My cat has been aggressively attacking her tail (biting/licking) for almost 2 months. We’ve been to the vet multiple times. At first it didn’t seem painful (no reaction to touch), but now it clearly is.

She’s been on gabapentin 100 mg 2x/day. We also did a course of prednisolone after she was diagnosed with asthma. We maybe saw a slight improvement, but the tail issue never went away. Last weekend I was out of town and she got her cone off; now she has a wound on her tail.

We tried Apoquel but she immediately had severe diarrhea, so we stopped. My vet is recommending a dermatologist and possibly starting amitriptyline, but I’m worried about cost at this point because she also needs to start an inhaler.

Other info: strictly indoor cat, no signs of fleas, already on a hydrolyzed protein diet for suspected atopic dermatitis (she gets facial flare-ups sometimes).

Has anyone dealt with something like this or have suggestions before I go the derm/amitriptyline route? Also, cone recommendations are appreciated as she’s currently wearing three.

Additional pictures in comments.