Ah, sick foster kitty....

In this previous post I said I am a first time foster mom... and I took four cats at once!!!

Well - one of them - Ghost - his neuter incision didn't look right - all red and swollen.. and from Thursday til today it got worse. So I took him to the vet. First off, all the girls were swooning over him b/c he is beautiful... I don't know much about colors - but he is light grey, cream and mink... with blue eyes... And maybe some white, hard to tell in if it's not daylight. We are calling him a Snowshoe mix. Iknow, I know- pics -- when he is feeling better.

The vet came in and touched him and said, "he's warm," and then examined him. She said that it was much more swollen than it should be but not the worst she's seen. He was running a low grade temp. I thought maybe I was being a neurotic overprotective foster mom, but the vet said - it was the right thing to bring him in - if I had waited it would have gotten really bad.

So she gave me liquid Clavamox and an e-collar. He took the Clav like a trooper but no go with the cone. I just hope a couple of doses of antibio and his "boo-boo" won't bother him so much and he won't lick it too much.

Any thing to look for with the Clav? I will be giving it to him with a blob of wet food, which he absolutely adores!

The only thing I could think to watch for is that some cats will have stomach upset with some antibiotics. I usually give a teasoon of a probiotic yogurt if it happens, there are also probiotics specificaly for felines if you live where there is a pet supply store. It's never happened to one of mine on Clavamox, so it might be best to check with the vet and make sure that it won't interfere with the action of the antibiotic before giving it.

I have four fosters too, four of the sweetest little brown tabbies. I have had them for about 3 weeks. How can I return them? They are so sweet and I just can't bring myself to give them up. I thought that taking four would be easier--it is not. I am worried that they will not get adopted or worse, that they would not go to homes that love them as much as I do. I get a sick feeling every time I think of taking them back.

At AddieBee's request, I'm moving this to Cat Health.

Awwwww poor baby We have some sick rescues too, we picked up a litter of 6 kittens before they were euthanized and they had a uri, fleas, earmites, coccidia,tape worms, and were sooo skinny I have had them a little over a week and they look sooooooo much better it is hard to see them in such discomfort, on top of being in a new place with new people! Why don't people just spay or neuter?????

What a good foster meowmy you are! So glad you got him to the vet and he's receiving the care and attention he needs. My girls have never had any negative side effects from Clavamox, so I can't help you there. I've never had any little boy kitties, so I'm not sure how the snip goes so this might not work, but you might try cutting off the top of a tube sock, sticking his tail and then back legs through it (the stretchy elastic top part), and leaving it around his body where the incision is. This will keep him from licking and he won't have to wear the e-collar.

Clavamox's most common side effect: digestive upsets (vomiting, loose stools, gas, etc).

So far so good- dose #3 - just 9 more to go!

The incision site is looking sooooo much better. Not so inflamed and swollen. That sock thing might work. I can try it. It would have to be a good sized man's sock, right?

He is also coming out of his shell with me - bit by bit. Laid on the bath mat with me for quite some time out in the middle of the bathroom. Didn't dart back underneath the cabinets every two seconds... and even felt comfortable enough to wash himself out in the open (again with me there on the floor with him.

I am going to try to get some pics of him and the other boys tomorrow.

Depending on his size would depend on the sock, but I think a man's sock would work well. A ladies sock might be a bit tight.