My vet isn't helpful at all, maybe you guys can help.

[StephieNS]

I need to know a bunch of things, that my vet refuses to give me straightforward answers on.

When it comes to a paraplegic cat, how do you prevent abrasion sores/wounds from forming? My cat has a wound at the bottom-base of his tail that has gotten worse since I visited the vet, but she isn't open on thursdays. It was a small wound, but now the skin is like...rolling back and it's becoming larger. Also, his entire back area is raw and skinned up, pretty much no fur there anymore. He keeps getting UTI's no matter how much I clean him and decompress his bladder (which I only found out how to do properly from this forum), and he now has infected abscesses all around his scrotum, with skin that's like...dead and peeling off.

I took him to the vet. She gave me some antibiotics, told me to wash/decompress him 3 times a day, and to keep him dry down there. That's it. Can't get anything else from the woman.

Oh, and then she told me I could give him pepto for his diarrea. Found out online that it now contains aspirin. She almost had me give him something potentially fatal

[Christine]

Oh, please find another vet. Obviously, the anitbiotics are not the right kind for the uti bacteria your cat has. There are tests to find which one you are dealing with and the correct medication for it. One thing that will help with the loose stools is plain pumpkin (no spices) about a tablespoon mixed in with his food. The medication he is on could be causing this. There is a spray that will keep the area protected, but it sounds like you have to get those sores healed up first. I will contact our resident cat expert to give you some more information. Perhaps you can post some pictures that will help. Glad you learned how to express him here. Possibly you are not emptying him completely. A good vet would help teach you and verify that you are doing it correctly. Please, please find another and hang in there. Ask all the questions you want.

[BendyMom]

RUN AWAY FROM THAT VET

you need a vet who will work with you, who makes themselves available!
Call several vets in your area, explain you have an incontinent cat with severe skin issues and you are not happy with teh care you are currently receiving at your clinic. As them if anyone there is willing to help you with your cat. Listen carefully to things in the background (i learn a lot that way, i have heard someoen pass on my message and then heard someoen else laff at it...i hung up) be critical - did the person sound genuinely interested in being helpful, were they at all sympthatic to your problem?
explain you are willing to do whatever it takes to help your cat but you need a vet who is experienced and willing to work with you.
make the earliest appointment you can!!!!

write down everything you know about your cat's history and take that with you to your appointment.

i would ask for a Convenia shot, but if teh wounds are bad enough your kitty may need minor surgery to clean them out so be prepared.

take photographs, keep a photo diary of the progression (good and bad).

i currently ahve 2 incontinent cats, and have had 2 others in the past. i have delt with many open wound issues too. not fun for you or the poor kitty.

quick run down of what I would do:

go to your local pharmacy and get a chlorahexadine scrub (its usually blue, does not sting, its a surgical scrub that is fantastic for disinfecting)

also get: rolled gauze (several rolls), first aid tape
several baby bibs preferrably with one side that is plastic

wash all teh wounds with this.
trim off any dead tissue
if anything looks deep, take a syringe, fill it wiht the cholorhex solution and flush the wound out.

carefully pat kitty dry (do not rub)
i often have a space heater on to help with drying and will sit down in front of it with kitty in my lap.

wrap teh wounds loosely with gauze, secure with first aid tape. this is to help keep them clean.

the baby bib - fasten the bib around your kitty's waist, so the plastic side is out, the bib should go under kitty's legs/tail. I have recently discovered this makes a great protective slidey!


OK the runs - if your cat is on Clavamox there is your culprit.
Pumpkin works wonders.
you can get (at pet stores or feed stores) "pet pectate" or "kaolin syrup" which is SAFE for cats (good god not pepto, what a moron. run far far far away from her). it is over the counter. I would use this in additino to the pumpkin.

what is kitty eating??
kitty's gut needs soemthign simple, i often feed plain boiled chicken for cats with gut problems, the pumpkin can be given with teh chicken -a lot of cats actually like it.

best of luck!

[Mouse99]

what is kitty eating??
kitty's gut needs soemthign simple, i often feed plain boiled chicken for cats with gut problems, the pumpkin can be given with teh chicken -a lot of cats actually like it.

There's actually a brand of cat food that has a combination of chicken and pumpkin as canned food. Don't know if it's available in the US, but my cat would kill for it - only the chicken comes pre-killed, which I kind of like

Our vet recommended boiled chicken and boiled rice for a kitten with long-lasting diarrhea once - worked like a charm. There are also brands that have special dietfood for cats with GI-issues, which I think is recommended if your cat would need special food for longer than a few days as home-made dietfood usually doesn't contain everything a cat needs. It might be prescription-only, so ask your (new) vet. Also, you could try Viyo, if that's available where you live? (http://www.viyo.com/en/cats/) It's a probiotic drink for cats (also for dogs) and might help with her diarrhea. If not, it's also very useful in getting cats and dogs to drink more, which obviously is very important if they have the runs. You can give it to them pure or mix it with their water.

And yeah, I'd definitely find another vet. If you think yours isn't useful, than don't (use his/her services anymore). Find a vet who is willing to take their time to answer your questions and to actually CARE - for both you and your cat. Good luck.

[critters]

It sounds like the problem is mostly tissue damage, probably from dragging. You've gotten some good ideas about dealing with that. Quite a few people have used a sugar paste to heal nasty wounds, like these; personally, I haven't, but it was vet-recommended. Couldn't agree more about running away from this vet...