Cone Of Shame Not Helping :( Please Help

[blumarine916]

Hi. I’m new to this site but I hope I can find some help on my situation.
My cat had an abcsess on her butt near the anus about a week ago. The vet stitched it up and gave her some antibiotics. A few days later another bump appeared just below the wound. The vet told me to just apply some antibiotic ointment. When I came home from work 2 days ago I notice the bump had burst. I cleaned and applied more ointment hoping it would dry soon.

The problem now is my cat is trying really hard to get around to lick her wound, even though she’s wearing the cone. She can’t reach it but her action of trying to contort her body this way and that may have caused the edges of the cone to rub against the new wound. It started bleeding again when I got home although it was dry this morning.

Should I get the wound stitched up? It’s so heartbreaking to put her under anesthetic again. But I’m really lost on what to do

Hope someone can share some ideas.
Note: My cat is not caged and strictly indoors.

 

[Jem]

What type of cone do you have? You can purchase a soft cone instead of using the hard plastic one (if that's what you have), they are much less uncomfortable and don't cause as much friction.
If the wound is healing, you probably don't need to stitch it up (not a vet, don't quote me on this) but even if you did get it stitched up, that alone won't stop your cat from trying to lick. Wounds, when they heal get itchy and are bothersome, so the cone is probably the best if your cat is a licker.
If you find the infection is not healing though, get back to the vet, they may need to clean out the second abscess that burst.
If the wound is still a bit open from the friction of the cone, you could also try to keep it clean by using a warm compress with saline solution. But I would ask the vet about this first as you don't want to moisten a scabbed over wound that is already healing well.

 

[blumarine916]

What type of cone do you have? You can purchase a soft cone instead of using the hard plastic one (if that's what you have), they are much less uncomfortable and don't cause as much friction.
If the wound is healing, you probably don't need to stitch it up (not a vet, don't quote me on this) but even if you did get it stitched up, that alone won't stop your cat from trying to lick. Wounds, when they heal get itchy and are bothersome, so the cone is probably the best if your cat is a licker.
If you find the infection is not healing though, get back to the vet, they may need to clean out the second abscess that burst.
If the wound is still a bit open from the friction of the cone, you could also try to keep it clean by using a warm compress with saline solution. But I would ask the vet about this first as you don't want to moisten a scabbed over wound that is already healing well.

Thanks for your response. She’s wearing a plastic type with felt edges and soft collar. (Pic attached)

The wound seems to be healing until it bled again just a while ago. So you think I should just leave the wound as it is?

 

[Aieko]

I would leave it as it is, she's a beaut by the way.
If you can find a way to distract her for a few hours so she doesn't start to rub the abscess with her cone, a trick I use to distract my kitties is letting them play on my Ipad. They watch movies as well.

Wounds get extremely itchy when they are healing, if her wound is still opened from the rubbing of the cone, ask your vet if you can use a warm compress with a saline solution. You don't want to moisten a wound that is already scabbed.


Keep a keen eye on her, if it gets worse, take her back to the vet.

 

[RCM mom]

My Charlie had a abcess on tail and had to be in cone for a month. The one from vet was like yours, trouble for my poor boy so I found one on Amazon. It is a soft cone, looks like a big flower, by Sun Grow, comfy cone $12.30. It was so much better! Easier for him to sleep, walk around, I could just flip,it back for him to eat, no problem going in litter box. Best money I spent! It made for a happier kitty even though any cone is not comfortable, this is a must have for pet owners. Maybe that will help . It will depend on where his abcess is , Charlie's was right alongside of anus and another small on above anus at base of tail, it worked fine for us. Agreed that warm compresses worked and he really seemed to enjoy the warm, did not fight me at all.

 

[blumarine916]

I would leave it as it is, she's a beaut by the way.
If you can find a way to distract her for a few hours so she doesn't start to rub the abscess with her cone, a trick I use to distract my kitties is letting them play on my Ipad. They watch movies as well.

Wounds get extremely itchy when they are healing, if her wound is still opened from the rubbing of the cone, ask your vet if you can use a warm compress with a saline solution. You don't want to moisten a wound that is already scabbed.


Keep a keen eye on her, if it gets worse, take her back to the vet.

I would try to distract her if she looks like she’s about to try and reach the area. The problem is, she’s left alone with another cat about 12 hours a day when I go to work. I won’t know what she does during this long period unsupervised.

It makes me sad (and stressed) because if it weren’t for the 2nd wound, she would be off the cone by this week because the earlier stitches have healed nicely.

Also, this is the 2nd time it’s happened. She had the same wounds 3 months ago which was sutured and healed. Then for some reason, the wounds appeared again on the exact same spot. Even the vet was unable to explain. Do you think it could be caused by rough playfighting with my other cat?

 

[Jem]

Did your vet say if these were anal gland abscesses?

 

[blumarine916]

Nope. I asked if it was and they said they weren’t. Here’s some pics of the injury. Sorry these may look disgusting.

First pic is the wound, in the 2nd pic are the stitches and that little bump below had burst now.

 

[Jem]

Do you think it could be caused by rough playfighting with my other cat?

