Ruptured Abscess, Need Cone Help

[MoochNNoodles]

Noodles has a ruptured abscess on her hind quarters; not far from her anus but not so close as her anal glands or something there. We were at the vet first thing this morning. They cleaned her up and we have meds. I got her a soft cone last night that she's wearing; but she still keeps trying to lick at it. The vet thought a hard cone would hit against it. She's very thin (just under 7lb when she should be about 9 per the vet) so she's just has no problems bending!

I just fussed at her for licking and boy she hissed back at me!

Can you suggest anything to help us through this?

Should I go for a hard cone? She has taken to the soft one surprisingly well. I also bought one of the blow-up donut ones last night but if she can bend to reach with the soft cone I'm not sure the donut one will do anything. She's so thin I don't think a dog cone would work?

Of all the pet things I've had to do; this one is new for me.

This is what she is wearing:

This is the other one I got:

 

[Furballsmom]

You know, that donut might work, she'll be able to bend but might not be able to reach around the puffy obstruction...?

 

[Kissamew]

I have not used a cone on a cat, sorry you need to! You are sweet to get her two cones! I would hiss too if someone fussed at me when I was just trying to feel better. Maybe an awesome catnip toy to distract her? I just ordered Yeowww! bananas for my kitty, but haven't gotten them yet so I can't say awesome things like Amazon reviewers. She probably smells the ick from her sore and wants it off her. Wish I had a better suggestion.

 

[javannalynn]

omg yeowwww! make the best toys!!! even kittens love them!!

as far as the cone i think the donut is worth a try! or maybe the hard cone. it seems if she can reach it doesn't go up around her head far enough. good luck

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I think that I would go with a donut. It seems to be more comfortable, and they do have a hard time bending their necks around it.

LOL, I can't blame her for hissing...if I had a hole in my fanny, and someone tried to mess with is, I'd hiss, too!

 

[Libby.]

My Patches is wearing a cone right now I made from a long sheet of craft foam. I put self-adhesive velcro strip on the ends to secure it to her. I originally had her in one of the small transparent plastic ones that the pet stores sell but it was too long and she had trouble eating and drinking. So I basically traced it on a piece of foam and shortened it about a half an inch or so.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

LOL, I can't blame her for hissing...if I had a hole in my fanny, and someone tried to mess with is, I'd hiss, too!

I know right!? Poor Noodles

I'm giving her a break from the cone so she can eat. She decided she can jump on the chair where I normally give her dry food. (Mooch can't jump and she can't eat the dry; but she will if she has access.) I'm going to try the donut one in a bit I think. Shes being very loving right now. I just want to care for this properly!

I'm having to put puppy pads outside the litter box because she hasn't been climbing all the way in to go. So her front half is in but her back half is perched on the edge doing her business on the floor. We have high sided boxes because Mooch doesn't squat (the vet says arthritis in her lower spine. She takes Cosequin and that helps.) so I had to buy a low box.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I just ordered Yeowww! bananas for my kitty, but haven't gotten them yet so I can't say awesome things like Amazon reviewers.

omg yeowwww! make the best toys!!! even kittens love them!!

My girls LOVE their Yeoww brand toys! Actually I just got Noodles a Yeoww cigar about a week ago. They don't really bother with other catnip toys much anymore (although Noodles is pretty active for her age) but the Yeoww ones are the best! I have bananas that are +10 years old they will still play with. I find them soggy around the house sometimes. They also have newer bananas and a chili pepper one that I also find soggy.

Noodles has been enjoying that cigar one. The vet couldn't find a wound that was an obvious cause of the abscess; but I wonder if she was high on her cigar and did something that way. It's possible the wound is now hidden by the abscess. The girls aren't really buddies anymore but they don't really fight either. They mostly ignore each other lately. So I don't think Mooch did it to her. If they had a tift; no one else noticed or heard anything.

Noodles does seem happier in the donut cone. I haven't seen her try to lick yet but it already looks much better than it did this morning (and it was pretty gross). The donut cone almost seems like a pillow.

 

[Furballsmom]

Noodles does seem happier in the donut cone. I haven't seen her try to lick yet but it already looks much better than it did this morning

 

[di and bob]

I have had to deal with MANY abscesses and have never used a cone. After they burst they will drain for quite a while, and keeping them open to do so is good. Licking will keep them open. That is why many vets insert drains into them. Only my housecats have had drains, and their wounds seemed to take a lot longer to heal then my ferals. I didn't use cones on them either. It is your choice, but if she slips out of her cones, i wouldn't worry too much......

