Neutered Kitten has litter stuck to incision,

[ms688]

We just picked up our 6mo old and while transferring him to a kennel he very wobbily darted past us to get in his litter box. We removed him but some (clean) clay litter pieces stuck to his incision. I was able to talk to the vet before they closed and they said to try and whipe it off with a dry rag, but it did nothing and he got angry and seemed in pain. The care sheet says not to get it wet, any ideas? Should I worry? It's about 6-7 pieces of litter stuck to the blood there. He has been post op a few hours now.

 

[annabee]

Does he have a cone? I would ensure he doesn't lick at the site and leave it be for now. Keep an eye on it to ensure it's not becoming irritated. I'm sure it will fall off on its own in the next 24ish hours.

If it bothers you too much or it seems to be interfering with the healing process (keeping air from accessing the wound), I would consider applying an antibiotic ointment (nothing with neomycin like Neosporin) or petroleum jelly to assist in loosening it. Both are safe for dissolvable sutures.

Of course, if signs of infection arise or the wound begins to open, it's time for another trip to the vet.

 

[fionasmom]

If you use an antibiotic ointment, do not use one that has the pain killing ingredient in it.