Cat Abscesses

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

OK, so the stoopidest cat in the world lives at Tightfisted Towers. He gets away with his dimness because he is one of the sweetest cats you could hope to meet.

Since moving from a top floor flat to a house, he has discovered at the age of 13, that the great outdoors is rather fun. Except for the big boy cats.


Of course, he has developed an abscess. At first he looked like it was just a scratch that bled a bit - he'd lost his collar over the week, so it appeared that he had scratched it when rummaging in someone's garden. So it got wiped and left to heal overnight.

I went to have a proper poke at him the following afternoon (Monday) and half his head exploded over my hands and stunk out the entire house _pale_.


He was seen by the vet within about 30 minutes of this and given antibiotics by injection and tablets for the rest of this week, but I have never had to deal with abscesses before. Flea allergies, puking up, furball overdose, broken teeth, thyroid issues, no problem, but never abscesses on any of my cats.


Every day I clean him, flush with saline, clip matted clumps of fur away from the wound and massage from his lower jaw to the dip at the back of his ear, and the gunk just keeps on coming. After the big clean once a day, I am also doing a minor clean two or three times and wipes over to mop bits up everytime I see him.

It is decreasing in general vileness and the edges of the hole are beginning to look bright red rather than icky grey, but what I wanted to ask is -


When you have had cats with abscesses, what is the expected time to heal? The vet says I won't need to take him back, but it seems like I am permanently mopping up his leaking head, snipping crusty hairclumps and easing gunk out.


The poor love looks like he's been partially lobotomised (which would surprise no one who knows him ) and he is beginning to try and avoid me, which he has never done before in his life - he still hasn't so much as grumbled at me for doing it, just shouted OW about 3 times, and instantly I finish cleaning him, he lies down at my feet and goes to sleep.


DD is finding it really difficult to deal with her baby being a giant pustular mass with a hole in his head - I am being an evil mother and making her assist even though it's making her feel sick, telling her that it is our responsibility to look after him even if it is gross - and I could do with giving her some encouraging words about the usual timescale involved in this.




************

My life is so rock and roll.

[sigh]

rising_from_the_ashes

Awww, poor wee soul.....

(re being the dimmest - naw, my wee girl's got that one earmarked)!

My old boy (RIP) was an indoor cat his whole life until I moved onto a farm when he was about 9 - his last couple of years was spent wandering around the garden and it was lovely to see.

Re the abscess - they can take a while, especially if it's really "got hold". If it's not totally cleared up by the end of the tablets, he may need another course.

Cleaning is good - you could try some salt water too (1tspn to 1 pint of boiled, cooled water) as that can help.

I know what you mean about "avoidance" when you're trying to help them - poor wee souls.

Fingers crossed he's back to "normal" soon....

dizziblonde

Took a while when our old cat got one (looked like a bullet hole in his neck).

scaredy_cat

he might need more anti b's, but cleaning it everyday will help getting the infection out.

if the infection has travelled from the top of his head to his jaw, he might need a drain in it, so might be worth while having a talk to the vet first.

paddypaws101

Wow I feel like a bad mum now! Paddy has a similar...or should I say opposite issue in that he had a HUGE anal gland abcess which burst yesterday.....thankfully NOT while I was near him but before I took him to the vet for comprehensive and expensive blood/urine tests.
Unlike you though I have been leaving the cleaning to him and his rough little tongue. Even the vet said it looked too sore yesterday for him to prod or squeeze which he would normally do.
I have to go back for a re-check on Monday, possibly to get further investigations done when the area is less swollen. I know that when one of my others had a golfball sized one on his face years ago he came home with a stent to keep the wound open and allow the puss to escape.
So...I think you are doing all you can but personally would consider a check up at vets after a week or so or when ABX are finished.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

He's looking much better today and once he stops stamping all over the keyboard, I shall try and get a photo of the lobotomised one. It feels as though the pocket formed by the abscess is empty and joining back to his head and there was just a little weeping under the squishy scab that I hoiked off this afternoon.

Amazing how quick they start to get better, isn't it?


Mind you, I'm still shocked that I only got charged a fiver for the antibiotics, the vet saying that seeing as I had already cleaned, clipped, irrigated and generally done everything they would have done for him, there wasn't any point in charging me.

tankgirl1

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

He's looking much better today and once he stops stamping all over the keyboard, I shall try and get a photo of the lobotomised one. It feels as though the pocket formed by the abscess is empty and joining back to his head and there was just a little weeping under the squishy scab that I hoiked off this afternoon.

Amazing how quick they start to get better, isn't it?


Mind you, I'm still shocked that I only got charged a fiver for the antibiotics, the vet saying that seeing as I had already cleaned, clipped, irrigated and generally done everything they would have done for him, there wasn't any point in charging me.

You spoilsport Jo! A good cat bite abcess is one of my favourites... really! Its so satisfying

Good on your vet though :money:
It will heal eventually, might take a week or two, but as long as it is draining and not building up in a pocket, and you keep it clean, admin antibiotics - basically everything you are already doing, then I'm sure it will be fine. If there is still some pus coming out when you get to the end of the antibiotics, then I would take him back to the vet, and just check he doesn't need an extended course.

Oh and piccy piccy piccy please!:j

Dee123_2

My boy had one on his head about a month ago too. It's the second time he's had one (the other was on his side about five years ago).

I noticed a small amount of blood above his eye on a Thursday. There was no swelling. He was slightly clingy over the weekend but as he normally vanishes when he is not well, I didn't connect it. He had had a tooth infection recently on the same side so when he seemed to smell every so slightly strange I checked for that instead and found nothing. Went to work on the Monday, came home and his head had exploded. I felt (and the vet made me feel) like a dreadful owner.

I didn't have to squeeze it like you did though...bleuugghh.

The vet cut it all away (and your description of looking like he'd had a labotomy is accurate). Took about two weeks of anti-biotics and salt water washes for it to harden. The mog cleaned and removed layers of it himself when he was ready and did an amazing job. So perfectly around the edges (given that he couldn't even see it) that the first time he did it I thought someone had picked him up while I was at work and taken him to the vets during the day out of concern.

It was maybe three weeks till it stopped looking like it was more blood than skin and the hair was growing back in well and truly by week four with just a shiny scar.

Hope your DD will take it better as it heals. It's all a life lesson for young 'uns that pets need lots of care and commitment.

Rock on!

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Finally, I got him!




Poor thing is soooo tired this morning!

dizziblonde

Awww he's the absolute double of Pernod my mum's cat! (except possibly not an utter musclebound psychopath like Pernod is..)

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

He is getting to be quite a chunky boy since he started going out - he used to have difficulty getting from the floor to the bed without collapsing in a heap at 13 and a half pounds of solid lard.

He now weighs 9lb and can shimmy up a pebbledashed wall pillar with just his front paws, clinging either side like a squirrel up a tree. I reckon he is carrying 1 -2 lb of muscle now.

That was another moment in the boy's vet visit. They didn't think he would ever lose weight, but now he can stand on my laptop without it threatening to implode.


But no, he isn't a psychopath. More a Tim Tim Nice But Dim kinda boy.

His name is Oggie.