Conference misery::feline

    Lynne,
    
     Poor Casey! I've been through this. Furby got bit by something, and
    even though I got her to the vet before it even abcessed, she was a
    cone head for two weeks! She had a big drain in her hind leg, which was
    stitched right to her leg. (GROSS!) 
    
     Does Casey have to be a cone head while he recuperates? I hope not for
    his sake, It's so sad to see them try to get around with that thing on.
    Furby amazed me as top what she could manage to get into though! ;-)
    
     I hope he feels better real soon. Hugs and paw pats to Casey!
    
    Love,
    
    Yonee, Feendoonie, Furby & Finnigan

    It never fails that "something" happens over a nice long weekend!!!
    
    I have never tried to soak a butt before....but I have attempted to
    soak an abscess on a face, on a chin, and on a leg!!!   It's not
    easy.   Another thing my vet told me to use while soaking was
    Epson Salt....it supposingly draws out the "gook"!!!
    
    I'm sure Casey knows your trying to help...ya right!!!
    
    Sandy

    Of course, it costs more on the weekend.  So, Lady Elizabeth has an
    abcess right on the butt.  She now has a drain a bald patch, and a tail
    that looks like a poodle.  This last weekend she had a cut on her hind
    foot but we caught that in time with Neosporin. 
    
    In his hayday Tigger had an abcess a week.  At one point I actually
    considered hunting down a single vet and marrying him.   

    
    No drain or Liz collar, thank goodness!
    
    I was forgiven for the vet visit last night at around 3 am (8 (;
    
    Whenever Casey goes to the vet, or is ill, he becomes a cling-on.
    I should have realized that this past week, and checked him over
    more closely.  I expected the night visit! (;  I was awake anyway, 
    so he got a pacifying belly rub.....
    
    L-

    
    A long long time ago my cat Sydney cut one of his paw pads.  The vet
    recommended soaks in warm epsom salts.  So I would fill a dishpan with
    the stuff, set it in the bathtub, and Sydney would stand in it on his
    hind legs, with his front paws draped over my shoulder.  He thought it
    was a funny way to get a hug and strokes, but what the hey, it's the
    thought that counts.
    
    len.
    

    
    
    My Diesel kitty used to get abcesses all the time -- after a few 
    emergency trips to the vet, on his advice, we came up with the 
    following short-term solution.  In some cases, he never needed 
    the trip to the Vet - but that applied only when I caught them 
    early enough that infection/antibiotics was not an issue.  I'm not
    advocating anyone not seeing their Vet if you're concerned about
    your cat's health - but I was headed for a million dollar kitty 
    and this saved the emergency vet fees.  
    
    It's kind of gross but usually (in Diesel's case especially) cat's 
    know that they need to lick the area to keep it open.  Cat's skin 
    heals differently than human's which is why they are prone to 
    abcesses.  The idea is to drain the pus/white material and to keep
    the abcess open.  Clipping the fur away is a good place to start but
    depending on the tenderness of the area, doesn't have to be done. 
    Gently squeezing the area to open it up and allow it to drain 
    (warm damp paper towels help here) is the first step.  I then pour 
    hydrogen peroxide on the area - the more the better rather than 
    trying to dab which can be painful.  I then put neosporin (available
    at CVS - non-prescription) on the area.  I've also used vaseline
    if it's a large area and/or i think that it's serious enough that 
    I'll need to do this more than a couple of times.  I didn't want
    Diesel ingesting too much Neosporin.  The VAseline/neosporin keeps 
    the area soft and open, allowing it to continue to drain. 
    
    Just my suggestion, comments welcome.
    
    Adrienne
    

    Adrienne...I do agree one of the keys is to keep the cut open
    and not allowing the skin to heal before the infection is gone.
    
    I've had to do this with a few of my not-so-friendly outdoor
    strays who I can't pat; so bringing them to the vet was not
    an option.  I just keep throwing globs of vasoline on it to keep 
    it soft....of course I can only do this when they are eating and 
    I use a long Q-tip to apply it because hands are off limits to 
    them!   
    
    Sandy
    

    A cats skin heals from the surface down.  Therefore, with any wound,
    but especially a puncture, the surface closes first.  This leaves all
    the debris and bacteria inside in a warm, moist environment to fester.
    If you gently pull at the fur around such an area, it almost always
    will come out of it's own.  You would need to keep the surface open
    until a wound can heal from the bottom/sides up.
    Karen

    Near chief's eye he has a cut about as think as a dime (or thinner)
    that is about 1/2 inch long. His eye is fine (it is far enough away)
    and it looks like he either ran into some bushes, or maybe got
    scratched?  Anyway there is no swelling and he is eating and playing
    fine.  Should I be doing anything with this wound or since it is
    just like a scratch, should I leave it alone?  Should I use
    hydrogen peroxide?
    
    Sandy
    
    P.s. to make matters worse, this morning after his 6am pre breakfast
    out, he came back with no collar.  Had to do a makeshift one for
    today.

    I sometimes use Betadine solution. If your cat's color isn't a c
    concern, you could dab a little on with a Q-tip.  Panalog
    cream/ointment is the choice for scritches and skin prob's tho.
    Karen

    My vet told me I could put a little bacitacin ointment on scratches,
    but to watch for signs of infection too. Seems to work when my kids get
    a little to rambunctious with each other.
    
    Yonee (who got her tube of bacitracin from the vet. Don't know if it is
           the same as the stuff we buy at the drug store.)

    This is really odd.  We have had 4 cats that have developed abcess in
    the past 5 weeks.  We must have a new cat in the neighborhood that they
    are fighting with.  When Christopher didn't great me at the garage door
    last night I went looking for him.  He was sleeping next to the oil
    furnace so I knew there was something up.  He had a HUGH abcess on his
    neck just under the ear.  It popped with out any problem and drained
    well, but I am getting someone to get him to the vet this morning.
    
    Up until now, we have been abcess free for over 3 years.