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- Aug 22, 2012
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This animal is a raccoon, not a cat, but I don't know where else to ask and there are many knowledgeable people here and I know that kitties get abscesses a lot (my former feral had one). It's really a first aid question that probably applies to any animal. So I hope it is ok that I post here - I really don't know where else to ask. I have some baby raccoons that were abandoned (OK someone shot their mama we are pretty sure, we heard a nearby gunshot, and we waited 2 days to take in the babies) and they are almost ready for release to the wild (oh, they are 12 pounds or so) and in fact, they are outdoors all day long since they are close to permanent release. I take them into an outbuilding at night, which is when most of the predators are out. Night before last, they wouldn't come in until late and one of them was attacked by something, we think an owl, based on the fact we could not hear the predator leave (it was in a swamp so there would be splashing sounds) when we ran to save the baby who was screaming. The pattern of injuries are consistent with talons. Possums are a major prey animal for this sort of owl, so we think the baby raccoon was well in that size range. But we don't know for sure.
Anyway, the swellings happened the next morning after the attack. There is a 4" long by 1" swollen spot down one side, and a small marble size on one shoulder, and a tiny lump on the chest, but today which is 1 1/2 days later, the chest lump is now also a shooter marble sized swelling, *shallow* under the skin, and I suspect that must be an abscess, but not sure. The baby is a little stiff and sore but otherwise very happy, wrestling with his buddies, and no depression due to systemic illness, and his injuries do not appear to hurt very much (he doesn't flinch or bite when we examine him). I can't legally take the baby to the vet (the vet would lose their license if they helped me and it was found out, not that I would ever rat on someone) because I am not a licensed rehabber, although I have done everything with these animals that a licensed rehabber would do. I don't know if I need to lance this swelling or what. I could buy antibiotics from a farm store or get fish antibiotics - I'm an overeducated nerd and would not make mistakes calculating and measuring dosages, but I am not a vet tech or nurse or anything like that. I think I used amoxicillin on my feral (maybe it was clavamox) when she had a tooth abscess. I could maybe lie to my vet and say I am treating the feral kitty, but she behaved pretty good when I brought her in for her bad tooth and so the vet will probably just say bring the kitty in and then what do I say? I'm hoping a vet tech or experienced feral cat person or someone who lives on a farm etc will have some practical first aid advice for me! Thank you so much for any advice!! He is a very sweet baby, they all are, and yes I know nature is cruel but someone shot his mama. It wasn't nature that made him an orphan.
I am not sure this is an abscess! It doesn't appear to hurt him much or at all, but I thought that may be because it is on his chest and so the swelling isn't pressing on any nerves. It is round the size of a large marble and just under the skin.
General comments: Just in case (I have occasionally seen this sort of lecturing on rehabber sites and don't know if I will get it here) I don't need lectures about giving the animals over to a licensed rehabber - I would have done that, but there are not anywhere near enough rehabbers in my state, and most baby raccoons are put down because there are too many of them, I've read many places including on a major animal humane society for my state. They would have probably been killed, or some other babies would have been killed instead, later in the season. I'm rural and have a terrific property for release and I have no intention of making them pets. I have wormed them regularly, and rabies is not an issue in my state, in raccoons. If it was, I would drive to another state and buy the vaccine over the counter (it can be purchased that way some places), but it appears unnecessary where I live. I plan to vaccinate them and booster them for canine distemper and parvo, which is not much of an issue in the summer, once the maternal antibodies are gone for sure in a week or two. (well maybe parvo is an issue, but canine distemper dies rapidly in hot weather). These babies would have been dead had I left them in the woods. They were still on milk only and left their tree hollow and cried for help for 2 days before I intervened. They could barely walk. I don't know about you, but I can't sit and listen to dying baby animals and do nothing. I would do rehab and get the license, but it is a LOT of work and I can't deal with that every year and I don't want to deal with dying crippled animals being brought to me endlessly and all the heartache that entails.
Anyway, the swellings happened the next morning after the attack. There is a 4" long by 1" swollen spot down one side, and a small marble size on one shoulder, and a tiny lump on the chest, but today which is 1 1/2 days later, the chest lump is now also a shooter marble sized swelling, *shallow* under the skin, and I suspect that must be an abscess, but not sure. The baby is a little stiff and sore but otherwise very happy, wrestling with his buddies, and no depression due to systemic illness, and his injuries do not appear to hurt very much (he doesn't flinch or bite when we examine him). I can't legally take the baby to the vet (the vet would lose their license if they helped me and it was found out, not that I would ever rat on someone) because I am not a licensed rehabber, although I have done everything with these animals that a licensed rehabber would do. I don't know if I need to lance this swelling or what. I could buy antibiotics from a farm store or get fish antibiotics - I'm an overeducated nerd and would not make mistakes calculating and measuring dosages, but I am not a vet tech or nurse or anything like that. I think I used amoxicillin on my feral (maybe it was clavamox) when she had a tooth abscess. I could maybe lie to my vet and say I am treating the feral kitty, but she behaved pretty good when I brought her in for her bad tooth and so the vet will probably just say bring the kitty in and then what do I say? I'm hoping a vet tech or experienced feral cat person or someone who lives on a farm etc will have some practical first aid advice for me! Thank you so much for any advice!! He is a very sweet baby, they all are, and yes I know nature is cruel but someone shot his mama. It wasn't nature that made him an orphan.
I am not sure this is an abscess! It doesn't appear to hurt him much or at all, but I thought that may be because it is on his chest and so the swelling isn't pressing on any nerves. It is round the size of a large marble and just under the skin.
General comments: Just in case (I have occasionally seen this sort of lecturing on rehabber sites and don't know if I will get it here) I don't need lectures about giving the animals over to a licensed rehabber - I would have done that, but there are not anywhere near enough rehabbers in my state, and most baby raccoons are put down because there are too many of them, I've read many places including on a major animal humane society for my state. They would have probably been killed, or some other babies would have been killed instead, later in the season. I'm rural and have a terrific property for release and I have no intention of making them pets. I have wormed them regularly, and rabies is not an issue in my state, in raccoons. If it was, I would drive to another state and buy the vaccine over the counter (it can be purchased that way some places), but it appears unnecessary where I live. I plan to vaccinate them and booster them for canine distemper and parvo, which is not much of an issue in the summer, once the maternal antibodies are gone for sure in a week or two. (well maybe parvo is an issue, but canine distemper dies rapidly in hot weather). These babies would have been dead had I left them in the woods. They were still on milk only and left their tree hollow and cried for help for 2 days before I intervened. They could barely walk. I don't know about you, but I can't sit and listen to dying baby animals and do nothing. I would do rehab and get the license, but it is a LOT of work and I can't deal with that every year and I don't want to deal with dying crippled animals being brought to me endlessly and all the heartache that entails.
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