Hi there, my cat had surgery for a nasty open wound. He had a lot of stitches that popped the very next day, which caused some heavy bleeding. I took him back to the vet and they put staples in this time, but they haven't held either. So now I'm left with a cat whose wound is only half-healed... To be fair, the cut was over 4 inches (10cm) long and in a really awkward place.
The top of the wound is on the mend (about 2 inches or 5cm of it is sorted), but the rest is another story. There is a gaping hole right on the joint behind his leg, so every time he moves, it pulls the wound apart and it just won't heal! Is there any way to get this closed up for good? Especially since I've already shelled out about £270 for all this...
You'll understand my worry better when you see the photo. 😕😕
Translated from French
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The main thing is that your cat needs to stop mucking about and messing with his wound—that’s why the cone and the confinement are so important, otherwise you’ll never get it sorted. It’s going to be tough, but if you dose him up a bit with some Zylkène and Bach flowers, it should be manageable. He just needs to stick it out for at least a week so it can heal up properly. I’m speaking from experience; I had a little girl who was acting the fool and had to be kept shut in. She was properly sulking, but it was for her own good.
I’m just puzzled as to how they’re going to close the wound! So far, we've had two visits and two different ways of closing it up, but it hasn't held, so how are they going to do it this time?
Hi everyone and thanks for your replies. Well, I’m relieved to know I’m not just being paranoid and that my cat’s wound really does look nasty and needs to be treated properly!
I’ll do what needs to be done and keep you all updated on his recovery – at least, I really hope he makes one!!!
I agree. You can't possibly leave a wound in that state until Monday. Best case scenario, it’s going to get infected; at worst, the whole wound will split open.
+1 with @Ulalie. Get him to an emergency vet right away – your cat can’t wait three days in that state. With the wound he’s got, it’s a total breeding ground for bacteria. If they won't see him, find a different vet!
I’d strongly suggest asking your vet for an emergency appointment; he really can’t go another three days with a gaping wound like that as it’s bound to get infected. Send the vet the photo so they realise you’re not just imagining things.
You could try to calm him down with some Bach Rescue Remedy spray—give him one spritz on his nose and two in his carrier; it really chills them out.
Regarding the honey, it has to be thyme honey and nothing else, and a high-quality one at that. As for the Betadine, use the yellow liquid version and just dab the area several times a day.
Going forward, he absolutely needs to wear a cone, and you’ll need to keep him somewhere he can’t mess about too much. You might even have to keep him in a large crate until it’s all healed up; otherwise, you’ll never get anywhere at this rate—he’ll be back getting stitches every single week.
Best of luck!
Hello, well, I contacted my vet yesterday because I’m honestly quite worried about his recovery...
The vet said I should bring him back on Monday morning to redo the open wound and remove the staples—which aren't doing any good anyway—if there’s no improvement by then. But looking at my cat, I really don't see how it's going to get better on its own in just two and a half days...
I’ve been using some Betadine antiseptic cream, but he licks it off immediately, so it's not really doing much. On top of that, he’s a bit semi-feral (the vet has to sedate him just to carry out any exams); he's calm with me, but it's still much more of a challenge than with a "normal" house cat...
Have you been back to see your vet since the staples came loose?
It looks like there are still some staples in the wound, and they really need to be removed to avoid the risk of infection (especially since the wound is on a joint) and to ensure they don't interfere with the healing process.
To help with the healing, you could try applying some honey (it has natural antiseptic properties and can really help the skin heal).
But your best bet is to have a chat with your vet about it first.
