My poor cat!! ( UPDATED, BACK FROM THE VETS)

[poppie123]

Yesterday we had to take my 5 year old outdoot cat to the vet as he wouldn't put any weight on his back leg and was in pain.

After being sedated and after x-rays it turned out to be an abscess which they cleaned and then allowed me to pick him up. I was told to bathe it twice a day with hibiscrub, not to let it scab for 4 days and to try and keep him in for 24 hours.

Well the keeping him in that turned out to be the least of my worries, finally at 6am this morning he charged at the catflap and broke it completely

I have been back to the vet today as the problem i have now is that he will not leave the wound alone, no sooner have i bathed it then he is licking it to death and making it really bleed.

So now he has to wear a buster collar and is doing his absolute pieces He will not use a litter tray (although i have one down) and so i think i am in for a few fun filled days and nights. She has told me not to use the hibiscrub anymore as it can cause irritation and has given me something that looks like iodine.

He is currently trying everthing to get it off and i charging around like a bull in a china shop.
She said i could take it off him when he eats etc but it has just taken me half and hour to get the thing back on after being clawed to death. So i can't see me being able to do that too often.

Help!!!! Does anyone have any advice, he has to keep this on until Friday at the very earliest and then if he tries to lick the wound after that then it has to go straight back on.

 

[mandymouse]

Aww, your poor cat hug: and hugs to you too), I hope his wound begins to heal soon. Sorry I haven't got any advice

 

[tennisfan]

Sorry no advice but I hope your cat's wound heals soon

 

[Ware Bears]

Sorry, I've got no advice either. My dogs have had to wear those collars for various things over the years and they HATE them but at least it's easy putting them on as they don't scratch.

Hope your cat's abscess heals soon and good luck with the collar.

 

[jjk]

sorry no advice,hope your cat gets better soon

 

[orlandothebeagle]

The hibi scrub nips like hell, If it was my cat I would stop bathing it( he has antibees right?) maybe if you leave it alone maybe he will, but hibi scub is nippy nippy yukky stuff, salted water would do as an alternative maybe.
They normally lick then leave alone after they have had a lick.

Hope it gets better soon. Iodine is not as nippy but the more you touch it them more he will lick it.

 

[orlandothebeagle]

I also meant to say, you could always borrow a big dog cage and keep your wee cat in it for a few days, might be less stressful for you
At least he wont pee any where dodgy.

Good luck, Lynne

 

[Rosie]

Poor cat. You could try a feliway plug in http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/feliway-diffuser-plug-in_1_19044.html- lots of people use them to calm cats down. It may help him relax a bit while he gets used to the collar. Our vet and local pet shop sell the plug ins and you can order online too.

 

[joolz1910]

We borrowed a dog crate/cage for our cat after her operation. It was a lot easier to keep her indoors and to clean up. She also licked her wound but would have a quick lick and then leave it alone. I really hope your cat gets well soon

 

[poppie123]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

It's not good news this morning, he was ok all through the night as good as gold. I gave him his breakfast which he managed to eat with the collar on and even used his litter tray BUT... he has devised a way in which he can still get to the wound with the collar on. He just brings his left back leg straight out in front of him, sits human like (if that makes sense) and cleans it which of course has made it really bleed again this morning.

I don't know what to do i could cry!!

I will give the vet a ring when they open and they may have to dress it or something, there is no point in him having a collar on if he can still get to it.(although i have left it on)

He is so miserable.

 

[natalielongstaff]

I wonder if it might be worth giving him a low dose sedative for a few days ?
Good luck xx

 

[poppie123]

Back from the vets.

I saw someone who i haven't seen before but he was lovely and took his time with him. The area which my cat is making bleed isn't where the abscess was although it is close to it. He had a good look squeezed it alot and concluded that there is no pus at all left inside, that is was only a tiny abscess. He showed me where the abscess was and it is actually slightly bigger than a pin head, it's a tiny mark.
He told me to let him out and that he doesn't need to wear the collar anymore.

He said that keeping him in isn't helping just stressing him more and was confident that the area he is licking would heal up by itself even if he does lick it.

He gave him a steroid injection which he said should make his leg feel more comfortable and he said it should help him not to lick the area as much.

I do hope he is right as the nurse who i saw last night who gave me the collar was adamant that he should not lick it. I feel slightly confused by it all.

 

[orlandothebeagle]

Back from the vets.

I saw someone who i haven't seen before but he was lovely and took his time with him. The area which my cat is making bleed isn't where the abscess was although it is close to it. He had a good look squeezed it alot and concluded that there is no pus at all left inside, that is was only a tiny abscess. He showed me where the abscess was and it is actually slightly bigger than a pin head, it's a tiny mark.
He told me to let him out and that he doesn't need to wear the collar anymore.

He said that keeping him in isn't helping just stressing him more and was confident that the area he is licking would heal up by itself even if he does lick it.

He gave him a steroid injection which he said should make his leg feel more comfortable and he said it should help him not to lick the area as much.

I do hope he is right as the nurse who i saw last night who gave me the collar was adamant that he should not lick it. I feel slightly confused by it all.

I am a nurse also, experiance tells me that the stress levels your cat was going through aint going to help, I think the you can do things by the book or you can take a step back, calm down and do what the vet done this am, use experiance judgement and common sense, good luck, Lynne

 

[natalielongstaff]

sounds like sensible advice to me

 

[orlandothebeagle]

sounds like sensible advice to me

I knew you would agree with second vet ;~)