How to (successfully!) bandage/wrap a cats paw?

[HugoPhurst]

First, it's user ChristinaMarlowe, I can't change my stupid name back. I'm a moron, but not a Littertray newbie. Hope you all had a lovely Christmas 😻😽😺

So.. Our lovely big old boy got a splinter pre-Christmas, think it was the 13th, roughly. Came in the window as if he was lame, very scary and worrying. He wouldn't eat, huddled the way they do, poor, sad boy. Took him to the vet next day, she looked with a needle and couldn't find anything. Said he was very patient and that she had a good dig and cleaned it after, not to worry.
On the 26th he had a terrible looking paw, was fine the night before and next day a hole and baldness at the site (top of same paw, had been checking pads daily since splinter and all healed). Long story short, after looking at the pictures I sent them the nurse said the splinter had been in there, was pushed further in accidentally by well meaning vet and had abcsessed and emerged the other side, causing the horrific hole and subsequent hairless as he cleaned it.
She swore he was ok and better to not bring him in, simply clean it with salt water and cover it with a baby sock or bandage. Asked if I had a lampshade wotsit, I didn't.
Well... Was recovering but after talking to them again I was convinced to attempt to wrap it. Should have left it. Totally stressed him (and me!) and it was swollen and angry from him ripping off the tape and sock and so on. Felt like a cat beater. Poor boy. Was better again but today he has broken the skin, maybe as instinct from a pain or something, not sure. He's eating well and asides from being annoyed and depressed about being kept in, he is well. Will take him tomorrow but just wondering what one does if successfully bandaging a cats front leg? I feel like a total bastard, to be honest. Any tips for next time, or for if they refuse (again) to do it for me? To be fair they were obviously short staffed and didn't know how useless I am at such things. Thank you in advance and Happy New Year, Littertray!
(Sorry for typos, had to retreat to loo for a 2 second text window from tge kids, DH and cat with cabin fever!)

Most likely was a cat bite rather than splinter. Wound on top would be from other cats top teeth. Don't bandage - far too stressful and you can cause so much more damage by placing one badly. Continue to soak foot in warm salt water tonight. You need to find a way to stop him licking it though as that will make it worse. Have you anything that could make a cone - stiff bit of plastic or card? He alse needs pain relief and antibiotics, so must get those even if not seen - get an Elizabeth an collar at the same time!

Thank you for replying! I will take the poor boy in the morning and get the shots, collar and bandaging done.
I agree, I thought it was a bite, DH thought a trap (we live right on top of a posh game reserve in the ass end of nowhere, seemed logical...). The vet saw the picture and said it was the splinter. I will attach the photos I sent the vet, just for interests sake. Thanks so much for your reply. Doing salt water and Savlon until he gets seen and taken care of tomorrow. Thanks again. What do you think of the pics? Bite? Will also attach original splinter photo sent to vet the week before. EDIT: PICS ALL AS SEPERATE POST BELOW

Not letting me post the pictures. I will try from another device later. Sorry. So grateful for replies, felt a bit bereft that I begged them to take my money and let me drive down to the put of hours and they said no... Will get him seen properly tomorrow and chalk up to experience.

Still VERY interested in advice on cat bandages, though! I totally failed him. Devastating. My poor old boy, would like to be better equipt next time.

(Photos will eventually follow when able)

Injury as it was when it appeared a week after the splinter itself. Cat bite?

Finally worked.

This was the original splinter injury he had a week prior (same vets)

One of my boys got bitten by another cat and had to be bandaged. I had to do it every day for 3 weeks. He protested but we had to stop him licking it. What would you like to know?

I’d dunk it in a bowl of saltwater a couple of times a day but I wouldn’t use savlon.

He’ll ingest it and you don’t know how that will affect him.

@Aahotep Everything!

First, thanks for the reply. So appreciated.
Second, did it look like my boys foot?
Third, how (step by step, please!) did you bandage it?

I will be taking him to he looked at, have painkillers and antibiotics and a lampshade/Victorian collar tomorrow, but really appreciate your input and have lost a little faith in my lovely vet practice as I was desperate for them to do it for me and didn't care about the out of hours fees, even offered a huge tip for the staff and pleaded ignorance and fear, they still wouldn't see him as thought he would be fine.

Just want all the advice I can get from real vet lovers with real experience as I hate feeling I am totally inept at something so important.

Thank you so much for your replies

PET lovers, obviously...!

@Fluffycloudland77I was told by the same veterinary nurse that Savlon or Sudacrem in small amounts (of course) was harmless. Now I don't trust that either! Thank you :)

I think that's a cat bite with upper and lower canine tooth marks.

