10/8/19
I called the vet to let them know that Little could reach her wound. She is a loooong kitty and really bendy so the cone was like one inch too short. She wasn’t ripping out her stitches but gently licking around the area — it was pretty clumsy but she could still do it. Vet says, (I’m paraphrasing by the way) .. “don’t sweat it, it’s normal and as long as she isn’t chewing or opening stitches she’s fine”. Because I’m not cat doctor, I say “cool” and continue watching her every 20 minutes like normal.
9:30 pm 10/12/19
Husband notices that Little’s wound is slightly “weeping”. WHAT IS HAPPENING? My anxiety kicked in full speed and I immediately text my vet-tech friend. I should say that at this point, Little is still eating, drinking and using the litter box which are all signs she is NOT like septic or dying right?
Saturday Night Live
An explanation …husband and I are HUGE SNL fans. We try to watch with friends on most Saturdays but with Little being in a cone and in the process of detoxing off the pain meds like a heroin addict, we thought a night in was the way to go. The kids were with their dad so a nice “date night” at home watching SNL in our pajamas with a few beers was like the best idea. Little was clearly not having that.
Moving on…
My vet-tech pal was working and couldn’t respond right away so I call up the Emergency Vet here in town. This place and I are not in great standing, this is a whole other story that needs no explanation so I’ll leave it at that. I explain Little’s situation and they immediately shoot my anxiety into full on panic. “She could have an infection in her bone, you need to bring her in right away and prepare yourself to spend $500”, again paraphrasing here. I hang up and pound another beer, I’m in no position to spend $500, it’s three days away from payday and this surgery has already set us back a month. I frantically wait for vet-tech friend and try to enjoy “Weekend Update”.
Midnight arrives and friend-o calmly texts back and forth with me. She seems less concerned but DOES recommend I take her somewhere in the morning for an antibiotic shot. She says to call the OTHER ER in the area and ask for a second opinion because it will probably make me feel better. I take her advice and call ’em. They were great! “Girl, finish your beers and try not to panic. She’ll need an antibiotic shot first thing and then you need to call your vet Monday. Watch her like a hawk and don’t hesitate to call us. We wish we were 3 beers in and watching SNL, have a good night!”
10/13/19
Banfield Pet Hospital inside of PetSmart was great, well at least the one a town over was. They said she’s about 2/3 of the way healed but has a small abscess under the skin so she’ll need antibiotics and an anti-inflammatory. They tell me “she’s such a trooper and she’s not going to die from this”, take my $150 and send me on my way.
This cat y’all..
We get home from the vet and she has wiggled out of her cone. Insert eye roll here. We try to get a beautifully fashioned baby onsie on her and that lasts like 5 minutes. I am internally bawling my eyes out most of the day.
10/14/19
Our vet has been updated and recommend we give her a few more days to see if the antibiotics are doing the job. If she gets worse, bring her in right away but for now she is coned for probably the rest of the week. I love this cat y’all but I’m so ready to see some progress and SO READY for her to go back to sleeping with me. I miss her so much and I miss the sassy and playful attitude. I’m worried about how much this cone has affected her depression and I want her to be happy.
Have any of you dealt with post surgery infections?
How long did they take to clear up? How comfortable do you feel with your vet telling you to “be patient” when your animal has a slightly oozing wound?
Thanks all!
Awww guys I’m sorry for the not so relaxing pajama and beer night! Dang I would have been a trainwreck myself, you handled it pretty smartly if you ask me. I’m so glad her wound was OK.
Look, I’ll just say this: YES many people have dealt with post-op wound infections. If you hop over to our Tripawd Discussion Forums you’ll get lots of feedback I’m sure. But I really think that in the big picture, Little’s infection sounds pretty minor compared to some really bad ones I’ve seen in the community. They all happened for various reasons and every story is different, so I don’t want to scare you with those. You caught it SO EARLY and as long as you stick to the cone o shame, she will heal and be fine.
