View Full Version : Wounded Cat (maybe from a gun shot)
PomeranianCrazy
04-11-2007, 11:31 PM
I was sitting here in the chair watching TV with Max in my lap asleep. So i started rubbing him and I felt something sticky on his leg. I started trying to move the hair around the sticky place and saw that there was no hair there anymore. As i was messing around it started hurting Max. So I picked Max up and took him in the light to see what was wrong. Max has a spot on his leg with no hair and a hole. Its draining really bad. I'm not sure what it is, either a dog happened to attack him or he was shot. I'm not really sure, it kinda looks more like a shot wound to me. I'm so hurt and ticked right now, Cause if it is a gun shot wound someone will pay for this, I promise that.:mad: :mad: Max goes outside whenever he wants and comes in when he wants and at night. So, i guess it could be anything. I'm taking him to the vet first thing in the morning.
Is there anything ya'll think i should put on it today to clean the wound up?? Help, please if you can.
Is it bleeding or just draining? is there an exit wound?
PomeranianCrazy
04-11-2007, 11:37 PM
It looks like it was bleeding at one time, but now its just draining. No i don't see an exit wound. Should I take pics to show the wound, if so i can do that right now.
Ok, send a pic. was the hair matted? I ask to try find out how long the problem has been extant certainly not to impujn your grooming skills which, by your pics and vids are excellent.
Send a pic, I'll try to give you a hand.
PomeranianCrazy
04-11-2007, 11:44 PM
This must have happened today because he was fine yesterday. The hair isn't matted just sticky around the wound. I'm going right now to take a pic, will have it up soon. Thanks for the help!
No worries. Imma say right now that I seriously doubt it's GSW. Not unless it was a very small caliber at a pretty good distance...
There's no mass present in the vicinity of the wound is there? Like... a BB or something... under his skin?
Areias
04-11-2007, 11:49 PM
I would almost think an abcess....vet will be able to tell you more. Abcesses can open and they do start to loose hair around the area. The vet will be able to tell you more. Abcesses can be caused from one tooth (from another cat) puncturing the skin. Or any other object, and then they get infected.
PomeranianCrazy
04-11-2007, 11:51 PM
No worries. Imma say right now that I seriously doubt it's GSW. Not unless it was a very small caliber at a pretty good distance...
There's no mass present in the vicinity of the wound is there? Like... a BB or something... under his skin?
No there's no mass, I could only take one picture and its not very good. I couldn't hold him down and take a good picture. He's not in the best of mood right now!
Yeah... likely the victim of a cat fight... Tom's will be Tom's, eh?
Still... lets have a look. Is it inflamed? Is he woozzy or listless? Do you have venomous snakes in South carolina?? (Imma Canucklehead up here. Whadda I know?)
Editing, looks like we were posting at the same time...
LOL... Yeah I didn't think you were gonna get much of a pic. Cats aren't well known for thier tolerance are they?
I'd say a warm compress will help to aide the draining, cleanse with a 50% solution of an antibacterial soap (hibitane or something) and warm water and warm compress again.
I wouldn't bandage it... let it drain and see the vet in the am...
I mean... unless he presents other symptoms... vomiting... listlessness... like that y'know?
PomeranianCrazy
04-11-2007, 11:57 PM
I'm uploading the pic now. I was looking at the wound again, and right about the wound its got little purple dots around it. I looked deeper inside the wound and see two small holes. So then i thought snake bite. We have alot of snake out here where I live, but none of my animals have ever gotten bit the 3 years I've lived here. I know Never say Never but do you think it may be a snake?
PomeranianCrazy
04-12-2007, 12:02 AM
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t124/CBkennels07/104_2766.jpg
Its not the best pic.
It's a possibility... Could be a rat he was hunting too... Y'all got big spiders?
Purple surrrrrre doesn't sound good. Is he listless... dizzy... vomiting... ?
Areias
04-12-2007, 12:03 AM
Could be...I'm pretty sure we have similar species as you...we have rattlers, moccasins, and coral snakes here. I would get the vet first thing in the morning. ANY strange behavior go the the e-vet ASAP. If he vomits even once I would go.
I can't tell much from that shot, Brittany, sorry.
Deffo not a GSW though! Bite is still a good guess.
Areias
04-12-2007, 12:05 AM
Is that front leg, back leg, and where on the leg is it? I didn't see the picture when I posted that.
We have brown recluse here that are poisonous...and leave nasty bites that have to be treated or they 'eat away' the skin. I was at the ER for like 3 days with my friend who got bit on his leg.
