RainyBear
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posted on August 9, 2000 12:09:07 PM
My cat got into a fight last Friday night and was hurt. I'm not sure exactly what happened to her, but she was moving very slowly on Saturday and didn't want to be touched. On Sunday she was feeling better and now she's acting completely normal. (I would have taken her to the vet if she hadn't improved quickly.)
On Monday I noticed a small lump on her side, though, and today it's a lot bigger. Even though she's eating, moving, and acting normally, I'm worried about this lump. Has anyone seen anything like that before? I'm wondering if/when I should take her in to get it checked out.
Oh yeah, and will male cats try to get busy with female cats even if they've been spayed?
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snowyegret
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posted on August 9, 2000 12:13:31 PM
Your cat might have an abcess where the lump is, and need antibiotics. And yes, one of my gelded males used to try- and piss off the female.
It happened once to one of mine, a scratch closed, but was infected underneath. I noticed the same thing- a lump.
[ edited by snowyegret on Aug 9, 2000 12:16 PM ]
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RainyBear
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posted on August 9, 2000 12:24:48 PM
Thanks snowyegret. It sounds like I'd better take her in and have the lump checked out.
The reason I asked about the male/female cat thing is because I'd wondered if the male cat she'd been fighting with was trying to get a little furry action, so to speak. My cat has been spayed and my husband said that males only go after females when the females are in heat, but I wasn't sure if that was correct.
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bunnicula
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posted on August 9, 2000 12:27:56 PM
Definitely take her in. Cats claws are one of the dirtiest things on earth & infections always go along with scratches.
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Glenda
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posted on August 9, 2000 02:25:03 PM
Where the kitty was bitten is now infected and will need to be lanced and drained. The vet will possibly give her a shot of antibiotics, and almost definitely give you a bottle of antibiotics to give her for the next week to 10 days.
This probably wasn't a "let's have some action" fight (males typically won't try to mate with a female that isn't in heat) - it was probably more of a "get out of my face, it's too hot and you're annoying the heck out of me" fight.
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RainyBear
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posted on August 9, 2000 03:02:24 PM
Oh, poor kitty. And she was only defending her own territory -- they were fighting right on my front doorstep.
Thanks Glenda and Bunnicula.
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pareau
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posted on August 9, 2000 03:08:43 PM
Rainybear, if the lump is a lot bigger today from what it was on Monday, I'd call the vet now, even if it's the emergency service, to see about bringing her in ASAP. Cats often heal on the surface and infect underneath, as others have indicated. If that's what's happening, she needs to get taken care of pronto, so she doesn't get sick from it. Meow!
- Pareau
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RainyBear
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posted on August 9, 2000 03:46:22 PM
OK, my kitty has an appointment to see the vet at 10:30 tomorrow morning. Thanks for the spur to action, Pareau.
I'm lucky to work somewhere flexible where I can easily take time off for things like that. Honestly, no one would probably notice that I was gone, except I wouldn't be answering email. Maybe I'll just turn it into a vacation day since I have a dental appointment in the afternoon. Hmmmm....
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calamity49
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posted on August 9, 2000 10:54:33 PM
Rainybear,
Everyone is right. It's definitely an abcess. I think cats carry the germ even when they aren't actively abcessing. You are doing the right thing by getting it lanced quickly before it opens on it's own. They can be pretty nasty.
Calamity
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uglimouse
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posted on August 10, 2000 12:06:44 AM
I agree with all the above . When my cats have had abcesses , I
a)look for the punture wounds with a magnifying glass .
B) make a solution of tea tree oil , alcohol and green soap and warm water( I get this product from a company , but you can concoct one of your own ) and then with a cotton ball , I squeeze lots of it onto the wound or lump. The tt oil is absorbed through the skin very quickly , and is an antibiotic and antiseptic in its own right. Also nips early staph and strep infections in the bud , and is not harmful to Pusskins if she licks it. Once the abcess is open or lanced , the area can be kept clean , disinfected ( and sweeter smelling ! ) and will heal well without burning or stinging .