Meanwhile yes she will get her sparkle back! I promise. It just sucks to be in the cone and in healing mode, but this too will be a thing of the past. Stay strong!
Ha! Yeah, I feel bad for “complaining”… I care more about her than SNL, I hope that is clear. I know you all have your own stories and this I’m sure isn’t the worst it could be. I’m so grateful for everyone’s support, it means a lot Jerry, thanks!
We will get there. I may not be as tough as her but I love her and wish we were closer to the end of the cone series, LOL.
Thanks again!
Sorry to hear of Little fussing with the surgical sites. My front-leg amputee Mona did not wear a collar because the vet said she didn’t need to. I don’t know how he knew but she didn’t pay much attention to the site unless there was some dried discharge. Mona had a small drain in that I had to “snap” a few times a day. I would clean the area with a damp cool washcloth. As you know, cats like to clean. So if I noticed Mona moving to that site in her daily cleaning ritual I’d get the damp cloth and clean for her and she would leave it alone. I think it helps to distract the cat from the site.
Consider this a slight setback. It’s possible that the infection drew Little’s attention to the site so his licking then brought it to your attention. You’ve got this. Maybe take Little to your bed for a nap. It’ll make you both feel better.
Kerren and Tripawd Kitty Mona
Mona sounds like a smarty! I do think she knew something was wrong and felt like cleaning was necessary. I don’t blame her a bit. I have been a little scared to “clean” it for her but I think that’s some sound advice. Maybe if it’s cleaner feeling she won’t need to get to it.
A nap sounds amazing! Thanks for the support Kerren and Mona!
What a night! And like Jerry said you handled it like rock stars. Huck could not have a cone on… I like having my fingers attached to my hands…
He did manage to pop a couple of staples.. go back in for a few… pop a few more… you get what I am saying.
He did just fine. I do think some moist compresses helped ease the incision as it got dried up and itchy. His majesty allowed this, lol.. and I was able to keep my digits.
Once the sutures are out and the cone is off you will see Little come back to her normal, happy self. For now.. you are going to need to just count the days until it can come off.
You guys are doing a great job! And your narrative of Little’s journey is a pleasure to read 🙂
Hang in there!
Jackie and Huckleberry
LOL!! Fingers are important.
We’ve been really lucky and I know I need to learn some patience. I really thought having 2 kids would help with that?! We’re counting down those days and we know this is all going to pay off in the end.
I appreciate everyone letting me “vent”, and I’m glad my posts are worth a read. This has given me an opportunity to be my crazy self and blow off a little steam. Thank you Jackie and Huckleberry for the kind words, I’m glad we’re not alone.
A
Hey there,
Sorry to hear that Little has developed an infection at the incision site. But it sounds like you caught it early and are dealing with it. My baby Tuxedo (now 12 years old, hemipelvectomy surgery) was one of the unfortunate ones to also have acquired an infection years back with his amputation. In Tuxedo’s case, it was very bad and required numerous vet visits, wound treatments, etc. But eventually he did heal (~6 weeks post surgery if memory serves) and is back to being his onery self. I won’t go into details of his ordeal because hopefully Little will respond well to the antibiotics and no need for you to worry further. Obviously Little is not worried. But if you do wish or need further information on Tuxedo’s treatments, please let me know.
Best Wishes,
-Dawna, Tuxedo, Lilly, & Angel Dazzle
Wow! Thank you for your support Dawna!
It’s funny, you are not the only one to use “ornery” to describe Tuxedo’s, LOL! That is sometimes the best word for her too. I have to remind myself daily that all of this could be so much worse and I’m so glad I have support here and in my community as well. We spent a lot of time talking to our vet-tech friends and while you can stay informed, you don’t really know until you talk to the Tripawds Community about their experiences. She’s quietly napping now but made her “rounds” at about 4am and is still eating, thank goodness! I’m confident this is just another bump in the road.
Thanks again Dawna,
Aubrey