about "Feline Hyperesthesia". You may also want to visit yoru vet to ask about this and maybe learn of some calmin gproducts. Perhaps Composure Liquid and/or Rescue Remedy could help with his overactive nerve endings, but I think your vet could have information that would be helpful, too.
Best of luck,
Heidi =^..^=


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## Bean

It does sound a little like Feline Hyperesthesia, but not as extreme. He loves being pet and it's not a source of discomfort nor does it spur episodes... He does twitch every once and a while and lick like a maniac. But I had another cat that did that a while ago and thought it might have been normal - like they have a hyper mode or something they go into. Maybe it's not though.


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## Heidi n Q

I know it doesn't sound like a typical feline hyperesthesia (FH) presentation, but I suppose it is possible for this issue to manifest in different ways and vary in its' severity. 

My Malibu likes to chase and catch her tail, but with her it is definitely a playful sort of mood. Marmalade (1996-2008) had a mild manifestation of FH, not severe enough to make my vet think we needed to do anything. Marmy would occasionally chase/catch his tail and cry if he bit or scratched it. I do not think he ever drew blood, certainly never splashed blood anywhere. He would also ripple the fur along his lower back and occasionally leap up, run a few steps, shake one or both back feet and then sit quickly for a few licks along his back. Sometimes petting him soothed him, sometimes it aggravated the issue.
I wish I had learned more about composure liquid and rescue remedy early enough to have tried them on him to see if they could have helped him.

In general, I think if your cat is causing himself injury, that this is definitely something that needs some sort of intervention. Can you locate an E-collar made out of fabric? I've made a few and used them on a spay (Mischy) who was licking her stitches and Allie (Melysion) has one she uses for Toby when his allergies crop up and make him pull his hair. The fabric collar is flexible, won't jab into the shoulders when the edges encounter a solid object and I noticed the collar worked whether it was up in the cone shape or folded down over the shoulders like a cape. Either position worked; every time the cat pushed its' muzzle forward to lick an area, the fabric E-collar also moved forward and kept itself just past the edge of the muzzle so the mouth couldn't reach its' wound.

Ack! I did a Google-search for images and found my foster, Mischy, with the first quilted collar I made:








Here is Mischy modeling the collar folded down over her shoulders:








Here is another type commercially available:


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## Bean

I tried an e-collar and he spazzed out. I'm not sure if he would hurt himself with one... It's also on the tip of his tail, so would an e-collar interfere enough for him to not bite it?


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## Heidi n Q

Look at the pics of the cats wearing the softer, fabric e-collars ... they are all calm and relaxed. Mischy was *very* upset with the plastic one and I took it off her, used it as a pattern and whipped up that tan/black one in less than 20min. I had to work fast because she was already licking at her stitches. 

If your cat already wears a collar, the adjustment will be minimal. If your cat does not, it will take just a bit longer to adjust, but what I've found is the stiff plastic cones *jab* into the cat when it tried to crawl under something to retreat/hide and feel safe. When the cone prevents them from getting to their 'safe-place' it causes them to panic. The soft fabric cones do NOT poke or jab and the cat can easily get to it's safe-place.

I noted with the fabric collars I made, they extend just past the edge of the muzzle which prevents the muzzle from reaching its' goal. If your kitty catches its' tail and then moves its' head forward to worry at their tail tip, the E-collar will *also* move forward and should block access to the tail. Even if the kitty occasionally does manage to reach its' tail by bending the fabric back as they move their head/neck forward, that shouldn't happen every time and I believe it will work at least most of the time ... and give the wound a much better chance at healing than if the cat had nothing preventing it from reaching its' wound.
Best of luck,
h


Here is another soft e-collar available at PetCo that I thought looked innovative. It is made of nylon over a foam batting to keep its' shape yet be bendable and comfortable.


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## hoofmaiden

Tail-chasing is a stereotypic behavior, which occurs more often in dogs. It often results in mutilation and is essentially a type of obessesive-compulsive disorder. 

Your cat needs to see a veterinary behaviorist or at the VERY least, your vet needs to consult with one. Find the nearest vet school and get busy, b/c the longer this goes on the harder it is to fix. I know whereof I speak: I rescued a tail-chasing dog years ago whose problem was VERY severe. He was unable to function normally, and despite 6 mos of hard effort on my part and trying a lot of different meds, I ended up having to let him go. In the course of all this I learned more than I ever wanted to know about this topic.

The expert on this is Dr. Karen Overall, who wrote this AWESOME book (which I highly recommend, and which has a LOT of info on OCD):

Clincial Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals

Unfortunately, she no longer works at a vet school, but in research. But there are plenty of vet behaviorists out there who have learned from her, and your nearest vet school is the place to start. The first step will probably be anti-depressant meds, but your regular old vet should NOT be the one to make that decision. There are a lot of different drugs and dosages, and this is not something vets learn much about in vet school - you need a board certified specialist for that. E-collars and such will not prevent the behavior. They may prevent the damage, but as soon as you take the collar off that will start right back up. Ditto bitter apple, etc. This is a chemical problem.


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## Bean

I have to look into veterinary behaviorists - I have a feeling there aren't many in Nova Scotia.

Can OCD behaviour just develop suddenly?


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## hoofmaiden

Well, you may well have not noticed early signs. Usually people do notice it all at once and think it came on suddenly. 

Vet school in Ontario: http://www.ovc.uoguelph.ca/

You should speak w/ your vet, who may well have contacts at vet schools, etc. he can consult.


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## hoofmaiden

American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (i.e., those who have gotten board-certification in this area):

http://www.veterinarybehaviorists.org/

Click on ABOUT US/Diplomates at the top and you'll get a listing -- many are in Canada.


