Advice for abcess cleaning

I have just returned from the vet with my 4 year old male cat for an abcess near his anus. My cat is otherwise very healthy - average weight, no fleas or parasites, healthy appetite, and a very loving disposition.

The vet said he should heal up fully in a few weeks as long as i keep the abcess open, clean, and draining. The abcess was flushed out and my cat was given injections of antibiotics to prevent infection. He wears an e-collar when i can't monitor whether or not he is cleaning the area too much (vet okayed this).

I am looking for advice on the least traumatizing way to clean and keep the abcess from scabbing over. The vet brought up using a wet, warm cloth or soaking my cat in warm water. Has anyone had experience with this? My cat is generally calm, no biting,scratching, or even growling unless he feels very threatened. The vet even said he was remarkably well behaved during the exam and flushing process. I am just looking for a little guidance to what someone who has been through this before has done.

Yes, it sounds like he had a ruptured anal gland?  Anyway, the way we handled this with our Callie was to get a washcloth pretty wet with fairly warm water, then wring it out to where it wasn't dripping wet, but still damp, then quickly stuff it under her tail and just hold her in place tucked under an arm or somewhere where she was unable to escape.  She didn't like it much, but it really worked.  Then afterwards we applied an ointment they gave us, which she liked even less , and which she promptly licked off.

Our girl never wore a cone though, and within 5 days her abscess was completely healed over, and it started out the size of a quarter!  I was thrilled beyond words that it healed so quickly. 

Why don't they want it to scab up?  That's usually the way they heal.

mrsgreenjeens said:

Yes, it sounds like he had a ruptured anal gland?  Anyway, the way we handled this with our Callie was to get a washcloth pretty wet with fairly warm water, then wring it out to where it wasn't dripping wet, but still damp, then quickly stuff it under her tail and just hold her in place tucked under an arm or somewhere where she was unable to escape.  She didn't like it much, but it really worked.  Then afterwards we applied an ointment they gave us, which she liked even less , and which she promptly licked off.

Our girl never wore a cone though, and within 5 days her abscess was completely healed over, and it started out the size of a quarter!  I was thrilled beyond words that it healed so quickly. 

Why don't they want it to scab up?  That's usually the way they heal.

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The very said that the scab would hold any pus inside of his body. I asked the same thing. I guess it is kind of like drawing the infection out -the bad fluid needs to drain or the infection could become systemic.

I am happy that my Jack is small enough for me to hold down easily, if it was my other cat Baby i would need assistance to get her to hold still.

The vet also didn't give me any ointment, he said that Jack would just lick it right off. He did give Jack an injection of long acting antibiotics though.

The warm compresses are to draw out any last bits of "infection", if there are any.  Was it a ruptured anal gland?  A few weeks sounds like a really long time to keep doing this.  I completely understand that you wouldn't want it to scab up if there were still infection in there, but if the Vet drained it, and you are applying warm compresses, then it should start to heal pretty quickly.  When is your follow-up appointment?  Ours was in one week, and by that time, she was almost completely healed.  How big is the abscess?

mrsgreenjeens said:

The warm compresses are to draw out any last bits of "infection", if there are any.  Was it a ruptured anal gland?  A few weeks sounds like a really long time to keep doing this.  I completely understand that you wouldn't want it to scab up if there were still infection in there, but if the Vet drained it, and you are applying warm compresses, then it should start to heal pretty quickly.  When is your follow-up appointment?  Ours was in one week, and by that time, she was almost completely healed.  How big is the abscess?

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The vet wants us back in next week as well. The abscess opening is about as big as a penny. The vet also said that he couldn't tell if it was the anal gland or slightly above it. Doing a compress with cloth twice a day, and figure that if a scab forms i can just give him a soak.

The vet also said that it would take a few weeks to heal completely - maybe he just meant for all of the tissue and everything to be back to its previous state? Jack already seems to be in less pain than he was on Saturday. When the abscess first started to form he was behaving really out of character. Now he's just a bit more clingy than normal, so i figure that with the flushing and keeping it clean at home the healing process has started.

I've also decided to stop putting the e-collar on him - he isn't cleaning it constantly, and it feels like the cone is stressing him more than the injury itself.

jrupp88 said:

He did give Jack an injection of long acting antibiotics though....

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Hi jrupp88!

I just want to give you some information about that particular antibiotic injection - not to worry you - just so you can make an informed decision about using it in future..........

There's only one long-acting injectible antibiotic for cats: "Convenia". Its name stems from the fact that it's use is very convenient for cat 'owners'. Most cats have few/little problems with it - while in other cases, it has caused serious damage. The problem is that we can't know up front just what/if any reaction may occur......and so, the lesson to be drawn is this: unless a cat is impossible to medicate orally (pill or liquid), the most prudent action is to not use this drug. The most alarming thing when adverse reactions occur is that this drug is "stuck" in the cat's body for more than two months - there's no antidote.  A well-known Veterinarian writes about it here: Convenia: Worth the Risk?

Just curious.......in your first post above, you said "injections" - so, more than one injection? If so, what were the others?

White Shadow said:

Hi jrupp88!
I just want to give you some information about that particular antibiotic injection - not to worry you - just so you can make an informed decision about using it in future..........