 

[shadowsrescue]

I just saw this yesterday

 

[Furballsmom]

That's a paper plate in the photo, here's more of a description of how to use it, although the one posted here looks like it might have been a stiffer plate and it was cut through from the edge rather than just an X cut in the center;
Is My Kittens Spay Site Infected?

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I have had to deal with MANY abscesses and have never used a cone. After they burst they will drain for quite a while, and keeping them open to do so is good. Licking will keep them open. That is why many vets insert drains into them. Only my housecats have had drains, and their wounds seemed to take a lot longer to heal then my ferals. I didn't use cones on them either. It is your choice, but if she slips out of her cones, i wouldn't worry too much......

That's interesting. In the past Noodles has groomed her lower belly and inner back legs bare. That's actually what was going on when her health issues started (aside from a murmur being heard from kittenhood). That was 5 years ago and when my vets office got used to seeing us so much.

Maybe because of the history of over grooming my vet didn't advise against one? I have been taking it off to let her eat and groom more easily.

She keeps meowing her little head off now here and ther but its not a cry of pain. When I go where she is her body language is happy. If I offer her food she has a good snack. So maybe she's just calling for room service? lol She can eat and drink in the donut so I'm not sure.

 

[Furballsmom]

"M-o-o-o-m, I love you, get this thing off me" - lol, maybe? I like your idea of room service

 

[MoochNNoodles]

"M-o-o-o-m, I love you, get this thing off me"

Oh that's classic Noodles talk there. She is super sweet and attentive when she wants food. Even with the kids. But after shes satisfied? She might swat you just for walking by. She used to bop us on the head walking by her cat tree. I love her cranky pants and all!

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[Grey_Tuxedo]

I just went through the whole cone thing, Greyman had to wear one for two whole weeks! I bought 3 different ones including that Kong one and the inflatable e-collar from PetCo. I was protecting my guy from getting to his stitches after eye surgery and was super concerned about his comfort, willingness to go through with it and of course access to his eye.

We did some test runs before his surgery. The inflatable one bothered him the least when I put it on (he even played with his string toys right away), but might have been an issue when he slept because it put pressure on his throat and I could tell his breathing was a bit labored. The "donut" would have definitely kept him from biting anywhere on his body (it seemed perhaps bigger than the one in the picture from your first post?) but I wasn't convinced that it would keep his back paws from scratching his eye.

The cones were a real issue for the first couple of days and even more so the first couple of hours after putting them on. He was walking backwards, biting the air, and wouldn't lay down (tried to sleep sitting up!). Then when he did lay down, he pointed his head up at the ceiling and even slept like that... not to mention the scraping against walls when he walked and getting stuck staring at the ground with the cone stuck pressed against the floor. As bad as all that was, he actually got used to the cone after a couple days and ultimately functioned way better than I hoped for over the remaining two weeks.

I found that the Kong one didn't hold it's shape well and would often be pressed up against his head causing him to be constantly aware of/distracted by it. The one that I used that worked better than any others, including the one they sent him home from surgery with, is this one (nice and cheap on Amazon). He was only able to reach the end of his tail, even though he REALLY wanted to groom everywhere.

Another option that I thought was pretty interesting, were these Tyvek (paper) collars that you can buy in 10-packs (made by a company called Calfira). I could see how they might solve some problems associated with some of the other e-collars on the market.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I found that the Kong one didn't hold it's shape well and would often be pressed up against his head causing him to be constantly aware of/distracted by it. The one that I used that worked better than any others, including the one they sent him home from surgery with, is this one (nice and cheap on Amazon). He was only able to reach the end of his tail, even though he REALLY wanted to groom everywhere.

Thank you! The kong one won't even really take a round shape like in the pictures. I just made it so the widest part was around her whiskers. I'm looking the other one up on Amazon. She's walking cone free at the moment but I'm watching her carefully.

 

[Emmerence]

Oh that's classic Noodles talk there. She is super sweet and attentive when she wants food. Even with the kids. But after shes satisfied? She might swat you just for walking by. She used to bop us on the head walking by her cat tree. I love her cranky pants and all!

 

[catlover73]

One thing that may help Noodles to feel more comfortable is a warm blanket or a heating pad on low to lay on. The heat helps with pain and will also help with making sure that the abscess drains completely. If Noodles will cooperate this will help her feel more comfortable.