My elderly cat Mati, with an abscess and anemia - just got back from vet

[missbliss]

Hi,

We came back from vet who lanced and drained a huge abscess. Mati has been hanging out side, got bitten apparently and developed a huge abscess. He put her under anesthesia to lance, drain and then draw blood for a CBC - she is also anemic due to a huge flea infestation (!). I've been treating her with combing, baths, DE - and still she developed anemia.

4 hours later she is still not herself, she is a bit restless. I gave her some Rescue Remedy.

I am making Calendula flower tea to bathe the abscess.
Any thoughts on the flea situation? I didn't want to put more toxins on her body that's why we went without the Frontline/etc.
Any ideas on how to improve her blood? The vet gave us some iron - HemoPet - I should be giving that to her as well in the evening when she (hopefully) starts feeling better.
When does this anasthesia wear off completely?

Thank you for any ideas and help with this. Am a bit worried.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Call the vet and ask about the anesthesia - how long it will take to wear off depends on how little/much she received. At a minimum, I would suspect many hours, if not longer. Ask the vet if her anemia could play a role in how well her body processes the anesthesia as that could delay her recovery from it.

Another tea to try using, which I believe to even safer, is chamomile tea - standard grocery store brand tea bags as most are German - you don't want English or any additives/flavorings. Brew a bag in water, cool the liquid to room temp and dab it on the area with cotton balls or a soft cloth. The tea is both a healing and soothing agent, and has anti-bacterial/anti-microbial properties as well. It is also safe for your cat to ingest. Whatever you use, make sure the vet approves it as these types of treatments may hasten healing and might interfere with any draining that may still be required.

As far as the fleas, I think you are going to HAVE to treat her with some sort of flea treatment, especially since she goes outside. (I hope she isn't going outside while she is healing!) Your home and yard should be treated as well, and all bedding/etc. that she uses needs to be washed frequently. I believe Advantage II is probably one of the safest flea treatments, but it is also showing some signs of becoming less effective in certain areas due to over use and immunity within the flea population. You could ask your vet if that is true or not for your area. I treat Feeby (16+yo) with it and while it has not totally eradicated her flea issue, it is keeping them down to a minimum. I have been fighting fleas for over a year now, and Feeby is not anemic, so it must at least be helping from that aspect. I also routinely vacuum my home, and regularly wash whatever I can that she lays/sits on. I am going to retreat my yard again, as that is overdue, and we have had a lot of rain, so this aspect might be making matters worse for Feeby.
FleaScience

 

[Kieka]

I am very anti chemicals, but flea treatment for my indoor/outdoor cats is a must. It's one of those lesser evils situations. With the open wound, you may need to hold off but ask you vet on which is best and when it is safe to apply. Even my rabbit gets a regular flea treatment because the anemia and diseases they can get is simply not worth it. DE is great, I mist my rabbit hutch with it to control ants and other small pests inside his hutch plus some in his hay for internal. But nothing beats actual flea medications for those pests you really really need to control.

For the abcess, I've had a lot of experience with those and just keeping it clean and draining is key right now. I wouldn't worry about teas, I've always had good luck with just clean warm water and keeping it clean. Did your vet put in a drain? You usually have to keep it open for a few days to make sure all the bacteria is out before it closes.

Anemic, time and the iron supplement should work. If you don't already, feed a meat heavy wet diet at least short term to help replenish the stores. I am anemic and it usually doesn't take long once I am getting iron for my levels to go back up (which if I don't take them regularly I can tell the difference).

Sedatives can take 48-72 hours to fully get out of her system. Keeping her hydrated (again the wet food diet) will help flush her system. But my boy responds poorly to even sedatives and he is hissing for a few days before they are fully out of him. Being anemic could play a part in her reaction.

 

[missbliss]

Thank you. I did call him, he said due to her age (16.5) that it would take a few hours. I don't want to call him again because he's a bit testy. I also thought about the anemia being a factor. Will try the Chamomile. I have it. He didn't put in a drain which is odd, and I can't see if the hole is closed or not because it's under her chin/near her gland and she's not letting me touch that.

Re the fleas, I've never seen so many on her, it's so sad. I will have to do something sooner than later but don't want to overdue everything - she's got the abx, the iron, a dewormer coming up as well. The main reason she's gotten to this point is due to all of the strays hanging out around here hoping for some food. I caved on occasion and now it's become a nightmare for both of us. I have to put down some new rules here.

Thanks again

Hi. Call the vet and ask about the anesthesia - how long it will take to wear off depends on how little/much she received. At a minimum, I would suspect many hours, if not longer. Ask the vet if her anemia could play a role in how well her body processes the anesthesia as that could delay her recovery from it.

