I really need advice, I'm at my wits end

[Janeyk]

I think iodine must be really good because it's always been used so much in hospitals but it doesn't half stain, the clear sounds much better.

[Mark]

Povidone. I think pure elemental iodine is toxic but the type used as an antiseptic is povidone which is low toxicity.

I remember reading somewhere ages ago that you can now buy clear iodine. I will look into getting some as long as it is safe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Povidone-iodine

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Whatis the PVP part?

[Mark]

I found this on a scientific paper

"Because of its low toxicity and highly effective antimicrobial activity, topical PVP-Iodine applications have particular advantages in treating skin infection of cats, dogs, or
other animals that lick wounds .PVP- Iodine has also been found to be highly effective in treating bacterial and fungal fish eggs, thereby increasing the hatching yield. Additionally, scrub and antiseptic solutions containing PVP- Iodine have been reported as highly effective for use on dogs, cats and horse s for various pre-surgical procedures".

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Was my worry too but hopefully it will start to heal inside now although you wont be able to see it. 

[poppie123]

It looks very clean to me and healthy.  Licking is a cat's natural way of clearing out infection. I would worry about him licking Iodine though as it's bound to upset his tum. 

Thanks, i thought it looked much better too.
I bathed it for the very last time this morning, i have been doing it since Monday night and they said 4 days. That's why i have watched him like a hawk until the iodine dried, i too was worried it could make him ill 

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

It looks very clean to me and healthy.  Licking is a cat's natural way of clearing out infection. I would worry about him licking Iodine though as it's bound to upset his tum. 

[Dawn F]

looks better to me!

[poppie123]

Some photos of his leg, the one yesterday taken about 20 mins after he made it pour with blood. You can't even see where the abscess was in the first photo because it was underneath his matted fur. It is the dark scab under the main sore in the 2nd photo.
I think it is looking much better today, just praying he doesn't try and lick it to death again.

[Dawn F]

sounds like he is doing ok

[poppie123]

That's interesting, I have never come across iodine being used either. I personally would keep him in, just so you know he isn't getting any dirt or anything in the wound.

If i am honest i would prefer to have him in to, but he was just going absolutely mad and i mean mad. He was licking the area all the time and it was just impossible to watch him 24/7 to stop him, it was a case of lick, bleed, heal, lick, bleed, heal. Nothing i did stopped him from doing it.
The collar was useless as he was still able to get to it by sitting at a funny angle (he is a big cat) and even worse the edge of the cone was digging straight into the area whilst he was trying to get to it.
The vet seemed to think that allowing him out would distract his attention away from the leg and it seems to have worked. He seems much calmer now and it looks like he hasn't really touched it at all. I have bathed it each day with iodine so i am hoping that i have done enough. As i said i am keeping everything crossed it heals well now.

[Desley (booktigger)]

That's interesting, I have never come across iodine being used either. I personally would keep him in, just so you know he isn't getting any dirt or anything in the wound.

[poppie123]

Better news this morning 

I left the catflap open all night but Derek mostly stayed in. I checked his leg this morning expecting the worst and although he has licked it it doesn't look like it has bled and if it has it hasn't been much.

I have bathed it (used the iodine in the end) for the last time this morning and watched him like a hawk after to make sure he didn't lick it whilst wet. He is asleep now so hopefully the area should dry again.

I feel so much better after a good nights sleep and i am so pleased that so far (touch wood) he hasn't made the area pour with blood. Keeping everything crossed that he leaves the area well alone today.

I am thinking that maybe the vet was right, being outside takes his mind off his leg and means he leaves it alone, well that and the steroid injection.

One happy person here today 

[Millys Mum]

A steoid inj would help swelling as it has an anti inflammatory effect and also works wonders on irritated skin so i personally would be quite happy with his treatment poppie 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Thats very interesting 

[Mark]

Could it be that farm animals are treated different to cats?

My vet gave me Iodine for Clapton this morning. He said with the infection in Claptons paws, Hygiene is paramount and Iodine is the best thing. Also as I had been holding clapton during the procedure, I probably had blood and pus on my hands. The vet offered for me to wash my hands. He said take your pick - they had 2 dispensers on the wall. Hibiscrub and Iodine. I picked Iodine to wash my own hands. AFAIK, a lot of surgeons still scrub up with it and also use it after surgery on patients.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

ahhhhhhhhhh then that would be the convenia abs and they take a couple of days to kick in. So the infection hopefully would be on its way out.

Mark is right most (there could be a hidden vet or vn)are not qualified to give medical advice but like Mark we are just giving you the benefit of the knowledge that we have through experience of our own cats and what vets have told us.

I personally would not use iodine and have never been advised to anytime in the last 15 years over many abessses on cats and have never seen anyone on hear saying it either.

Could it be that farm animals are treated different to cats?