My cats came to associate the smell with healing , and purred and purred when I treated them this way ( after the initial revulsion of having their fur wetted !)
I've managed to avoid vetinary intervention ( and costs ) several times this way ; but you must judge if it's beyond that stage and needs prof. help first.
Re: Tom cats and getting Nookie .. I had 2 females. One spayed , one not. When the " not " had kittens , one of her young male offspring tried it "for practice" with the spayed one when he was an " adolescent". She whipped his butt , and he didn't try it again ! A mature Tom won't usually bother.
Wishing your patient a speedy recovery,
uglimouse
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chococake
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posted on August 10, 2000 12:38:47 AM
RainyBear
Don't get grossed out if they have to put a drain in. It's really nothing, just helps it heal from the inside out.
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RainyBear
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posted on August 10, 2000 07:24:57 AM
A drain? Oh boy, Sunshine is not going to like this one bit.
I don't think she'd let me do too much in the way of home remedies so it's probably best that I'm taking her to the vet. She doesn't like to be picked up or even touched unless she's in the mood for a kitty massage. That's the only way I found the lump at all -- during her morning backrub.
I've never had to deal with this before since I've only had indoor cats, but my husband grew up around indoor/outdoor cats so I figured I'd give it a shot. It usually works out well and the worst that happens is she sits in bark and brings little pieces inside with her when she comes in. She hasn't been ouside nearly as much since she got in the fight, though -- her choice.
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toomanycomics
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posted on August 10, 2000 07:51:13 AM
let us know how it went with the vet
there was one time (long time ago) that one of the kittens had a swollen foot (it was twice its normal size). I started to put Hot/warm cloths around that foot. Of course the kitten complained loudly when I did that. (I had someone to hold the kitten) It turned out that the foot was full of abcesses. By changing the hot cloths and placing pressure on the foot, I managed to drain it all. It was a smelly process though.
It took the kitten 2 weeks to forgive me.
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tokay99
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posted on August 10, 2000 09:36:07 AM
I'm sorry to hear about your kitty RainyBear. I remember the first time my cat came home with an abscess. His face swelled up so much, his eye was closed. It wasn't until it popped when I figured out what it was. It was so nasty. It drained for about 3 days. I made sure it healed from the inside out. I just kept it clean and it was gone in about a week.
He has had two since then. Dirty kitty claws can do it every time.
Good luck.
8 months and counting
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RainyBear
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posted on August 10, 2000 12:14:29 PM
Well, I took her to see the vet this morning and he looked her over and said he thinks the lump is too soft to be an abcess and that it's probably a hernia. They're going to do surgery on her and she can't come home until tomorrow afternoon. Poor little furry. 
He said I could call and check on her around 5:00 tonight, but I'll be in the dental chair at that time getting some work of my own done.
I'm glad I took her in when I did. The vet said she needed to get the surgery done today instead of waiting so the hernia wouldn't get any worse and possibly restrict blood flow. So thanks for the advice, everyone. Now I wish it had been an abcess!
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tegan
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posted on August 10, 2000 12:38:41 PM
Poor Kitty and poor Rainy Bear, I hate the dentist.
I'm sure you will both be fine. I can't believe how fast my little dog recovered from surgery. I have been told cats do just as well.
I on the other hand would whine for weeks after surgery.
I'll send good thoughts and prayers for both of you and don't forget to pamper yourself and the kitty when this is over.
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pareau
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posted on August 10, 2000 12:40:16 PM
Poor Sunshine! Poor RainyBear! Still, it IS good that you got her professional help, and they can fix her up. A strangulated hernia (or whatever it's called) can be lethal. And just think--if she didn't have an operation, you'd have to stuff her into a truss every day. No picnic! 
Head butts to both of you, and have an easy time at the dentist. Let us know how things go.