PomeranianCrazy
04-12-2007, 12:06 AM
It's a possibility... Could be a rat he was hunting too... Y'all got big spiders?
Purple surrrrrre doesn't sound good. Is he listless... dizzy... vomiting... ?
Its not listless or anything. He's eating great and playing but doesn't want to be bothered or touch, especially on the leg.
Could be...I'm pretty sure we have similar species as you...we have rattlers, moccasins, and coral snakes here. I would get the vet first thing in the morning. ANY strange behavior go the the e-vet ASAP. If he vomits even once I would go.
I'm taking him to the vet first thing in the morning. Yeah I'm sure we have the similar species.
PomeranianCrazy
04-12-2007, 12:09 AM
I can't tell much from that shot, Brittany, sorry.
Deffo not a GSW though! Bite is still a good guess. All try and take another pics shorty, after Max claims down!
Is that front leg, back leg, and where on the leg is it? I didn't see the picture when I posted that.
We have brown recluse here that are poisonous...and leave nasty bites that have to be treated or they 'eat away' the skin. I was at the ER for like 3 days with my friend who got bit on his leg.
Its on his back right leg. Its kinda up near the private area on the leg. I don't know much about snakes. So i don't know what it looks like!
Ok... if he's not displaying other symptoms then you're likely fine and the warm compress and cleanse should be ok. Do you have an antibiotic soap you could use? You could use saline too. Do you know how to mix it?
Check on him again in a few hours and check for fever... vomiting... diarrhea (how do you spell that anyway?) and any strange behaviour.
Sounds like you'll be fine... whewph! I was in a bit of a panic there.
PomeranianCrazy
04-12-2007, 12:16 AM
Ok... if he's not displaying other symptoms then you're likely fine and the warm compress and cleanse should be ok. Do you have an antibiotic soap you could use? You could use saline too. Do you know how to mix it?
Check on him again in a few hours and check for fever... vomiting... diarrhea (how do you spell that anyway?) and any strange behaviour.
Sounds like you'll be fine... whewph! I was in a bit of a panic there.
All i have is Peroxide, Alcohol, Alcohol pads, Benadryl spray (for bug bites), and Neosporin, oh and I also have Anti-bacterial foam (hand soap)! Will any of that work? Thanks for all the help, I will clean it (if one of those above are okay to use) and check on him in a couple of hours. THanks again. I'm taking him to the vet in the morning then I will update you on this.
Areias
04-12-2007, 12:16 AM
Back leg-I doubt it's a snake bite. :) Let us know what the vet says.
Brown recluse is a poisonous spider-they don't necessarily "kill", isn't as poisonous, as long as you get treatment within a few days.
KatzNK9
04-12-2007, 12:17 AM
Oh my! Poor Max! It looks to me like there is some redness from infection. I suspect the wound is at least 18-24 hours old (or even days ... even weeks if it is an abscess) but the pic is very blurred so don't hold me to that. I can't see the wound clearly but it looks more oblong shaped & smaller than a bullet wound would be. If it is a bullet wound, I would suspect buckshot or a pellet or BB-gun.
For tonight, I'd pour some hydrogen peroxide into it to see if you can get any gunk out of it. Rinse it thoroughly with warm water after you use the peroxide as that can often be an irritant. If you have any Neosporin (antibiotic ointment), apply it to the area after rinsing it.
It doesn't look like a cat bite to me. Cat bites are generally small puncture wounds that are smaller & will usually heal over on the surface & then cause an abscess under the skin. It doesn't look large enough to me to be a cat bite abscess that has exploded (they usually bust open a big hole) but it does look like it could be a small abscess of another kind.
After having said all that, I'm more inclined to think it is a bite of some other sort ... dog, snake, etc.
When you go to the vet, I would INSIST on antibiotic treatment if your vet doesn't immediately prescribe some. This is nothing to mess around with & you can see the infection from even a blurred photo.
If Max is showing other signs of distress, I would contact a 24-hour emergency clinic for immediate attention.
Please update us a soon as possible on how Max is doing.
Me too Areias.. could be a spider... could be an abcess from sitting on a thorn or something... could be lotsa things... but it sounds ok until morning.
I wouldn't use any of those soaps... or peroxide or alcohol (Imagine the pain you'd be in when old Max turned on you for THAT! yeesh.) I'd go with saline if i didn't have hibitane or the like...
You can mix normal saline in a quart jug by using a teaspoon of table salt mixed in a quart of warmish water. That'll be fine for cleansing tonight. And a warm compress to help the draining.
Remember to watch out for vomiting and stuff! Good luck!! Keep us posted.
