Started as a small wound-very graphic pictures

[VeryWorriedVetsLessThanGr]

So this all started last Weds now six vet trips later.
Small wound above cats head, phoned vets Thursday last week (day before Easter Bank Holiday here). They had no appts as one vet was off but managed to squeeze us in with a nurse.
I didn't go along to the appt as I was working but my partner took our baby down and a vet saw him very briefly, gave him an antibiotic shot and sent him home, thought about an e collar but decided not to as they only had a smaller size and we were also given Metacam.
Wound gets bigger over the four day bank holiday period, we phone Tuesday morning and they book him in with another vet, the one who was off.
He gives us antibiotic tablets and Bupronorephine (sp) we can give this up to three times a day but he recommends to try and keep it to two times a day. Still no e-collar, he reckons it will be too annoying for poor baby.
Thursday it's looking worse, partner goes back again, I get him to phone me when he is there this time and say I want swabs done, ask the vet what the labs will be looking for, he's very short with me, he doesn't know. Still no e-collar.
That night baby starts really yowling in pain and we are not sure we are getting the Bupronorephine (sp) in properly, as it needs to go in via mucous membranes and not be swallowed.
We go to an out of hours vet as we are really very worried.
She thinks it's an allergy which is being worsened by baby attacking at it, gives us gabepentenin (sp) to be given every eight to twelve hours and we can carry on with the Bupronorephine but to stop the metacam, with the intention of normal vet giving a steroid injection once the metacam has cleared from his system.
He also has a smaller wound on the back of his neck so she doesn't want to give him an e-collar, gives him a buster collar that he gets off in less than a minute as soon as we get home.
We talk to our normal vets on the Friday, they say they will get back to us re which swabs were done and if a biosopy was also taken and that should we need to be in touch they are now open on Saturday mornings.
Feeling more relaxed at this point as Friday day time and night time go well, baby is really chill and he's not getting worked up, yay gabepentenin.
I have fibromyalgia and use Saturday morning to catch up on some sleep, partner wakes me about half ten to tell me he's going out, baby is zonked out and all is good.
I go into the kitchen and in ten mins baby is not asleep, is yowling again and it now looks like the skin is falling off by his eye.
Call my partner say please come home asap, he heads towards me, try phoning normal vet who have told me day before they are open now on Saturdays until eleven thirty am. They don't answer.
So back to the emergency vets we go.
He is now fitted with an e-collar which is staying on. Thank goodness. Also got more gabepentenin while we there as well.
So basically do wiser minds (looking at the images) think this is an allergy that he has managed to super duper mess up or an abscess that has been irritated by him or something other?
Also the person we saw today looked at him gums (something my partner doesn't remember our normal vet doing) and to me they looked pale, the person we saw agreed they did look a bit pale.
I tried to get them to do a blood test to check for anaemia but they said baby was too resistive for them to be able to get one done.
Basically help please?
Hoping with the e-collar fitted it will be an uphill journey from here but would like to see if anyone has experienced something similar and can give us a bit more of an idea of what the actual problem is.
9 month old neutered male moggy, was going outside but have not let him out now since last Weds.
Also he was catching bees a few weeks back, so could it be related to that maybe?
Thanking anyone who can shed some light on what is happening to him.

 

[silent meowlook]

If it was my cat I would find a vet specialist if you can or feline only. That looks surgical to me. Also bloodwork should be done and check virals and for Cryptococcus if it is in your area. Ask your vet. That is nasty and painful looking. I worry about a freak infection or fungal being at play. Either way it looks like surgery is needed in my opinion. Any results from the swabs they submitted? I would not use Metacam again on this cat.

 

[VeryWorriedVetsLessThanGr]

I completely agree that it looks like it needs surgical intervention. I don't get why any of the vets we have seen have been taking a wait and see approach.
I don't know if cryptococcus is a thing where we live (South East UK). Have just looked on Google but nothing has come up.
The vet we saw on Thursday night told us her specialist interest is skin but I also feel she took the wrong decision regarding the buster collar, though I do understand her reasoning.
My normal vets are most definitely in my very bad books at the moment and I won't be taking him back there.
My mum takes her dog to the Royal Vetinary College in London and I will be contacting them on Monday.
Swabs are a seven day turn around. Which is also frustrating.

 

[VeryWorriedVetsLessThanGr]

I spoke to the out of hours vet and she said she has never come across it, not in a cat anyway but that yes it present in the UK ..

