This may affect free-roaming animals, so caregivers, please read on:
Pet tail injuries can be very scary and painful for your pets, please read here.
Pet Tail Primer
The tail is actually an extension of your pet’s spine – it’s simply more mobile and flexible. It is attached to the sacrum, which is a bone at the base of the spine.
The tail contains bones called caudal or coccygeal vertebrae that get progressively smaller along the length of the tail. There are small joints and discs between each bone that cushion them.
There are blood vessels and nerves all along the length of the tail, as well as muscles that control the movement of the tail and also play a role in the pooping process for both dogs and cats.
Read more about tail abrasions, tail fractures, damage to nerves in tail, happy tail syndrome and limber tail syndrome.