KatzNK9
04-12-2007, 12:29 AM
eb4i has a good point about taking heed of a mad cat using something like a cleanser or peroxide but the sooner you get that wound cleaned out the better. I've bred cats for over 20 years & no cat scares me away from treating it (have the puncture wounds myself to prove it).
Heya Katz. The wound sure looks angry doesn't it? Doesn't look doggy to me though... but then I'm used to big dog bites.
Old Stryker here got messed up bad by a cat attack that abcessed in several places. His Elbow swelled up so bad I thought it was broken. That was last year though. He's better now.
Cat bites are nasty. You're likely right about the peroxide. I defer to your experience!
Katz... do you ever sleep?
KatzNK9
04-12-2007, 12:37 AM
If it is doggie, it is a very small doggie with "cat-like" teeth. Cats are worse than any dog bite though. The way their teeth go into the skin is quick & slick in & back out. They usually heal over almost overnight & then slowly build up abscesses ... when they explode, they can be huge holes (often larger than a half-dollar ... and they're really gross & scary looking).
The reason I'm suggesting something more than just a saline solution is that it looks very angry & appears to have been there for a good long time.
Oh I completely agree! I'm just a scardey cat about putting peroxide on a cat.
I'd rather pull porqupine quills out of 15 angry Rotties than try to give even simple worm meds to a cat! *shudder* *quake*
You didn't answer my question. Do you ever sleep?
PomeranianCrazy
04-12-2007, 12:48 AM
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t124/CBkennels07/104_2785.jpg
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t124/CBkennels07/104_2784.jpg
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t124/CBkennels07/104_2780.jpg
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t124/CBkennels07/104_2776.jpg
KatzNK9
04-12-2007, 12:48 AM
LOL, they don't usually mind it much unless they're really hurting to start with & then don't want you messing with them at all.
Well, I'm what you call a habitual insomniac ... some days I do, some days I don't. I owned a nightclub for 5 years ... open 365 days a year ... 10am till 2am ... I built up quite a bad habit.
Well, I'm what you call a habitual insomniac ... some days I do, some days I don't. I owned a nightclub for 5 years ... open 365 days a year ... 10am till 2am ... I built up quite a bad habit.
Me too. Used to be a bouncer.
That's a better pic, Brittany. I take it he's calmer now.
Yeah... I quite agree with Katz... that's been there a little while. Still no vomiting or anything?
KatzNK9
04-12-2007, 12:53 AM
OK ... from looking at your new pics ... I think that wound has been there for longer than you realize. I'm thinking that you may have an old injury that has caused the hair to fall out that has just now risen to the surface & abscess has opened. It is really hard to tell without having my hands on the cat to "feel" ... (yes, I'm brave about such things ... LOL) whether or not it is necessary (tonight) to get it cleaned out before seeing the vet.
I'm inclined to take back my original comment about cleaning it & say, go with the saline type solution, put a little neosporin type antibiotic on it & hurry to the vet tomorrow.
Sebaceous cyst maybe? Has he been licking at it?
PomeranianCrazy
04-12-2007, 01:08 AM
yes he is licking it!
KatzNK9
04-12-2007, 08:48 AM
OK ... I'm here waiting to hear what the vet had to say. You're probably in the vet's office right now.
Me too. Though I think I may take a cat nap. This is WAYYY too early today.
KatzNK9
04-12-2007, 09:13 AM
LOL ... eb4i ... I should ask you the same question ... do you ever sleep?
lol.. I have the same affiction as you.
Used to be a bouncer... got the nightclub in my viens. Once it gets in... it never gets out.
KatzNK9
04-12-2007, 11:02 AM
Used to be a bouncer... got the nightclub in my viens. Once it gets in... it never gets out.
I hear ya on this one!:p
KatzNK9
04-12-2007, 03:34 PM
Brittany, where are you? Just checking in again looking for updates on Max.
Areias
04-12-2007, 10:17 PM
Bumping this up-still waiting for an update.
KatzNK9
04-12-2007, 10:20 PM
LOL, I came running back in here when I saw the thread bumped up again. I'm anxious too.
hmmm. I hope everything turned out ok.
PomeranianCrazy
04-13-2007, 12:04 AM
Hello sorry it took so long to update all of ya'll. Today has been a very busy day. I've been gone all day long. Got up, went to the vet, food, then off to get my hair fixed, then a trip out of town. Now finally home. I was at the vets office for 2 hours, and then at the hair stylist for 4 hours. LONG DAY
KatzNK9
04-13-2007, 12:06 AM
Sorry you've had a rough day & hope tomorrow is better ... but, I've gotta know ... How is Max????
