Mary Allen
A cat’s life can be dangerous at times, and almost everyone will suffer an injury at some point in their life. The question is what you can do as the owner and what should be left to the veterinarian. A guide.
Although cats are true climbers and generally move lightly and skillfully, they are not immune to injury. Cars, tall trees, bad-tempered fellow cats – the list of possible dangers in Mieze’s environment is long. Injuries are not always obvious to the owner at first glance, and injured cats do not always come home immediately and purposefully. The first measures are different depending on the situation.
If you want to be on the safe side, visit the vet for any wound that is bigger than a scratch. On the one hand, the cat can best decide what type of bandage he needs or whether stitches are necessary, on the other hand, he can see whether there is a risk of infection and whether the cat may need an antibiotic. But first, it is important for the cat owner to get an overview of the situation.
General Wound Care
Suppose the cat is acutely injured. She has a freshly bleeding wound on her body, is a bit excited, but otherwise appears alert and healthy. This is to do:
Check: Get a pair of small scissors, if possible not too sharp, and gently take your four-legged friend onto your lap. Find the bleeding spot in the fur. Trim the fur all around until you have a clear view of the wound. Is it extensive or are deeper layers affected? Then off to the vet.
Remove foreign bodies: Are leaves or blades of grass sticking to the wound? Are there any thorns or broken glass to be seen? Then remove these foreign objects with tweezers.
Clean and disinfect: Gently blot the wound with a clean cloth or paper. Moistened kitchen paper works well. Bleeding wounds are often soiled with dirt. Please do not rub them away under any circumstances, as this causes pain and, if in doubt, only makes things worse. Dab is enough. Then disinfect the area. There are effective solutions and soaps that can also be used by humans, for example, based on iodine (betadine), which should be included in every medicine chest. Put a dash of this soap or solution in a bowl of lukewarm water and now dab the wound with this mixture.
The bandage: If the wound is the size of a fingernail or larger, it is advisable to put on a bandage before you go to the vet. However, this requires some practice and skill. Basically, the following applies: the first cover the wound with sterile gauze, then completely wrap the affected body part with soft material such as cotton rolls. You can then wrap it with an elastic bandage to fix it. At the end, the bandage is fixed at the top and bottom with plaster strips or adhesive tape so that it does not slip. The easiest way to put on (and practice!) is such bandages on the tail. Attention: In the event of an injury to the leg, always include the paw in the bandage, it should not stick out freely at the bottom. Put some cotton wool between each toe beforehand. If there are wounds on the head or neck, it is better to leave the dressing to the professional. In the case of heavy bleeding, the following generally applies: Apply strong pressure to the wound with a piece of cloth and go to the vet quickly.
A second case: you have observed your cat fighting with a competitor. Now she comes home with a number of scratches and injuries. This is to do:
Take the four-legged friend gently and patiently examine the whole body. Clean superficial scratches with a clean, damp cloth. The treacherous thing about fights: Cats’ teeth are so sharp that they usually dig deep under the skin, but leave hardly any external marks after the bite. Germs that cause pus often get into the bite wound with the tooth. Then it begins to bubble underground, the germs multiply, and an abscess develops. The neck and front paws are particularly often affected. Symptoms: Days after the fight, the cat appears exhausted and exhausted, refuses food, and may even develop a fever. This can be prevented by taking your four-legged friend to the vet after a fight. In any case, you should keep a close eye on him for the next 14 days.