I guess anything is possible, but I have my doubts.
Any injury caused by play fighting that I've ever encountered has been face, ears, neck (mostly) and sometimes body...I've never seen butt/anus injuries. But we are talking about a cat here! They will always surprise you with something confusing, it's their thing!

How is her poop? I wonder if she would benefit from a "sanitation" shave of her behind so you can ensure she is clean in that area, but also to really be able to keep an eye on the skin around her bum. Watch for any changes and such before it turns into an abscess, and you might be able to figure out why she is prone to infections back there.

I know she is really trying to lick the area now because of the wound, but does she clean herself there regularly?

 

[blumarine916]

View attachment 264221 My Charlie had a abcess on tail and had to be in cone for a month. The one from vet was like yours, trouble for my poor boy so I found one on Amazon. It is a soft cone, looks like a big flower, by Sun Grow, comfy cone $12.30. It was so much better! Easier for him to sleep, walk around, I could just flip,it back for him to eat, no problem going in litter box. Best money I spent! It made for a happier kitty even though any cone is not comfortable, this is a must have for pet owners. Maybe that will help . It will depend on where his abcess is , Charlie's was right alongside of anus and another small on above anus at base of tail, it worked fine for us. Agreed that warm compresses worked and he really seemed to enjoy the warm, did not fight me at all.

Aww Charlie is such a sweetie.

My cat Meffy is really fierce so she growls when I even try to wipe her butt, let alone try to clean her wound. I also got bitten and scratched trying to feed her meds. My bf is afraid of her so I’m alone on this

I’m afraid I can’t find the cone where I’m from (Malaysia). Choices are quite limited. I will take a look at the wound again today after work and if it’s

I guess anything is possible, but I have my doubts.
Any injury caused by play fighting that I've ever encountered has been face, ears, neck (mostly) and sometimes body...I've never seen butt/anus injuries. But we are talking about a cat here! They will always surprise you with something confusing, it's their thing!

How is her poop? I wonder if she would benefit from a "sanitation" shave of her behind so you can ensure she is clean in that area, but also to really be able to keep an eye on the skin around her bum. Watch for any changes and such before it turns into an abscess, and you might be able to figure out why she is prone to infections back there.

I know she is really trying to lick the area now because of the wound, but does she clean herself there regularly?

That’s why I’m confused too. Sometimes she chases and wrestles with my other cat when they play. When she had the injury in August I only noticed when she didn’t want me to picked her up. Then I noticed the excessive licking of her bum so I took her to the vet where he found a gaping hole. It really puzzles me how it happened again in the exact same spot.

Her poop is normal. Yes, I’m glad the vet gave her the “sanitation” shave too. The wound has dried (for now) and I’ve taped a paper band around the edges of her cone to make it a bit bigger. I’m taking her to the vet tomorrow to remove the earlier stitches. Here’s hoping the 2nd wound would stay dry. I really want her to recover.

 

[blumarine916]

View attachment 264221 My Charlie had a abcess on tail and had to be in cone for a month. The one from vet was like yours, trouble for my poor boy so I found one on Amazon. It is a soft cone, looks like a big flower, by Sun Grow, comfy cone $12.30. It was so much better! Easier for him to sleep, walk around, I could just flip,it back for him to eat, no problem going in litter box.

Did Charlie become passive wearing the cone? My girl is being very inactive. She’s eating well and not lethargic. Probably just miserable for wearing the cone for so long.

One month huh? It’s been 2 weeks now. Even I have trouble eating just worrying about her

 

[Jem]

Did Charlie become passive wearing the cone? My girl is being very inactive. She’s eating well and not lethargic. Probably just miserable for wearing the cone for so long.

I know I'm not Charlie's mom, and this is not a "cone story" but I had one cat who HATED wearing anything. We tried harness training him a few times and it was almost comical. As bad as I felt, I still laughed. As soon as we put the harness on, he would fall onto his side and not move at all, all four legs just sticking out straight. No matter how often we tried, he would not cooperate. The first time it happened, I thought he had a stroke (I didn't laugh THAT time). After a few tries we just gave up. So to answer your question, I have a feeling she just hates the cone. Thankfully you don't have a kitty who plays dead with it on!
And do try, I know it's hard, to keep yourself well. You are doing what's best for her, even if she doesn't like it. Feel good knowing she is still eating well, that's a good sign.

 

[blumarine916]

Update. Took Meffy to the vet to remove her stitches. Vet said the 2nd looked ok so just told me to watch it. We’re hoping no more stitches again.

Looks like I have to keep the cone on for about 5 more days until it is really recovered.

By the way, the 2nd looked like it’s forming a scab. Should I keep applying ointment/cleaning it? Will doing so moisten the scab again?

 

[blumarine916]

I know I'm not Charlie's mom, and this is not a "cone story" but I had one cat who HATED wearing anything. We tried harness training him a few times and it was almost comical. As bad as I felt, I still laughed. As soon as we put the harness on, he would fall onto his side and not move at all, all four legs just sticking out straight. No matter how often we tried, he would not cooperate. The first time it happened, I thought he had a stroke (I didn't laugh THAT time). After a few tries we just gave up. So to answer your question, I have a feeling she just hates the cone. Thankfully you don't have a kitty who plays dead with it on!
And do try, I know it's hard, to keep yourself well. You are doing what's best for her, even if she doesn't like it. Feel good knowing she is still eating well, that's a good sign.

