Cleaning an abscess

[Christophewouldgetit]

My poor cat had a really nasty abscess go pop on his front right leg on Thursday night. He went in for treatment first thing yesterday and is now wearing the cone of shame

He has a course of antibiotics and some painkillers but the vet said I should wash it out with salt water a few times a day. She said to leave it last night as he was grumpy, sore and just needed to flop around.

I've just done it this morning and whilst not happy, he did tolerate it. However, as some time has passed since the vet clean, there is a crust over most of it and I am wondering if I should try and soften this with the warm water so that it can eventually be knocked off? The vet said it was a particularly deep wound (possible muscle damage ) so I obviously want to try and get all the nastiness out but also don't want to cause my kitty any more pain as I am sure opening it again would be horrible for him..

What do you think?

Does he eat dry or wet food?

He normally has dried but tried him on wet so could put the liquid painkiller over it, but he just left it.. so he's back on his normal dried!

It might be that because he is always outside, I don't see him drink to the levels he is now.. and with the nice weather, this is how much he drinks (this is his first summer with us)..

Just wondered - with him on lock down, you notice so much more

You do indeed - my current old boy is an indoor cat and I know his behaviour very well indeed.

I think I'd try him again on wet food - what kind did you give him? Cats can be fussy beasts and it may be that the one you gave him was simply not to his taste. (It may also be that he likes dry food of course - but Hey Ho.)

My own old boy, for example, won't touch fish flavoured pouches so in the days when I bought mixed boxes with fish flavour in them, those went to next door's cat who liked them.

PS - it may be that when he was outside, he was drinking from an external source - water butts or puddles etc which some cats prefer - so that what you're seeing now is his normal water consumption with dried food. (They obtain most of their liquid intake from the food itself when they eat wet food.)

Thanks Cozie - he had this wet food previously as, before his cystitis followed by urinary crystals issue, he was having mixed with both wet & dry. After the crystal diagnosis, he needed a special diet but I couldn't afford the urinary wet food. I bought the S/O dry online with a nod from my vet and he loves it.. I will try him on it again later though - see if he's willing to give it a go but he could, as you say, just decided he doesn't like it anymore (he also dislikes fishy ones but this was chicken which I thought would be fairly uncontroversial )

Just don't want any other issue to flare up and wanted to check that ABs couldn't cause any kidney issues or the like.

My poor cat is back in hospital as the second wound is very deep and whilst it looks clean and free of infection, the vet thinks she should stitch it up to help it heal quicker...

So the cone of shame remains for another 5 days or so! I bet he won't learn his lesson either

Clean and free of infection is good though. Is it just for today?

I should be able to pick him up at 6 tonight so he'll be home and grumpy later!

I am going to have to start getting tougher with the neighbourhood cats (well, one in particular!)

Oh dear - he's ripped off the cone of shame

He is leaving the leg (and more importantly, the stitches) alone and seems much happier in himself so am tempted to leave it off.. I know there will be a battle of wills to get it back on and I will probably lose.

Do you think this is ok given he really isn't worrying either wound?

If you can keep a reasonably close eye on him and he's not worrying the wound then it would probably be OK I would think - different if he's sneaking off somewhere to have a good go at it.

Is he eating/drinking/using his tray all right?