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Sick Kitties
Or, Farla's cats try to help her learn to be a vet.
My male cat very recently developed a limp. I couldn't see anything wrong, so at first I thought it was a sprain. Then I noticed the dewclaw on that foot was at an angle and wondered if it was broken/dislocated. Ted-cat groaned when I tried to move it, so I thought that was it. Then I felt a hard patch in the fur, realized it was a scab, and flipped him over, prompting more groaning. He had an abscess, and a pretty nasty one for such a small wound (it was bad enough that pus squirted when I pulled off the cap. I tell you this mainly because I enjoy the thought of some of you cringing. It was a sort of yellow-white-green color, to add to the mental picture you probably don't want). I then endeared myself to him by squeezing the wound (exceedingly sore, probably in part because it's between two joints) until the pus turned red.
Unfortunately, due to the nature of the injury (a straight, deep puncture) I wasn't able to squeeze it until I got down to pure blood. I soaked it in hot water and released him. I've been periodically reopening the wound since then (because of the location, it matts over very quickly) and there's been no new sign of infection. The injury seems to be healing cleanly from the bottom instead of sealing over.
As you may imagine, my cat was not happy about any stage of this.
Online resources tell me that what I did was a horrible idea and that opening and squeezing abscesses just spreads the infection. There goes any trust I'll have in medical advice I get online. I have no idea why they say this. It's either the Idiot reasoning (all things are made undoable because the writer assumes the reader will screw up and so thinks it's best to send them directly to a professional) or Money reasoning (the writer is that professional and would like very much for you to hand over your money). I've cleaned a number of abscesses, and they all healed up almost immediately, even those I wasn't even able to wash out. Cats will naturally scratch open abscesses. Stupid, lying internet articles. Great for information, useless for do-it-yourself.
I'm still trying to decide what caused the wound. It's the perfect size for a cat fang, but there is no other damage, and I'm not sure how a cat would manage to bite the underside of his paw to start. His fighting-related injuries tend to be on his tail and the upper parts of his back legs, and there's also related damage to his face - mainly nose - from running too fast into bushes. He does have a gash on his nose currently, but it just doesn't fit properly...
My other cat I've tentatively diagnosed with Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome. She fits multiple symptoms and even some of the additional information (it's stress-triggered, it's common in oriental breeds) and it's also the only explanation I've come across that even begins to cover it. I just checked and she's definitely triggered by touching her back, she often licks her side heavily after attacking me or otherwise acting strangely, she lashes her tail and twitches her skin, her eyes are odd, she groans and growls once it's full-blown, she looks behind herself repeatedly and then runs and hides even when nothing's there, and she's very affectionate (to the point of head-butting) before she's petted. She seems to have two distinct forms of attacking. Her 'normal' one is when she's surprised by someone new when already stressed, or bothered (such as when I try to pull her out from under a bed), where she hits with claws sheathed. Her abnormal one involves striking with claws out, often without provocation. I usually experience both while trying to grab her, and there's a very sudden shift. Normal is when I reach for her, and the abnormal comes only after I've grabbed her and touched her back.
My parents have dismissed my diagnosis on the grounds that it 'sounds like it'll cost money'. I have their credit cards, so if this isn't resolved soon I'm going to see if I can buy antidepressants without a prescription.
My male cat very recently developed a limp. I couldn't see anything wrong, so at first I thought it was a sprain. Then I noticed the dewclaw on that foot was at an angle and wondered if it was broken/dislocated. Ted-cat groaned when I tried to move it, so I thought that was it. Then I felt a hard patch in the fur, realized it was a scab, and flipped him over, prompting more groaning. He had an abscess, and a pretty nasty one for such a small wound (it was bad enough that pus squirted when I pulled off the cap. I tell you this mainly because I enjoy the thought of some of you cringing. It was a sort of yellow-white-green color, to add to the mental picture you probably don't want). I then endeared myself to him by squeezing the wound (exceedingly sore, probably in part because it's between two joints) until the pus turned red.
Unfortunately, due to the nature of the injury (a straight, deep puncture) I wasn't able to squeeze it until I got down to pure blood. I soaked it in hot water and released him. I've been periodically reopening the wound since then (because of the location, it matts over very quickly) and there's been no new sign of infection. The injury seems to be healing cleanly from the bottom instead of sealing over.
As you may imagine, my cat was not happy about any stage of this.
Online resources tell me that what I did was a horrible idea and that opening and squeezing abscesses just spreads the infection. There goes any trust I'll have in medical advice I get online. I have no idea why they say this. It's either the Idiot reasoning (all things are made undoable because the writer assumes the reader will screw up and so thinks it's best to send them directly to a professional) or Money reasoning (the writer is that professional and would like very much for you to hand over your money). I've cleaned a number of abscesses, and they all healed up almost immediately, even those I wasn't even able to wash out. Cats will naturally scratch open abscesses. Stupid, lying internet articles. Great for information, useless for do-it-yourself.
I'm still trying to decide what caused the wound. It's the perfect size for a cat fang, but there is no other damage, and I'm not sure how a cat would manage to bite the underside of his paw to start. His fighting-related injuries tend to be on his tail and the upper parts of his back legs, and there's also related damage to his face - mainly nose - from running too fast into bushes. He does have a gash on his nose currently, but it just doesn't fit properly...
My other cat I've tentatively diagnosed with Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome. She fits multiple symptoms and even some of the additional information (it's stress-triggered, it's common in oriental breeds) and it's also the only explanation I've come across that even begins to cover it. I just checked and she's definitely triggered by touching her back, she often licks her side heavily after attacking me or otherwise acting strangely, she lashes her tail and twitches her skin, her eyes are odd, she groans and growls once it's full-blown, she looks behind herself repeatedly and then runs and hides even when nothing's there, and she's very affectionate (to the point of head-butting) before she's petted. She seems to have two distinct forms of attacking. Her 'normal' one is when she's surprised by someone new when already stressed, or bothered (such as when I try to pull her out from under a bed), where she hits with claws sheathed. Her abnormal one involves striking with claws out, often without provocation. I usually experience both while trying to grab her, and there's a very sudden shift. Normal is when I reach for her, and the abnormal comes only after I've grabbed her and touched her back.
My parents have dismissed my diagnosis on the grounds that it 'sounds like it'll cost money'. I have their credit cards, so if this isn't resolved soon I'm going to see if I can buy antidepressants without a prescription.
no subject
The first bit reminds me of an infection I had in one of my toes. I had a nail clipper and I was like, "Hey, dry skin. *snip*" and then it turned out that I opened up this little pocket of pus. Funness. I figured it was an ingrown toenail-type situation. I put it in salt water until it ran red and then put a bunch of antibiotic cream on it and bandaged it up. And then it was better. Whee!
no subject