Lol...I tried using a harness on Meffy too and she did the exact same ‘paralysed cat’ drama. I could drag her all over the apartment in that semi-dead pose. Did your cat finally accept the harness? Was it for taking walks?

Thanks so much for the encouragement! *hugs*

 

[Jem]

Did your cat finally accept the harness? Was it for taking walks?

He never accepted the harness, yes it was for walks and for overall safety, because we weren't sure at the time if he was an adventurous cat who would take off if we brought him outside with us. Our other three would stay put. We never let our cats outside unsupervised, we have too many dangers and wildlife where we live. And the thought of any of my cats wandering the neighborhood scares me half to death. He was a bit of a nervous kitty being that he was an indoor cat 90% of the time, so thankfully, just like our other three, he never wandered and tended to stay within 20 feet of the door to the house, just happy to munch on some grass and chase the occasional bug. And if he heard a loud noise or car/motorcycle, he would run to the door and ask to be let in.

By the way, the 2nd looked like it’s forming a scab. Should I keep applying ointment/cleaning it? Will doing so moisten the scab again?

Maybe just watch it for a couple days and see. Did the vet want you to continue with the ointment? If there is still any open skin, you could just be careful to put the ointment only in that area with a Q-tip or something, but the rule of thumb is let the scab do it's job, you don't want it to fall off or lift, so I wouldn't keep wetting it. Because you've done such a good job so far, and if she's not licking it because of the cone, I think you'd be safe to just watch it, but make sure that the area all around the wound stays clean. Just my opinion though, you could always double check with the vet, he's the one who saw her booboo.

So glad to hear that things seem to be improving though! Keep it up!

 

[Kflowers]

Glad kit is doing better. I think they get terrible frustrated when they can't wash. Once they start washing there doesn't seem to be much of a stop button.

Here's an article that suggests the harness- limp cat is similar to mom cat scruffing kits. I suppose some harnesses hit the right spot?

Why cats “go Gandhi”–Explaining Romeo’s harness behavior

Or course, we never got the harness on SG at all. Her collar the break away kind, took her less than a minute to escape. Thankful for micro-chipping.

 

[RCM mom]

Glad things are going a little bit better. Yes Charlie did become depressed and layed around a lot but was also on pain meds for some days. We thought it was anal glands but turned out it was not, it was a bite on the base of the tail from rough playing with out other younger cat Moo. Apparently it healed over at first, festered and then burst in two spots. Just try to do what you can to keep it clean and him from licking and any meds vet gave you, and it will heal.

 

[blumarine916]

Glad things are going a little bit better. Yes Charlie did become depressed and layed around a lot but was also on pain meds for some days. We thought it was anal glands but turned out it was not, it was a bite on the base of the tail from rough playing with out other younger cat Moo. Apparently it healed over at first, festered and then burst in two spots. Just try to do what you can to keep it clean and him from licking and any meds vet gave you, and it will heal.

D: Now I think that’s what happened to my cat too. But it worries me that it has happened twice on the same spot. Now I’m getting anxiety that it might happen again 3 months from now.
I’m not good at dealing with this kind of thing. I get nauseous, anxious, worried...lose my appetite for the past 2 weeks! Gah..I know. I’m hoping to relax as well but it’s hard. Any advice for this? Lol...now I’ve moved to human problems

 

[RCM mom]

I think we all get that way when any of our babies are going through something. Charlie had his abscess 4 days before we were flying to go to NY for nieces wedding so of course I did not go, hubby was in wedding party so he went while I stayed and nursed Charlie. Some at wedding thought I was crazy for missing the wedding "for a cat". Hubby said of course she stayed home with him!! I was a helicopter mom pretty much for the month, my nerves were on edge, so you are pretty normal with that. Just remember to take a deep breath every now and then....it is normal for them to lick after the cone come off my vet said, just so it is not constantly, I bought on Amazon My Pet Vet for skin and wounds, it is a natural safe wound care that to put on area to stop itching and helps stops them from licking. I only had to use it a few times as Charlie licked a lot 1st two days and then just didn't bother too much. I just tried to distract him with rubs when I saw him licking...maybe it happened a second time if all the infection did not clear up, I have to redose Charlie 4X with 2 different antibiotics. I also notice that Moo stills tries to play and bit Charlie's tail in same place, so it does seem to be a good spot to bite. Charlie wants no part of that and just wiggles around away, thinks he remembers and says not gonna go through that again!! Hope some of this helps!

 

[blumarine916]

I’m feeling the same way right now. Whenever I leave for work in the morning I keep wondering if Meffy will somehow snag out her wound again. Yes I think I’m being a helicopter cat mom especially now, always watching her moves. Even my bf has started saying I’m too worried over a small thing and everything will be ok.

But thanks to everyone here for being so supportive. Makes my day a lot better.