Another tea to try using, which I believe to even safer, is chamomile tea - standard grocery store brand tea bags as most are German - you don't want English or any additives/flavorings. Brew a bag in water, cool the liquid to room temp and dab it on the area with cotton balls or a soft cloth. The tea is both a healing and soothing agent, and has anti-bacterial/anti-microbial properties as well. It is also safe for your cat to ingest. Whatever you use, make sure the vet approves it as these types of treatments may hasten healing and might interfere with any draining that may still be required.

As far as the fleas, I think you are going to HAVE to treat her with some sort of flea treatment, especially since she goes outside. (I hope she isn't going outside while she is healing!) Your home and yard should be treated as well, and all bedding/etc. that she uses needs to be washed frequently. I believe Advantage II is probably one of the safest flea treatments, but it is also showing some signs of becoming less effective in certain areas due to over use and immunity within the flea population. You could ask your vet if that is true or not for your area. I treat Feeby (16+yo) with it and while it has not totally eradicated her flea issue, it is keeping them down to a minimum. I have been fighting fleas for over a year now, and Feeby is not anemic, so it must at least be helping from that aspect. I also routinely vacuum my home, and regularly wash whatever I can that she lays/sits on. I am going to retreat my yard again, as that is overdue, and we have had a lot of rain, so this aspect might be making matters worse for Feeby.
FleaScience

 

[missbliss]

Thank you. Yes, in agreement with you on all points. I am giving her liquid food, just made her chicken soup and put some vitamin c into that. Hope this helps speed up recovery but she only took a few licks and stopped. It's something. I will have to figure out the flea solution to use. DE might be the best bet until I can get out again - we live in the boonies. I actually had to hitchhike out to get to the vet and back. But this is crucial now. When I comb her out I can see the water turning red. I know what that is.

Will try tea and water - and hope the wound stays open and drains. It swelled up like a large apricot size even after he drained 2 syringes and then some. What about some kind of drawing salve - would that work?

Thank you again

I am very anti chemicals, but flea treatment for my indoor/outdoor cats is a must. It's one of those lesser evils situations. With the open wound, you may need to hold off but ask you vet on which is best and when it is safe to apply. Even my rabbit gets a regular flea treatment because the anemia and diseases they can get is simply not worth it. DE is great, I mist my rabbit hutch with it to control ants and other small pests inside his hutch plus some in his hay for internal. But nothing beats actual flea medications for those pests you really really need to control.

For the abcess, I've had a lot of experience with those and just keeping it clean and draining is key right now. I wouldn't worry about teas, I've always had good luck with just clean warm water and keeping it clean. Did your vet put in a drain? You usually have to keep it open for a few days to make sure all the bacteria is out before it closes.

Anemic, time and the iron supplement should work. If you don't already, feed a meat heavy wet diet at least short term to help replenish the stores. I am anemic and it usually doesn't take long once I am getting iron for my levels to go back up (which if I don't take them regularly I can tell the difference).

Sedatives can take 48-72 hours to fully get out of her system. Keeping her hydrated (again the wet food diet) will help flush her system. But my boy responds poorly to even sedatives and he is hissing for a few days before they are fully out of him. Being anemic could play a part in her reaction.

 

[Joelle and the kittens]

Drawing salves are dangerous (and not even remotely effective; many of them are homeopathic) for humans or pets -- please do not treat with any home remedies without consulting your vet. Your cat needs Advantage or Revolution; DE is discouraged for fleas on your pet, per PetMD: “Do not apply diatomaceous earth directly to your pet. It is not effective for flea control when used in this manner and could potentially result in lung damage if inhaled." If you live in a humid place DE will be deactivated and environmental application will be ineffective as well. Actually surprisingly I couldn't find any published studies demonstrating efficacy against fleas...the best I came across was a modest reduction in male fleas when DE was used in conjunction with other insecticides. I would seriously not rely on that as your only anti-flea protocol.

