(no subject)

[llywela]

Macavity the Mystery Cat turned up last night with a big burst abcess on the side of his head, just under the left ear. If it was one of mine, I would take them to the vet, but that isn't an option with Macavity, whose tolerance for being handled is extremely limited. On the bright side, he let me bathe the wound with salt water several times over the course of the evening - jerked a bit at the sting but otherwise made no fuss at all, merely got up and stalked into another room when he'd had enough. I think that means that he trusts me to be helping rather than hurting him! He's still here this morning so I've had another go at him. I think most of the pus is out now, but the puncture is still weeping quite a lot. He's clearly not feeling terribly well, but still has a healthy appetite, which is a good sign. I'll just have to keep as close an eye on him as he will allow (can't guarantee he'll still be here when I get home!), keep bathing the wound, and see how he goes.

Comments

[catsdownunder.livejournal.com]

We have a purple anaesetic powder (for humans) for wounds and it is marvellous on minor scratches, though this sounds like quite a big wound. I have used successfully on our cats with no side effects. EDP I think it is called, but that is here and might go under a different name if it is sold your way at all. Glad he is eating well. More like his pride is hurt too and this is adding to the pain of his wound.

Hope he sticks around and lets you continue to nurse him.

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

If he seems to be getting worse, I'll have to ring the vet and ask for advice, but cats tend to be prone to this kind of infection and we've found that the salt water bathing routine is generally pretty effective. He should be okay, I just can't help worrying!

[catsdownunder.livejournal.com]

It's an old wives tale about swimming in the sea if you have a cut ... it helps to heal it. Amazing how something as simple as salt will do the trick in the majority of cases. I hope your patient is presenting himself morning and night for his treatment.

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

Well, he was still here when I got home from work, so we bathed the wound again and he had another good meal and slept some more, but he's gone out now - after 24 hours indoors, I imagine he needed to stretch his legs, so to speak! Hopefully he'll be back in the morning for some more TLC

[catsdownunder.livejournal.com]

Yes, hopefully he will keep his appointment and not seek revenge in between times and present himself with another injury :)

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

Well, he was back this morning, so he evidently intends to stick around for as long as he's feeling under the weather!

[justwolf.livejournal.com]

Well done for being able to bathe it all! I hope he sticks around and continues to get better. :)

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

He's been in quite a bit this week, after I'd barely seen him since Christmas - I thought it was the rainy weather driving him back indoors, but possibly it had more to do with not feeling well! Fingers crossed this abcess heals quickly and cleanly.

[rosie55.livejournal.com]

We had the same problem with our one remaining cat a few weeks ago. He turned up with a burst abscess just over his ear. This cat is very wary of being handled, hates being picked up and we were very worried that being put in a basket and taken to the vet would be enormously traumatic for him. In the end I talked to the vets and they suggested doing just what you are doing, bathing it with salt water and keeping an eye on it. Like McCavity, he seemed to realise we were trying to help and let us bathe it. And now it is completely healed and the fur just growing back. I hope things turn out as well for you and McCavity.

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping it will heal okay. He's had this trouble before - one of the first times I ever attempted to touch him, way back when he'd only just become confident enough not to run away if I entered the kitchen while he was eating, was to similarly tend to a burst abcess. Similar position, as well - left side of the head, only that one was lower down than this, on the cheek. It worries me a little, though, because that side of his face always looks a little swollen, and if he has wounds there that are prone to recurrent infections, that could explain why - which isn't going to be good for his general state of health. He could probably do with a course of antibiotic, but as with your Bilbo, any attempt to get him to the vet would be enormously traumatic for him (even if I could guarantee he'd still be in the house to get to an appointment) and it would be counter-productive. So I'm just going to have to keep a close eye on him when he's around, and keep bathing the wound as much as he'll allow.

[sherrilina.livejournal.com]

Aw, poor Macavity...well if he trusts you enough to help him, he should trust you to take him to the vet! :( Oh well, hopefully you can help him get better...

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

If only it worked like that! Alas, no, any attempt to get him to the vet would be a major trauma for him (there's a big difference between gently bathing a wound and putting a cat in a box and taking it for a ten minute walk through noisy streets to be prodded and poked by a stranger - he would never trust me again!) If he lets me keep the wound clean, it should heal okay, I hope, and the vet remains an option for if he starts to get really ill. Unfortunately, cats are prone to this kind of infection if they get into fights, and I know Macavity has had spats with those nasty black and white cats that prowl the neighbourhood.

[welshdreamer.livejournal.com]

Poor little thing! Well done to you for looking after him :) x

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

Well, he's still here this evening, so we've had another go at the wound with warm salty water. He isn't thrilled about the nursing, but also isn't running away! Hopefully he'll start to improve soon.

[kelzies.livejournal.com]

Poor little Macavity, if only he'd trust the vet too. But at least he's letting you bathe it. Hopefully he'll stick around and it'll heal up soon.

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

It isn't so much an issue of not trusting the vet, as the whole experience of trying to get him there being too traumatic for a skittish stray to even contemplate trying it! He seems content to stay indoors and let me look after him while he's feeling poorly, so I'm cautiously satisfied with that. The wound already looks much better, although is still draining - that's a good thing, though, as my research tells me that it is important to keep the puncture open for quite a few days to be sure that all the poison has drained. We're on course.