Help My Kitty Got Hurt

[Gina]

Well, AlaskanJack's post about his hurt dog made me think this would be a good place to ask for help about my kitty!

Tonight when I came home from work, my cat met me at my Explorer as usual, but when we headed up the stairs, I realized he was limping bad. He wouldn't put his front left paw down. When I got inside, I looked at it and there's a huge gash on his paw...about 3/4" long and deep, I think I can see his bone. So I cleaned it up and put a bandaid on it. He's acting perfectly normal...chatting away, purring when I pet him, eating normal. He just won't put any weight on his paw.

Is this something that would require stitches? Or should he heal up okay? I'll of course keep very close watch on him and he won't be going outside for a long time!!

 

[ahhjaws]

Make sure it's clean. I would get some guaze or something, then wrap it with cloth tape. It will probably be fine and heal well. You would probably only need stiches if it was bleeding really bad.

 

[Nate1]

I'm being dead serious. You can pinch it closed as best you can (if you wont hurt your cat) and superglue it shut. I know you think I am insane but you honestly can.
Don't go crazy and you wont hurt him (or her) too bad.
I think (mabey not) Alec might confirm this, but it is used in medicine (on humans its more sterile though). If you don't feel comfortable, I would take him or her to the vet, if you can see the bone odds are alot of capillaries got cut.
Just keep a close eye on him or her.

 

[Joe93]

I would wrap it up in some guaze and clean it. I got this stuff from my mom that is called wonder dust. It is an antibiotic and anti-itch powder that you use on open wounds for your pets. It helps prevent infections and keep the wound from itching.

 

[Stephen]

Just to be safe Gina, I'd take him to the vet. They may need to do an injection or a chemical cleaning of the area since you dont know how it happened. Think of it this way, if you had a cut like that, would you go to the doctor? If the answer is yes, then take your pet to the doctor too.

 

[Gina]

Well, I found some gauze and tape in my first aid kit, so I was able to fix him up a little better than the bandaid. When I took the bandaid off, the cut was kind of sealed shut (whew, super glue avoided). And it's not bleeding at all. He looks pretty comfortable to me....

Dead Link Removed

Can cats get tetnus? I don't know what he got cut on... He's up to date on all his regular shots though.

I hope he can get through it okay...can't really afford the vet right now! But if I have to, that's what credit cards are for

 

[Stephen]

I'm sure they can. Ask Alec though, he's our resident whiz

Very cute cat!

 

[Nate1]

Buy some neosporin (or even better, if you have a prescription for bactroban (sp?)) put some of it on the guaze to prevent infection. Most anti-biotics/antiseptics that are made for humans are pet safe, and vice versa. For example, my dog has a prescription for cephalexin, which I take periodically for sinus infections.
Good luck. Nice kitty (although I hate most cats cuz of my allergies)

 

[clarkkent]

Since alec's isnt hear to say sumpin.. i will.. I'm going through med school too and am pre-med..

<-Psychiatric Technician!!! oh yeh baby!

Pour some salt on the wounD! haha don't listen to me, did i mention my patients are from a mental hospital?

 

[ahhjaws]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. If the wound seems like it is healing well. Our dogs got a huge gash right above her eye once, and all we did was wrap it up after cleaning it. The next day it was almost healed.

But, yeah, treat it just as you would treat a cut to yourself.

 

[JDraper]

As Stephen said, take it to the vet! If you cut yourself down to the bone, would you fix it yourself, or see a doctor?

BTW, nweibley is actually correct about the superglue.......sort of. Cyanoacrylite (superglue) was originally developed for the military as a battlefield emergency wound sealing agent (sterile version, of course) however the stuff you buy over the counter is not sterile.

 

[clarkkent]

..i still say put some salt on it..

 

[dogfriend]

Our cat got bit (the vet thinks by another cat) once and we didn't find it until it had turned into an open sore. The vet had to stitch it up and I had to squirt liquid antibiotics down her throat for 10 days.

I don't know if cats can get Tetnus, but they can get bacterial infections, so if you aren't going to take him to the vet, make sure to keep an eye on the wound to make sure it is healing and not getting worse (infected).

 

[Nate1]

Originally posted by JDraper
As Stephen said, take it to the vet! If you cut yourself down to the bone, would you fix it yourself, or see a doctor?

BTW, nweibley is actually correct about the superglue.......sort of. Cyanoacrylite (superglue) was originally developed for the military as a battlefield emergency wound sealing agent (sterile version, of course) however the stuff you buy over the counter is not sterile.

Hence I said the OTC stuff is not used in humans since it isnt sterile. Still superglue isn't exactly condusive for growing bacteria in its liquid form, so if you opt to try it (sounds like its already clotted closed though) you should use some neosporin an hour before...

I think a trip to the vet is a good idea if you can afford it, but they will probably just give you a tube of antispetic and charge you $50 to say she is fine.
-----Nate

 

[ahhjaws]

I think a trip to the vet is a good idea if you can afford it, but they will probably just give you a tube of antispetic and charge you $50 to say she is fine.

That was my thinking. I know how they work. And am studying to be one too.