- Pareau
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RainyBear
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posted on August 10, 2000 06:23:58 PM
Just a little update:
There was a message from the vet on my answering machine when I got home, and he said it turned out that Sunshine did have an abcess after all, and not a hernia. So he'll send her home tomorrow with antibiotics and she'll be just fine.
My time at the dentist turned out to be very easy because when I arrived they told me they'd tried to reach me to cancel the appointment -- so I turned around and went home. This is the fourth time this particular appointment has been rescheduled during the past few months, either by the dentist (three times) or by me (once). I'm beginning to think I'm just not meant to have this dental work done, which is fine by me.
Of course after reading Meya's thread about her dad, none of this seems very important. My best wishes are heading his way.
Edited for addition... 3 + 1 = 4
[ edited by RainyBear on Aug 10, 2000 06:25 PM ]
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chococake
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posted on August 10, 2000 06:44:52 PM
RainyBear, I'm really suprised the vet thought it was a hernia, especially with the history. I was a Vet Tech and I could tell the difference between the two! Ha, it was probably the tech that discovered it was an absess while prepping for surgery.
Pets are part of our family so it is important.
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RainyBear
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posted on August 10, 2000 07:32:48 PM
Maybe the vet couldn't tell right away because she's so darned furry:
Too bad they didn't figure it out earlier, or it would have saved them the trouble/her the trauma/me the cost of having her put under anaesthesia... oh well, I'm just glad she's OK.
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chococake
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posted on August 10, 2000 08:17:22 PM
She's so pretty. They probably would have had to put her under anyway. For one thing cat's hate the sound of the clippers let alone draining the abcess.
Glad she'll be home soon.
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toomanycomics
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posted on August 11, 2000 05:22:27 AM
well looks like this furry kitty is going to have a bald spot.
the vets will have to shave the fur off the bump in order to clean the wound and prevent the fur getting infecting the wound.
shheeesh... just today someone has asked me if I'm a vet...
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calamity49
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posted on August 11, 2000 09:45:51 AM
Rainybear,
I'm so glad that it is just an abcess.
Could you give me the address of your Denist?
I could use one like that! LOL!
Calamity
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tegan
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posted on August 11, 2000 11:23:56 AM
What a pretty cat.....I'm glad she will be okay.
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snowyegret
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posted on August 11, 2000 12:20:56 PM
Sunshine is SO pretty, and I'm glad it was not a hernia.
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RainyBear
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posted on August 11, 2000 12:32:25 PM
Thanks for caring, everyone. I'm glad she'll be OK, too. I feel bad that she's sitting at the vet's right now in a cage, probably wondering whether Mommy and Daddy will ever come back for her... but Daddy will be picking her up after work today and she'll get to sleep in her own bed (closet) tonight.
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RainyBear
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posted on August 11, 2000 10:08:08 PM
Poor cat... I just had to tell you guys that she's at home now, and she's walking around slowly and bumping into things with one of those plastic cones on her head, a tube in her side, and a big shaved spot around it. She is not a happy kitty. She goes back on Tuesday to have the drain and the cone removed.
My husband spoon-fed her tonight and she really liked that. I'm amazed at how good he is about caring for her, and also administering medicine when she's yowling like the sky is falling. Animals and children like him.
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chococake
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posted on August 12, 2000 12:00:45 AM
Oh poor Sunshine those cones are really awful. But,it would be worse if she ripped out the drain. Don't worry her fur will grow back fast just look funny for a little while.
Give hubby a big hug for being such a good guy.
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calamity49
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posted on August 12, 2000 12:29:15 AM
Tegan,
Did the Vet. say how deep the abcess was? Kind of wondering if that's why he/she thought it was a hernia at first.
Poor Sunshine, the indignity of having to go to the Vet., being stuck in a cage and having to wear the cone. Give her a scratch under her chin for me.
Calamity
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toomanycomics
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posted on August 12, 2000 05:24:37 AM
and several scratches between her shoulder blades for me
is she given a form of antiboitics? (sp?)
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