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## Bean

I'll have to ask my vet tonight. The American College of Veterinary Behaviorists has some listed in Quebec. In Canada, it seems most everything you can't get east of Montreal... haha

There's a large Veterinary College in PEI, but that's a little bit of a drive. But I suppose it increases the chances of contacting someone near me.


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## hoofmaiden

A little research in the meantime:

http://biopsychiatry.com/cddog.htm

http://www.dermapet.com/articles/art-18.html

http://www.usask.ca/wcvm/herdmed/applie ... chase.html

http://www.petalia.com.au/Templates/Sto ... ry_no=1530

http://www.petplace.com/cats/feline-hyp ... page1.aspx

http://www.btca.com/content/documents/p ... anelli.pdf


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## Bean

I'm at my wit's end here... Friday I took him to the vet, they monitored him suggested an antidepressant and this feli-something plug in pheromone stuff. I chose to forego the medication, but as soon as I got home his tail biting was quite intense, and ended up going into the emergency vet at 3 in the morning, where they gave him an e-collar and I ended up getting the antidepressants because I was desperate. I hope that doesn't make me a horrible person. He was ok yesterday, but a bit dopey. And today is worse for the biting, and the bites are deeper and bleeding more. I'm debating going back to the emergency clinic now, but I'm worried it would cost over $500 and I can't afford it.

Oh - and the e-collar won't work. He doesn't mind it at the vet's but he flicks it off when home. I was going to go to a pet store to buy a more advanced one possible with a harness but they're all closed because it's Sunday.

I personally keep having anxiety attacks too. I have anxiety problems sometimes, but they've never been this bad. Yesterday I probably had 3 or 4, some lasting for 45 minutes or so. And I had one this morning and can feel another one coming on.

Nothing appears to be a solution - it's driving me crazy. I know it won't be a short term fix, but it just keeps getting worse and worse. I can't do anything because I feel I have to follow him from room to room. I'm surprised he was in here long enough to post this.


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## Heidi n Q

Oh, man! What challenges you are facing and these stressful interludes with your kitty aren't helping you much. Can you locate/get some Composure Liquid and/or Rescue Remedy? Merry (Mitts & Tess) has used it with great results on kitties that needed to calm down. Perhpas it would help in this situation? I also think that is a wonderful idea about using a harness to help hold the e-collar on. Do you have a store like a Super-Walmart near you? They should have a small pet department with harnesses/leashes for sale.
I wish I knew what else to suggest.
h =^..^=


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## Bean

Heidi n Q said:


> Oh, man! What challenges you are facing and these stressful interludes with your kitty aren't helping you much. Can you locate/get some Composure Liquid and/or Rescue Remedy? Merry (Mitts & Tess) has used it with great results on kitties that needed to calm down. Perhpas it would help in this situation? I also think that is a wonderful idea about using a harness to help hold the e-collar on. Do you have a store like a Super-Walmart near you? They should have a small pet department with harnesses/leashes for sale.
> I wish I knew what else to suggest.
> h =^..^=


Yeah - he's been on the Rescue Rememdy type stuff for a while and it doesn't help a whole lot. A bit though.


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## Jeanie

I'm so sorry, Bean. I wish a had the solution for you.


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## hoofmaiden

Seriously -- you need to get to a vet school. Your vet doesn't know anything about this topic (they simply don't learn much about it, period), and you need a behaviorist ASAP. There is blood testing to be done and a real diagnosis needs to be made -- then the CORRECT meds need to be Rx'd. Please don't waste time. . .


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## Jeanie

Having know Craig for years as a friend and fellow moderator, I can assure you that he will not waste time. He is one of the most caring pet owners I've ever known. 

Craig, keep that faith! And please keep us informed.


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## Heidi n Q

Just tossing something out there ... in severe cases, some cats need to have their tails removed. Lets hope you are able to locate a vet who can help find a better solution.


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## hoofmaiden

Heidi n Q said:


> Just tossing something out there ... in severe cases, some cats need to have their tails removed. Lets hope you are able to locate a vet who can help find a better solution.


This DOES NOT WORK. Period. The cat will just bite the stump. This has been shown repeatedly not to work, so please please don't do it.

Again, consulting w/ an actual veterinary behaviorist is the key here, b/c regular vets just do not get training in this area (and that's why they do things like remove tails).


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## Heidi n Q

hoofmaiden said:


> Heidi n Q said:
> 
> 
> 
> Just tossing something out there ... in severe cases, some cats need to have their tails removed. Lets hope you are able to locate a vet who can help find a better solution.
> 
> 
> 
> This DOES NOT WORK. Period. The cat will just bite the stump. This has been shown repeatedly not to work, so please please don't do it.
> Again, consulting w/ an actual veterinary behaviorist is the key here, b/c regular vets just do not get training in this area (and that's why they do things like remove tails).
Click to expand...

For clarification I just wish to point out I didn't intend for my comment to sound like a 'solution', it was intended as a warning that if enough damage has been done then amputation could become necessary. _It would be best to have this issue resolved before any *more* damage has occured._


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## hoofmaiden

OK -- sorry. Unfortunately, many vets do recommend amputation in these cases and since it has NO effect on the behavior, it's upsetting to contemplate. Honestly, though--if the problem is unresolvable by other means and the animal is truly mutilating him/herself and cannot control that, amputating the tail even just to get rid of a necrotic tail isn't going to accomplish anything other than delaying the inevitable, b/c the cat will then go after the stump and the problem will recur.

As I said, I went through this in the worst way possible. I regret having been in the situation whereby I learned all about this topic.


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## Heidi n Q

No apology necessary, it is *me* who must apologize for not making myself clear.  _I was pretty vague..._


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