 

[missbliss]

Thanks for replying. From what I've seen in my long years of interfacing with vets is that their livlihood is based on naysaying the natural and pushing the chemical, unless they're holistic vets, which I've met with only one, which was a breath of fresh air, literally. I've only seen benefits and life-enhancement from natural means in treating my animals, only relying on man-made substances when there was no choice. Re DE I feel that when used properly and in conjunction with herbal additives that are safe for cats, put on their fur outdoors, it is fine. I am currently in the market for any plants/herbs/non-toxic substances that can be utilized for this purpose. As for drawing salves, again - there are toxic ones and non-toxic ones. Everything needs to be looked at individually and the reliance on vets for their POV as if they were all-knowing superhumans instead of our intuition is ludicrous. I went to the vet knowing what Mati had, I just needed an objective pair of eyes and hands, if I could have learned his technique in lancing, I could have actually treated her without anasthesia - all that was needed were someone to hold her, Rescue Remedy and very quick hands - in/out - lanced, swabbed and finished without all the stress. Always wanted to be a vet, just never actually had the diploma but 60 years of experience I've accrued. Thanks again.

Drawing salves are dangerous (and not even remotely effective; many of them are homeopathic) for humans or pets -- please do not treat with any home remedies without consulting your vet. Your cat needs Advantage or Revolution; DE is discouraged for fleas on your pet, per PetMD: “Do not apply diatomaceous earth directly to your pet. It is not effective for flea control when used in this manner and could potentially result in lung damage if inhaled." If you live in a humid place DE will be deactivated and environmental application will be ineffective as well. Actually surprisingly I couldn't find any published studies demonstrating efficacy against fleas...the best I came across was a modest reduction in male fleas when DE was used in conjunction with other insecticides. I would seriously not rely on that as your only anti-flea protocol.

 

[Joelle and the kittens]

The holistic vets I've encountered have pushed people to buy the supplements/vitamins/herbal treatments that they personally sell directly from their office, which is far more ethically objectionable and dangerous. The multi-billion-dollar natural/alternative medicine industry completely skips all the "proving safety and efficacy" steps and avoids scrutiny by the FDA, so if natural remedies were truly as effective as or superior to empirically-tested medicines, pharmaceutical megacorps would have capitalized on them long ago rather than spending trillions developing synthetic drugs, funding clinical trials, and gaining regulatory approval.
I'm aware I'm being a confrontational jerk here, but after seeing so many critically ill patients arrive at my shelters/rescues/hospitals due to natural remedies delaying actual medical attention, I really do not have any tolerance for blanket dismissal of proven treatments.

 

[missbliss]

Thanks for replying. I just want to stay on topic here. All good energy is appreciated. I don't want this to become something else.

The holistic vets I've encountered have pushed people to buy the supplements/vitamins/herbal treatments that they personally sell directly from their office, which is far more ethically objectionable and dangerous. The multi-billion-dollar natural/alternative medicine industry completely skips all the "proving safety and efficacy" steps and avoids scrutiny by the FDA, so if natural remedies were truly as effective as or superior to empirically-tested medicines, pharmaceutical megacorps would have capitalized on them long ago rather than spending trillions developing synthetic drugs, funding clinical trials, and gaining regulatory approval.
I'm aware I'm being a confrontational jerk here, but after seeing so many critically ill patients arrive at my shelters/rescues/hospitals due to natural remedies delaying actual medical attention, I really do not have any tolerance for blanket dismissal of proven treatments.

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. Don’t use anything on the surgery site. There is a reason the Veterinarian tells you not to bathe your cat until the stitches get removed. It is because the area needs to heal and needs to stay dry. So just leave it alone.
Also it is going to be sore and she won’t appreciate you messing with.
As for fleas, get the original Revolution and apply. Not the Revolution Plus. Don’t screw around with “all natural” flea products as many of them are not safe for cats like the DE, Your cat is already anemic, so don’t pussyfoot around with this. Not now.313
DE is not good around cats. I learned that the hard way.
Good luck with your Cat.

 

[missbliss]

There were no stitches given.

Appreciate your reply.

Hi. Don’t use anything on the surgery site. There is a reason the Veterinarian tells you not to bathe your cat until the stitches get removed. It is because the area needs to heal and needs to stay dry. So just leave it alone.
Also it is going to be sore and she won’t appreciate you messing with.
As for fleas, get the original Revolution and apply. Not the Revolution Plus. Don’t screw around with “all natural” flea products as many of them are not safe for cats like the DE, Your cat is already anemic, so don’t pussyfoot around with this. Not now.313
DE is not good around cats. I learned that the hard way.
Good luck with your Cat.

 

[Antonio65]

As for the iron, I couldn't find any info on the web about the HemoPet you are using. Make sure it has Vitamin C as well in its composition. Iron can be more easily assimilated in combination with Vitamin C.
It could take weeks, if not months, to restore her normal level of hemoglobin and hematocrit, especially at her age.
Always give her that HemoPet (or whatever iron supplement you are using) after a whole meal. Iron is heavy on the stomach, and if the cat has her stomach empty it could make her vomit.