My cat has a wound that isn't healing and is actually getting larger.
The vet tried to close it with stitches (on 9th March) without success; the wound just opened up again.
He then tried staples... same thing happened.
So now he's telling me to keep up with the dressings, but the wound is spreading.
He's mentioned a skin graft or a biopsy to investigate further...
My cat is 14, she's a Sphynx – quite an old girl!
I'm wondering if it's a pressure sore or an ulcer...
My neighbour is a nurse and is helping me with the dressings.
Does anyone recognise this kind of wound?
Do you have any advice that could help me?
I'm thinking of seeing a different vet and asking for blood tests...
I've read a lot of articles about using medical-grade honey for treatment...
I'm at my wits' end... though she doesn't actually seem to be in any pain.
I've attached a photo of this nasty wound.
Sorry to anyone who's a bit squeamish.
Looking forward to your replies.
Translated from French
The forum content is sometimes translated from another language, and posts may concern countries with different animal laws. Do your research before making any decisions.
Since the forum is translated by AI, the translations may contain errors.
When I saw that the vet was stumped (he was mentioning things like a biopsy or a graft), I spoke to a vet nurse. She helped me with the dressings while I tried to find a solution, specifically a dermatology vet (I’d already been turned away by two others once I explained the problem).
Anyway, we’re in good hands now... I hope.
I’m dropping her off tomorrow for her tests 🤞
Evening,
She hasn't got a temperature; the vet checked it.
No, it didn't just appear overnight. It's actually been there for a very long time...
We all know Sphynxes are quite delicate, so they often get little sores, spots or bites...
But *this* particular sore would heal and then keep coming back. It’s been a real yo-yo...
And because of that, she’s ended up with layers of scar tissue.
When I went to the vet, he told me he needed to remove a bit of the mass (it’s like a little crater) so he could stitch it back up and close it (he didn't think it was anything serious). But from that point on, it’s just gone from bad to worse. So for a good month now, it's been getting bigger... since her op on 9th March, I’ve been trekking to the vet every 2 or 3 days to get the dressing changed (and it’s not exactly round the corner). He’s seen how it’s developed... he was hopeful every time... but to no avail.
Have you had her tested for 'flesh-eating' bacteria (strep)? That’s why I was asking if she had a temperature; even though you said NO, if she has a weakened immune system, it’s possible she won’t run a fever. Anyway, your cat’s wound reminded me of that nasty bug, and I’ve seen that it’s becoming more common, even in pets.
Mind you, I'm not pointing fingers, but that wound surely didn't just appear overnight. Your first vet really didn't grasp the severity of the problem (not to say they’re all rubbish).
I hope the dermatologist is an older one; vets these days are absolutely useless!
If the appointment starts with a weigh-in and a flea check, then you’ve been unlucky again; sadly, you rarely find any good old-school vets anymore, they’ve all retired.
Best of luck, I hope you find out what’s wrong with her because it looks very, very serious.
I just wanted to share my experience, but in my case, it was under the chin. He was prescribed Oridermyl, and although that might seem a bit strange as it’s actually for ear infections, my cat healed up in no time at all. Mind you, in his case, it was a proper open, bleeding wound. He was also on Dermipred as an anti-inflammatory and some antibiotics – I can't remember the name, but they were little tablets that he wolfed down just like his dry food, so they must have been very palatable.
I also read another post about a wound that wouldn’t heal where the vet had prescribed Oridermyl and it cleared up really quickly; that particular wound was on the cat's head. It’s an ointment that gets used quite a lot because it stops the itching, for a start.