 

[silent meowlook]

Ok. I wouldn’t be to concerned about it then. Sounds like a great idea going to the veterinary college. I would also be irritated with my vets.
To me, not a vet. It looks like itwas an abscess but either a nasty bacteria or fungus got somehow introduced to it. Poor cat!

 

[VeryWorriedVetsLessThanGr]

He's not very happy at all at the mo. And we both feel dreadful for having to drag him out in the box and giving meds has been a nightmare but found a very useful article on here on how to get the blasted things into him.
I am glad that we went on Thursday, the gabepentenin is definitely helping.

 

[GemsGem]

Your poor boy
I agree that this now needs to be seen by a vet specialist. You need to
be referred by your own vets to a specialist vet in dermatology. All they have to do is make a phone call to refer you. But, definitely put your foot down and insist that you want to be referred to a specialist

 

[LTS3]

V verna davies might know of some UK specialists who might be more knowledgeable in skin issues.

The Buprenex is given between the gums and the cheek. Just slide the syringe just past the lips and aim down towards the gums. Don't squirt past the teeth onto the tongue or towards the throat because ingested Buprenex will not work effectively.

For pills, try Pill Pockets or one of these methods:

Pilling Cats: Must-know Tips For Hiding Pills – TheCatSite Articles
The Best Pill-taking Secret I Know...
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Getting Cat To Take Pills... Post Tips Here.

 

[VeryWorriedVetsLessThanGr]

Yes went out and bought hotdogs, custard,, whipped cream, chicken bites and ham slices prior to posting this thread yesterday, the custard worked last night and then when he got a bit cute to it, we added whipped cream.
Completely understand that the Bupronorephine won't work if it gets into his stomach, as will be processed by the liver as opposed to being absorbed through the mucus membranes. It's whether we are being successful at this that we are worried about.
Off now to Google specialist skin Vetinary services.

 

[verna davies]

I also think he needs to see a skin specialist, the area looks really sore. I live in South Wales and to see a specialist has to be made through my vet, yours will know the nearest. When my cat needed to see a specialist for her eye, my vet sent a photo to the specialist and discussed it with them on the phone prior to making an appointment, ask your vet to do the same. He should also have contacts in your nearest veterinary college. Good luck, let us know how you get on.

 

[Jcatbird]

Be sure to mention the bee chasing when you talk to the vets. I don’t know if it has anything to do with the wound but if the stinger managed to get lodged in the tissue, it definitely needs to be removed. I suppose a sting from a bee could have other effects as well. My Purry got a sting from something and required antibiotics. His wound did not rupture but it was present for awhile. We think he got stung by a hornet rather than a bee.

 

[silent meowlook]

Are you feeding him with the buprenorphine? Best without food because you don’t want to change the pH of the mouth. It should only be a little amount. Just go from the Bach of the cat and get it anywhere in the mouth. It will be absorbed. It is processed the same if it goes tb or po

 

[VeryWorriedVetsLessThanGr]

No we are putting the Bupronorephine into his mouth, we are also relying mainly on the gabepentenin now it's been prescribed by the out of hours vet.
It's looking miles better today, which I think is mainly due to the cone and him not being able to get at the wound at all. Really annoyed at our original vet not getting one sorted ASAP, he's obviously not happy about wearing it but it's what was really needed from the second visit in my opinion. Will still be chasing things further with them tomorrow regardless anyway. Have found a local dermatology vet that we can be referred onto.
Next task is to keep the rest of him clean as he can no longer reach anywhere to clean .

 

[VeryWorriedVetsLessThanGr]

Just to update, we had the first little purr we've had in over a week, both of us turned into melting crying messes.
It's still looking like it's improving but he managed to get the cone off today and the first thing he did was scratch at it.
Luckily we have managed to get the cone back on.
The lab swab came back and he has a mild staph infection (not MRSA thank goodness).
The lab report said it could be related to an underlying allergy so we have asked our vets to make referrals to a dermatology specialist.
The waiting list for our local one is three to four weeks but there is one further away who the vets are going to find the waiting times for tomorrow.
We have also contacted the Royal Vetinary College this evening and are now planning to ask for a referral to them tomorrow.
But I think the purring is a good sign and he seems to be forgiving us for all the baffling (for him) stuff we have been doing in the last couple of weeks.