Need Help!!!!**warning - graphic pictures**

Our new puppy Zoey had a run in with our cat...
I stepped out of the room for a minute while the
cat and puppy were playing I didnt think anything
of it because we have always had several animals
in the house and the cat is gentle with all of them...
anyway they were playing...I went to use the
bathroom I came out of the bathroom to Zoey yelping
very loud and cowering in a corner and Tigger walking
away from her...I picked her up and didnt notice anything
then...the next day she had a knot on her back and a scab
...I cleaned it and didnt think anything of it. I thought it
would get better on its own..well today there was a scab there
and I peeled it off, using a warm washcloth and I noticed the scab
had pus ont he back of it...it was then that I realized the cat had
bitten Zoey I felt like an idiot that I didnt check it out
sooner, we took her to the vets office...They put a drain in that looks
like this...Does anyone have any care tips for me?
Id really appreciate them...as well as any prayers for her Thanks so much!

the best thing you can do is use a warm cloth every few hours on it, to make sure the drain dosent clog. Poor thing!!!!

Poor pup! I can only say that one of my cats once had an abcess that looked not unlike that, and it scared the life out of me. But it did get better, and you have the right treatment. My vet said keep it exposed to the air rather than cover it up, even though it looked so raw. But it must hurt her, poor little girl.

Oh my... I wasn't expecting such a graphic image.

Your poor puppy! I don't have any advice. Did the vet give you any care advice for while she has the drain in? I've never seen anything like that before. Thats pretty nasty looking.

{{{Lots of get well soob vibes for little Zoey}}} and a few {{{calming vibes for you}}}

I am sorry that you are having to deal with this.

I must admit I did view this earlier today, but felt I couldn't offer any advice as I've not experienced this sort of problem when we did have a dog.

I've since had a think about it and wondered what I would do - my immediate thought was just to wipe the area clean with a piece of that meshed cotton wool (not sure what they call that) dipped in luke warm water that has been boiled. I would also ring the vets just to ask again about how to keep things clean and what else they might suggest.

Lots of get well soon (((((( vibes ))))) whizzing over for your brave Zoey

Do keep us posted !

thanks so much, Everyone!

There needs to be a graphic pictures warning on this thread. I'm eating, and had NO idea that I was going to see what I just saw.

I'm VERY sorry that your kitty got hurt. My best advice is to ask your vet for specific care instructions.

OMG... poor puppy..but im sure that vets know better how to deal with problems like this and everything gonna be okay. get well soon!

Wow that was some bite. Not to scare you but cat bites are more dangerous then dog bites cause they close up in seconds and the germs stay inside longer and it usually abcesses - like what happened to the pup.

It will get better. Just be sure if it ever happens again to you or the dog, you get medical treatment right away.

Same for clawing - sometimes it can be blood threatening to people with blood disorders - the claw scratches close within seconds.

Agreed, cat bites can be very serious. However, the actual infliction of the wound here isn't as bad as it looks. I mean, I'm not saying it's a minor injury, it looks like it hurts and it did need medical attention. But I have seen worse and this is one of those injuries that look worse than it really is. It should heal up soon, don't worry. All you need to worry about is infection; clean it atleast twice a day with an antibacterial solvent. Sending prayers for Zoey!

Sorry it happened. Poor baby.
Blue Heeler? She looks just like my son's pup, who is about 12 weeks old.

Keep the area clean and dry, meaning no roling in the dirt. In fact, I'd make her an inside dog until she heals up (f she isn't already).
You can get sterile gauze at the pharmacy, which I would use to keep her dry. Unless the vet ordered it, don't clean it routinely. There probably won't be a lot of drainage after 24 hours, just a bit here and there.
I wouldn't worry about the drains getting blocked, they are pretty efficient.
I can't tell from the picture - any chance she could pull one out? that could require an E-collar.

Glad you got her in so quickly - that wil help her heal quickly.

The drain tube looks weird -- is it draining two sites & that's why there are 2 ends sticking out? I've only seen the ones in people -- the JP tube that look like a plastic grenade (collects the drainage in the bulb & empty as needed). Are antibiotics required? What about Rx against cat bite bacteria -- or this not a problem in dogs? Hopefully, someone here on TCS w/ experience can be of support to you.

I hope your doggy gets better soon.

The wound actually looks very good. The drain is working correctly and it will be wet so don't panic. Our dog Tails was attacked by another dog two years ago and had to have three drains put in and stitches to repair the damage.

We had to clean each of the drains three times a day with a betadine solution. He was on an antibiotic as well. The tubes are there just to keep the wound open so the infection can be cleaned out.

You can send me a pm if you have any more questions. I will be glad to help in anyway.

Here is a look at his injuries.
This picture is graphic as well just to warn people.

I've also only seen drains that come out 1 end, not 2. Did your vet give you any solution to flush thru the tube? You want to keep the tube open and continuously flush out the infection thru that tube. If the tube closes up, the puss will build up. My vet always gave us a solution (probably betadine) that looked like iodine that we have to syringe thru the tube twice a day. We would take the dog outside in the lawn because it made a tremendous mess when you did it.

We didn't do this very often, our OTB Jethro was attacked by a neighborhood dog once and our OTB greyhound Tyler was notorious for ripping his skin open on fences, trees, or anything he came into contact with.

Poor baby!