What Is Safe To Clean Her Facial Tumor?

[Podoko]

My cat Aerowyn's left upper lip is an entire tumor and I have questions about how to keep it clean so she is more comfortable. She has no whiskers or hair left on that lip, and most of it is alright except for the underside where the tumor originally began. At one point she scratched at it and managed to get off a dime sized chunk. A thin film of skin seems to grow on it daily, it is sticky and whitish and attracts loose hairs. Every day at least twice I sit with a warm wet paper towel pressed lightly against it to soften the stuck hairs and carefully wipe it off. The underside is now a bit jagged but not necrotic or bleeding, but an excess of white spongy skin like you get on your fingertips when they soak a long time is trapping some terrible odors there on the underside and I would like advice on how I could clean it a bit better than with just water. Also she drools a good bit of course and I think that's why the skin gets like that.

I only found that I can use some coconut oil to inhibit the bacterial growth but does anyone know if that works well or if there is some general medicine or food I can use to clean it daily? She had the swollen lip in april, was diagnosed in may, and is still doing alright, the tumor just makes it harder for her to eat. Also she gets prednisolone daily as a transdermal dose to help inhibit the tumor but otherwise I am just giving her palliative care.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hello!
I am wondering if chamomile tea would be helpful?
From Mamanyt1953
You may get some relief for her with a wash of chamomile tea. Purchase the bags in the coffee/tea aisle of almost any grocery store. Do not buy a blend, buy JUST CHAMOMILE. Brew it, chill it in the fridge, and apply with a soft cloth or a cotton ball. You can do this several times a day. Since it is used internally for calming, it won't hurt a thing if she grooms it off and ingests small amounts. Chamomile has both antibacterial and antifungal properties, so it may also help protect those raw areas.

I've personally used chamomile tea for skin issues in humans, dogs, cats, horses and rats.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

You can actually use a wash of chilled chamomile tea. The nice thing about this is that is it antibacterial, anti fungal, and amazingly soothing for ALL skin irritations. Buy the tea bags from your grocer's coffee/tea aisle, and make sure it is ONLY chamomile, no blends (that will be right on the main label). I recommend the commercial bags because they are ALWAYS made with German Chamomile, and the English variety that is common in gardens is toxic to cats. Brew a cup, chill it in the fridge, and use the technique you are using now to apply it.

I hope this helps your girl find a measure of comfort.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

LOL, Furballsmom and I were posting at the same time! Great minds...

 

[Furballsmom]