Tail-pull injuries are relatively common in cats and present as a limp, sometimes painful, tail. Jonathan Miller, DVM, MS, DACVS, reviews a recent paper discussing the return of urinary and defecatory function in cats with sacrocaudal luxation.
Despite nerve dysfunction commonly being noted at the time of injury, most cats regained function with time.”
Source: Clinician’s Brief, August 2020. Link. Miller shared these key pearls to put into practice with cat owners:
- Cats with sacrocaudal luxation should undergo a thorough neurologic examination, including careful evaluation of bladder and anal tone.
- Overall, cats with sacrocaudal luxation have a good prognosis for return to function; urinary incontinence with a flaccid bladder may be associated with a worse prognosis.
- Based on the high percentage of cats that returned to function in this study, aggressive decisions about euthanasia or tail amputation should not be made until at least 6 weeks postinjury.