PomeranianCrazy
04-13-2007, 12:07 AM
Heres the update:
The vet said it was a cat bite, but it seems it took to long for here to figure out what it was. I'm thinking about getting a second opinion, because I'm sure she's seen lots of cases of Cat Bites, but it took almost 1 and a half hours for her to say it was a cat bite. I don't know if its just me but don't you think she could have looked and figured it out in seconds. Well, they gave me some onitment to put on it and then sent me and max home. I'm thinking SECOND OPINION is NEEDED HERE! What do you think?? Once again sorry ya'll had to wait all day for an update, LONG DAY!
PomeranianCrazy
04-13-2007, 12:08 AM
Ok... so hows the hair?
My hair looks great, thanks! It took 4 hours to get it looking wonderful and $110!!:D
KatzNK9
04-13-2007, 12:10 AM
She didn't give you antibiotics??? I think she should have. It could be a cat bite that just didn't turn out to be as bad as all the cat bite abscesses I've seen in the past (good thing).
I'd put him on at least Amoxicillin & likely a broader spectrum drug like a Cephalexin.
PomeranianCrazy
04-13-2007, 12:12 AM
She didn't give you antibiotics??? I think she should have. It could be a cat bite that just didn't turn out to be as bad as all the cat bite abscesses I've seen in the past (good thing).
I'd put him on at least Amoxicillin & likely a broader spectrum drug like a Cephalexin.
I asked her about antibiotics, because i remember you said get antibiotics last night on chat. But she said Max didn't need it that the cream would do fine. :confused:
LoveThatPom
04-13-2007, 12:12 AM
I agree Brittany. It seems that 1 1/2 hours is quite a long time for a routine diagnosis like a cat bite. The vet didn't prescribe antibiotics? Quite a few years ago my cat Cheetah got into it with another cat while my sister and I were on vacation (our mom and dad were home). When we came home we thought she had a broken leg, so we rushed her to the vet and they diagnosed it as a cat bite that had formed an abscess, which of course had to be drained. I believe a round of antibiotics would be in order, along with the ointment, but I'm no vet...
LoveThatPom
04-13-2007, 12:13 AM
She didn't give you antibiotics??? I think she should have. It could be a cat bite that just didn't turn out to be as bad as all the cat bite abscesses I've seen in the past (good thing).
I'd put him on at least Amoxicillin & likely a broader spectrum drug like a Cephalexin.
We must have been responding at the same time, as we were certainly thinking the same thing! ;)
KatzNK9
04-13-2007, 12:14 AM
Glad your hair turned out well ... good deal!
Well, she's the vet ... and I guess she knows best as she's actually seen the wound in person. However, I don't like that answer & if it was my cat, he'd be on antibiotics come hell or high water for an abscess that we don't know how deep it is & don't know the degree of infection.
KatzNK9
04-13-2007, 12:15 AM
I'm glad you agree with me LovethatPom ... now I'm even more convinced. Last night when we were in the chat room, I kept insisting that antibiotics are in order ... I can't imagine not using them in this case.
PomeranianCrazy
04-13-2007, 12:16 AM
Glad your hair turned out well ... good deal!
Well, she's the vet ... and I guess she knows best as she's actually seen the wound in person. However, I don't like that answer & if it was my cat, he'd be on antibiotics come hell or high water for an abscess that we don't know how deep it is & don't know the degree of infection.
I totally agree! ;) She always been great before, I've been with her for almost 2 years now. This is the first time i didn't feel right with her opinion.
I had to have topical antibiotics, tablets, AND cortisteroids when Stryker got mixed up in a cat fight....
Antibiotics might be in order... I'd go with a second opinion.
On the up side... awesome news about the hair!!
KatzNK9
04-13-2007, 12:20 AM
Well, I'd give her a call again in the morning since she's only 2 minutes away from you. I'd tell her that if she didn't run bloodwork, she doesn't know if there is infection spread beyond the wound area. I'd make her give me a stronger reason than "he doesn't need them" ... WHY DOESN'T HE? And, how can she be so sure? And, what would it hurt to give him a short course of antibiotics? Surely she realizes how nasty a cat bite can be. And, and, and ... I'd make her give me really snappy answers to those questions before I'd take NO for an answer.
(have I mentioned that my vets often hate me ... LOL, I'm not a good patient).
PomeranianCrazy
04-13-2007, 12:25 AM
I had to have topical antibiotics, tablets, AND cortisteroids when Stryker got mixed up in a cat fight....
Antibiotics might be in order... I'd go with a second opinion.
On the up side... awesome news about the hair!!