[Mark]

I would use iodine if that is what  the vet said to use. The same goes for the steroid jab -  Nobody on here is qualified to give medical advice. If you think the vet is wrong, maybe have a word with him, but I am sure there are good reasons. My cat, Clapton had some ingrown claws removed this morning which have caused infection. My vet has given him a Convenia jab and has given me Iodine to bathe his paws with 3 times a day (it has to be watered down) - Iodine is an excellent antiseptic. I was helping to birth lambs at animal college recently and we applied Iodine to new born lambs umbilica as it is the best thing to prevent infection.

I was given cortisone cream once when my hand was swollen from a cat bite.

[poppie123]

This is why he needs abs not steroids cos they will get rid of the infection and ceratinly salt water is the best way forward. Things heal from the inside out and the cat licking the area keeps the surface open but also will stop it healing if he is too enthusiastic 

Sorry to say this but your vets sound a bit old fashioned, or maybe are they primarily farm vets?

He had a antibiotic injection for any infection on Monday which lasts 2 weeks and also an anti-inflammitory which was just a 24hour.

As i type this he has jumped onto next doors extension roof and is cleaning, aaaaarrrrrr i could scream. What's the betting it will bleed again now.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

This is why he needs abs not steroids cos they will get rid of the infection and ceratinly salt water is the best way forward. Things heal from the inside out and the cat licking the area keeps the surface open but also will stop it healing if he is too enthusiastic 

Sorry to say this but your vets sound a bit old fashioned, or maybe are they primarily farm vets?

[poppie123]

to Purrs

Are you in the UK Poppie, cos this isnt the normal way of dealing with an abcess, which usally occur after being bitten.

Personall I would not use iodine but salt water as you suggest,

A steroid injection sounds way over ther top and a jab of convenia abs which lasts two weeks is the normal way to go

If this had been done and being no puss there, and it so small, there really shouldnt be any need to wash..........whats worrires me a bit is why they are so hyper about the cat cleaning the area, cos I have had cats with large abcesses, one semible feral, and convenia jab and that was it. Collars have never been used. She did have to be sedated for them to find it but only cos she was semi feral and bit the vet cos he accidently hurt her and from then on she was unhandleable.

Hello

Yes I am from the UK. I am definately going to use salt water from now on then. They said that i could not let it scab over for about 4 days as there could be more infection underneath.
All i plan to is just squeeze out a cotton wool ball which has been in warm salty water. I am not going to start touching the area with it.

I find it strange that the nurse last night put the fear of god into me by saying that he could not lick it as it may never heal and he had to stay in only for the vet today to say let him out. Makes no sense at all.

If only i could get my cat not to lick the area for a couple of days then i am sure it would heal enough as to not rip the scab off when he licks it.
 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

  to Purrs

Are you in the UK Poppie, cos this isnt the normal way of dealing with an abcess, which usally occur after being bitten.

Personall I would not use iodine but salt water as you suggest,

A steroid injection sounds way over ther top and a jab of convenia abs which lasts two weeks is the normal way to go

If this had been done and being no puss there, and it so small, there really shouldnt be any need to wash..........whats worrires me a bit is why they are so hyper about the cat cleaning the area, cos I have had cats with large abcesses, one semible feral, and convenia jab and that was it. Collars have never been used. She did have to be sedated for them to find it but only cos she was semi feral and bit the vet cos he accidently hurt her and from then on she was unhandleable.

[poppie123]

Hi everyone,

I will try and keep this as short as i can but i really could do with some advice.

On Monday we had to take my 5 year old outdoor cat to the vets as he was limping. Turned out after he had been sedated and x-rayed that he had a small abscess on his lower left back leg.

They cleaned it and sent him home instructing me to keep him in for at least 24 hours.

Yesterday morning i noticed he kept licking the area and making it bleed so i phoned the vet for advice and was told to pop down and see the nurse.

She gave him a buster collar to wear told me not to use hibisrrub anymore(too harsh she thinks) and to bathe it instead with iodine.She said that it was vital he did not lick the area and that i must keep him in.

We had a terrible night with him and i have had no sleep, he kept trying to get the collar off and was going absolutely mad. This morning straight after he had eaten (which he managed to do with the collar on) he started to lick his leg again. Yep he devised a way to reach it. I was so deflated after being up all night with him and putting him through all that and he could still get to it.

So another trip back to 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 very small abscess. He showed me where the abscess was and it is actually smaller than a grain of rice.
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.

We are back home now and he has been out although he is now sound asleep upstairs. He has still tried to lick the area but i have been there and stopped him doing it. I have noticed that he tries to clean it whenever he has eaten so now i have taken up his dry food and will have to eat morning and evening. That way i can watch him like a hawk after.

Part of me feels though that i do hope this vet is right as the nurse who i saw last night who gave me the collar was adamant that he should not lick it and he should not go out. I feel slightly confused by it all.

P.S Also i wondered if i would be better off bathing it in warm salted water rather than iodine??