There's only one long-acting injectible antibiotic for cats: "Convenia". Its name stems from the fact that it's use is very convenient for cat 'owners'. Most cats have few/little problems with it - while in other cases, it has caused serious damage. The problem is that we can't know up front just what/if any reaction may occur......and so, the lesson to be drawn is this: unless a cat is impossible to medicate orally (pill or liquid), the most prudent action is to not use this drug. The most alarming thing when adverse reactions occur is that this drug is "stuck" in the cat's body for more than two months - there's no antidote.  A well-known Veterinarian writes about it here: Convenia: Worth the Risk?

Just curious.......in your first post above, you said "injections" - so, more than one injection? If so, what were the others?

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I did inform the vet that Jack is almost impossible to give pills and getting him to take liquid meds is a 50/50 chance that he well just throw either back up. He has a very sensitive tummy. This may be why they decided to just go with the injection automatically. He also received a pain killer called metacam which was also injected.

I honestly would have rather him got the injection than have him choke on a pill in the office or have diarrhea for days after taking liquid meds. He is very good at throwing up medicine even after you get him to swallow it.

Thanks for making me aware of that though.

jrupp88 said:

I did inform the vet that Jack is almost impossible to give pills...


He also received a pain killer called metacam which was also injected.
 

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Well, if he is that difficult to medicate, then, it's a choice one needs to make. That said, all cats are "difficult" to pill.......there are tips and tricks that help the process - experience, that is, actually doing it many times using those techniques is what can make the difference.

The other injection, Metacam, is exactly what I suspected. That is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug - which cats cannot metabolize...it goes directly into the blood and is filtered out through the kidneys - and, it's there that it does the damage. It destroys kidney cells. You won't see the results in a young cat with healthy kidneys...the kidneys have lots of cells in reserve, so those reserves 'step in' and fill the void. However, those cells are intended for future need.....so, eventually they may be needed but won't be available when called on. You can read about how kidneys work here: http://www.felinecrf.org/what_happens_in_ckd.htm#hard_detect_early Most people here know the dangers associated with Metacam and will politely refuse it, opting instead for safe pain relief with meds such as buprenorphine. All this is not being critical - just for your information. Now, what I will point out is this: if you are in North America and your Vet used injectible Metacam for what you described, s/he used it "off-label" - for a purpose for which it is not licensed - and, if you were not so informed, you may have an issue with that Vet.

I second all that has been said about these drugs. But Metacam is far more dangerous than Convenia, so much so that it has been withdrawn from approval for use in cats by the FDA in North America. So as has been said, any vet using it is doing so against the advice of the FDA.

Thank you for the advice. I will definitely be avoiding Metacam in the future. My other catsWwill not receive Convenia as they don't have as many pill issues as Jack does.

I am curious about safer alternatives to these medications. Can you all give me a few?

Jack does not appear to be showing any side effects other than pain at the area of the abscess, which is to be expected. No pus either. Though he is not a big fan of being separated from me for any length of time. Is that normal in sick cats? He is normally very clingy, but I am having to sneak away when he's sleeping to go to the bathroom by myself.

I also read the FDA page here http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm231254.htm

The vet used it for extra label use. Though should i worry because it was only used once? It is approved for one time use through the FDA.

jrupp88 said:

I also read the FDA page here http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm231254.htm

The vet used it for extra label use. Though should i worry because it was only used once? It is approved for one time use through the FDA.

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That "one time use" was probably already done if your cat was neutered - that is what is approved for - one time used before surgery for controlling post operatory pain, for neutering/spaying or bone surgery. It is commonly used for spaying and neutering, and since you don't know what is used most of the times as you already get the kitty fixed...... Better be on the safe side and assume it has been used.....
And oral Metacam is NEVER approved, period.

There is not much you can do now, just keep an eye on him and be aware. For the future, refuse Metacam for all your cats. For some reason vets, specially emergency vets love to use Metacam on cats - I was pushed Metacam for an UTI - was even told it was not Metacam, with the vet telling me it was "Meloxicam" (which is the generic name). Had I not known it was the same thing, I would given - I am sure I was not the only one this happened to.
This was the E-vet, for an UTI - completely unnecessary.

This was just an ER vet, so not the case of "changing vets". But All my cats do have "NO Metacam" in their files in big red letters. Bugsy has other drugs as well as he can't deal with a number of them. And that goes to every vet he goes - dentists, e-vets, regular vets, etc.

I just use Buprenex for pain. It works well....

As far as Convenia, side effects do exist and they can be very serious, but they are rare.... Just keep an eye on your little guy and if something happen take him to the vet asap. Many many cats use Convenia with no ill effects. It is a good antibiotic IMHO for a cat that can't be handled, but to be used with some reservations....

Good luck to your little one

Thanks to all for correcting my post. But my cats also have 'no metacam' on t heir files. I still have to argue it every time a new vet joins the practice. I ask for Tolfadine that does most of the same things. No pain killer/anti-inflammatory is without risk , and most say 3 /4 days use at most, but the risks vary considerably.

Here's a picture of my brave little boy if anyone is interested (plus the couch he and my girls have destroyed). Thanks for all the advice. He is healing up well.