Cat Tail Looses Flesh Leaving Bone?

My friend was recently out of state and left his cat in the care of another friend. Recently when he was moving into a new place he got the cat back, during the move I noticed about the bottom half three or four inches of the tail was missing flesh and you could see bone CLEARLY. This friend is very tight on money and has a child to support, but loves this cat. I was wondering if anyone would know what would cause this and if there is a way to find a cheap method to help this poor cat.

Thanks!
--MissMew

[zodiacqueen]

Hi, it sounds to me like the cat got his tail caught somewhere and it was skinned!  

Honestly, there is no cheap way to fix this!  There is a major threat here of a serious life-threatening infection.  This is an injury that will NOT get better w/ some home remedy.  This needs a vet's attention ASAP.  He must find a way to help his cat.......there's Care Credit, post-dated checks, and he can borrow money from someone.

[Cassandrajane]

That happened to one of my cats, Im afraid he needs to go to a vet so he can have the little part of his tail aputated like my cat did... because it can get infected VERY quickly.. He needs to see a vet ASAP!!!!

My cat had to have more of his tail cut off because he kept chewing it and within simply an hour it was infected all over again, he has half a tail now...
It was seriously infected when we found him and he was literally outside for an hour it happened within that hour... luckily hhe didnt have to have the whole thing taken off....


This wont go away with magic creams, it needs a vet's attention ASAP!
x

[missmew]

So, I believe from what I heard that the tail just began to sort of wither away. There was no open wound from what I hear, but is it possible for something like a tick spray and something else to cause something like this?

Feedback, thanks !

[Jade59]

I don't believe any type of spray would cause a cats tail to rot and fall off.  Is that what you're asking?  I'm in agreement with the above poster - this cat got it's tail caught in something - somehow, some way.  

This identical thing happened to my neighbor.  Mysterious wound on cats tail; they left the wound to heal on it's own - of course it did not and ended up withering away and falling off.  Meanwhile, who knows how much poor kitty suffered.  

[nancyjac]

A cat's tail is actually at continuation of its spinal column, a combination of bony vertibrae and connecting cartilage.  This makes it very flexible, but also pretty easily prone to injury.