The tail was cold below the what looked like a dark purple clot. The internist I saw first (I was referred by McGee's regular vet) was conviced it was a clot. She did an abdominal ultrasound to check for liver/ pancreatic enlargement and there was none. The blood work she said was pretty "boring", and nothing was evident with the exception of IBD. She referred me to a cardiologist the next day. The cardiologist said the heart ultrasound looked fine, She and a surgeon said they noticed a slight pink abraiding of the tail, and so thought it was an injury--extensive xrays were taken--no dislocation. The tail was cold, but there was a slight pulse. They sent him home on clavamox, and buprenex for pain, and told me to give him a little time to heal and have the tail amputated. He went to the vet twice in the next two days to check for sepsis and necrosis. He died at 5:30 in the morning 4 days after the visit to the cardiologist. He was howling in pain, and died basically in my arms while I was talking to an emergency vet... Bad luck doesn't begin to cover it.