Don't bandage, leave open to the air. Soak twice a day in warm salt water (dry:rinse after so he doesn't lick the salt)

He nay we'll need anti onion ice and certainly pain relief but I don't think it's an emergency issue. Is he weight bearing?

[quote HugoPhurst]@Fluffycloudland77I was told by the same veterinary nurse that Savlon or Sudacrem in small amounts (of course) was harmless. Now I don't trust that either! Thank you :)[/quote]
Definitely do NOT use savlon - it's highly toxic to cats

I'd be complaining to the practice about that advice

Anti onion ice = anti-inflammatories

Actually I'm correcting myself - I was thinking of dettol (highly toxic)

Savlon has been suggested to be safe as a thin smear but to be honest I wouldn't use anything in a wound that I wouldn't put in an eye (common wound healing advice!)

Creams will gunk up the opening and I suspect a cat will instantly lick any cream off rendering it useless and increasing the risk of adverse GI effects, so i'd stick with salt water

Tbh human patients are pretty obsessed with savlon “I saw the red line last week so I put savlon on it” 🤦🏻‍♀️

Ok, so my vet showed me what to do.
It was like a long open gash on back paw from just above the foot to the joint.
She gave me a tube of cream (veterinary bepanthen) and all the kit. Also gave him an injection of painkillers and antibiotics.
So, first grab the cat and subdue. Get all your equipment ready at hand before.
Put on the bepanthen then a square of gauze, then i had to wrap a long strip of cotton wool around it, then a hard wearing outer bandage. It was sort of rubbery so it stuck to itself.
It was a very bad open wound, almost to the bone. Also he won't wear the cone of shame.

You can use a baby onesie and put the foot in a leg hole and button up as best you can instead of cone of shame...

Again I'd strongly suggest not bandaging yourself. For a number of reasons

1. It will be highly stressful (for you both )
2. You likely don't have appropriate bandaging equipment
3. Unless you're experienced you could do more harm than good. Overly tight bandages can restrict blood flow and cause significant injury

Or vets sell cat onesies and you can sew an old sock onto whichever leg you need to cover..

I'm surprised that they refused to let you come in and let them bandage it.

Definitely looks like a cat bite to me!

Elizabethan collar to stop him licking it, let it air and keep it clean. Agree not to bandage it yourself, I've had clients do the bandage too tight before and the outcome wasn't great.

If he seems bothered by it, the vets can give him some anti inflammatories and antibiotics.

Good luck op! He's very cute :)

I wouldn't bandage it either. But to answer your question about how, I use an appropriate dressing and bandage, and then cover with vet wrap (self adhesive bandage). Just make sure the bandage is higher than the vet wrap because you don't want to stick that to hair. Depending on the cat you might want to be wearing full leather motorcycle gear, including hat and gloves

However if you aren't experienced in bandaging/ wound treatment I would always recommend checking with a vet first. I've had a lifetime of horses before the old boy and his penchant for fighting ever showed up, so I'm pretty confident with wounds. But bandaging things you shouldn't, or even bandaging things you should incorrectly can do a fair bit of harm.

Vet wrap is also called cohesive bandage, and comes in a wide variety of widths and colours. You should always use some form of padding under it, if you decide to go down that route. I've used it on dogs, horses and people (including myself).

However I would worry that a cat may try to chew it off, if you don't use a cone of shame or similar. On that note, I gather you can get soft inflatable ones that look much more comfortable for the animal.

Beautiful cat. Honey....Manuka honey is great for wounds. Try and not let him lick it though. Sudacream is safe again to use but try and not let him ingest it. (I'm a vet nurse :)

Hi all, sooo grateful for all of your replies! Thank you so much. Had a connection issue in our very small village and had no internet until about 3 hours ago, just checking in to apologise for my ignorance and will now read and reply individually.

Firstly, here is my update. Called the vet this morning and demanded (in my selfish middle class arrogance) to be seen today. Long call back which was very helpful and fair, if I'm honest. I was advised that the injury itself - while no doubt upsetting and stressful for me - was NOT an emergency, and so no amount of stamping my feet or offering money was going to change the fact that the Out Of Hours service is for EMERGENCY SERVICES and my cat isn't so much as hopping or off his food, so therefore is not an emergency and wasn't last time I called, either. I feel a bit silly but also can now understand the situation. What an intitled dick I am at times.
So. Have agreed to call tomorrow first thing to make a normal apt. where they will be happy to help and provide the requested services. I was also assured that IF he were to go downhill or appear to suffer in any way then I can call the Out Of Hours vet and will be seen immediately.

Thanks again to you all, will now read and respond to the replies.... Not gonna lie, excited about a cat onesie! That's all I saw at a first glance but sounds MUCH more doable!

It’s easy to go tiger mum over them.