I'm sure antibiotics are in order! Second opinion here i come (tomorrow). Thanks I love my hair now! LOL
Well, I'd give her a call again in the morning since she's only 2 minutes away from you. I'd tell her that if she didn't run bloodwork, she doesn't know if there is infection spread beyond the wound area. I'd make her give me a stronger reason than "he doesn't need them" ... WHY DOESN'T HE? And, how can she be so sure? And, what would it hurt to give him a short course of antibiotics? Surely she realizes how nasty a cat bite can be. And, and, and ... I'd make her give me really snappy answers to those questions before I'd take NO for an answer.
(have I mentioned that my vets often hate me ... LOL, I'm not a good patient).
I'll be sure to call her tomorrow and the other good vet down the road. I was sure she was going to give me antibiotics, but NOPE!
LoveThatPom
04-13-2007, 12:25 AM
I'm glad you agree with me LovethatPom ... now I'm even more convinced. Last night when we were in the chat room, I kept insisting that antibiotics are in order ... I can't imagine not using them in this case.
I absolutely agree! I have quite the horror story of a cat bite turned bad! It's kinda long, but I'll shorten it up. I was away at school, and it was a Sunday morning in early December. My sister called me, crying, saying that our cat Gordo was hurt. She said one side of his face was swollen up with a tennis ball size bump on it. I immediately said I was calling into work and driving home (1+ hour) to take him to the emergency vet. My mom said not to, that she was taking him to the vet the following morning. Against my better judgment, I stayed at school.
The next day, my sister called again, saying that she came home from school to find the house COVERED in blood. She said it looked like someone had been murdered in the house, there was blood all over the walls and floors. She found Gordo and he had ripped his face open, bleeding all over. My mom took him to the vet, who said that he had an abscess which he had essentially drained himself. She prescribed antibiotics and ointment.
Well, low and behold, a few days later Gordo tore his face open again, and had to go back and have his face stitched up. A few days after the initial stitching, he tore it open again (despite the "cone") and had to be sutured again. Things became so bad that the vet talked to us about a skin graft because there was no skin left to pull together over the exposed face. Let me tell you, the first time I saw the face I screamed and almost fainted! It was like the cat was missing half his face! After over a month in a specially made cone, as he was smart enough to walk backwards behind couches to pull the others off, he eventually healed. We call him "Scarface".
Brittany, this was not intended to scare you, I just wanted to share another abscess story. Those cat bites are nothing to mess with!
PomeranianCrazy
04-13-2007, 12:43 AM
I absolutely agree! I have quite the horror story of a cat bite turned bad! It's kinda long, but I'll shorten it up. I was away at school, and it was a Sunday morning in early December. My sister called me, crying, saying that our cat Gordo was hurt. She said one side of his face was swollen up with a tennis ball size bump on it. I immediately said I was calling into work and driving home (1+ hour) to take him to the emergency vet. My mom said not to, that she was taking him to the vet the following morning. Against my better judgment, I stayed at school.
The next day, my sister called again, saying that she came home from school to find the house COVERED in blood. She said it looked like someone had been murdered in the house, there was blood all over the walls and floors. She found Gordo and he had ripped his face open, bleeding all over. My mom took him to the vet, who said that he had an abscess which he had essentially drained himself. She prescribed antibiotics and ointment.
Well, low and behold, a few days later Gordo tore his face open again, and had to go back and have his face stitched up. A few days after the initial stitching, he tore it open again (despite the "cone") and had to be sutured again. Things became so bad that the vet talked to us about a skin graft because there was no skin left to pull together over the exposed face. Let me tell you, the first time I saw the face I screamed and almost fainted! It was like the cat was missing half his face! After over a month in a specially made cone, as he was smart enough to walk backwards behind couches to pull the others off, he eventually healed. We call him "Scarface".
Brittany, this was not intended to scare you, I just wanted to share another abscess story. Those cat bites are nothing to mess with!
Oh man Sara, this is terrible! Thanks for sharing tho, i would hate if something like that happened to me, i don't know what i would do *scary. :eek:
KatzNK9
04-13-2007, 08:13 PM
Wow, LoveThatPom ... that's horrific! Yikes! Too scary. Poor baby!
Brittany ... how is Max doing today?
PomeranianCrazy
04-13-2007, 08:18 PM
Max is doing great. I called the vet today and she said the cream she gave me has antibiotics in it. I have to take Max back to her Monday to get it check back out. But today He's doing great and back to himself, also the wound looks great, alot better than it did two days ago!
LoveThatPom
04-14-2007, 02:44 PM
That's good news! I would be concerned about infection in the bloodstream, not just the site, but I'm not a vet so I really wouldn't know...