Recovery And Management Of Rectal Prolapse In Cats
If your cat has diarrhea during the healing period, contact your vet right away. Your cat will likely need additional treatment. Diarrhea increases the risk of another rectal prolapse.
After surgery, most cats will be prescribed pain medication, stool softeners, and possibly antibiotics. Their medications depend on the health of their rectal tissue at the time of surgery. Epidurals are sometimes used to eliminate the urge to strain when your cat goes to the bathroom, and as a form of pain control.
A cat who receives an epidural and/or who has a surgical repair of their rectal prolapse may require hospitalization for 1-3 days, depending on how they are doing. If your cat received a purse-string suture, they may be sent home the day of the procedure.
The period of rest after a rectal prolapse repair depends somewhat on whether a purse-string was performed, or whether part of the rectum had to be surgically removed. The more serious the repair, the longer and stricter the rest period will be.
Itchiness: Dry Skin On Dogs And Cats
- Oatmeal Bath: Put uncooked oatmeal or rolled oats into a sock or nylon stocking and run a tubful of warm water over it. Soak your dog in the water for 5 to 10 minutes. Oatmeal-based shampoos are also available at pet stores. Find out more about oatmeals soothing benefits.
- Aggravated skin sores, also known as hot spots, can make your pet miserable. If you see a hot spot developing, clip about one-half to one inch around the sore to prevent hair and other dirt from further aggravating it. Clean the sore with hydrogen peroxide on gauze or a cotton ball, and after it dries, spray the area with cortisone cream. Do this twice a day until the sore starts to dry out or a scab begins to form.
Reduce Your Cats Anxiety
Less stress is always a good thing, and for some cats with hot spots, it could help stop the severe itching, oozing, and pain.
Establishing a cat-appropriate routine is one of the best ways to reduce stress. Cats greatly benefit from twice-daily play and regular mealtimes. Theyre at their best when their litter boxes, food bowls, water, and beds remain in the same place every day.
In addition to creating a healthy routine, do your best to provide safe refuges from stressors like loud noises, disruptive guests, new family members, and visiting pets.
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Treating Cat Skin Sores
Feline skin sores and skin lesions can occur for a number of different reasons. Sometimes, they’re the result of skin disease. However, skin sores on cats can also be a sign of internal ailments, like liver disease, or autoimmune disorders like lupus. Skin sores and lesions in cats are also often the result of parasitic infestation, bacterial or fungal infection, or even cancer. Here’s what you should know about feline skin sores and their treatment.
Cat Abscesses And Sores Symptoms And Treatments
For many cat owners, cat abscesses, and sores can be a serious concern, and more often than not, an ongoing problem. For the majority of cats that get abscesses, or sores, it is generally more prevalent in the spring. The main reason, for this is due to cats being allowed outside during the warmer weather, and getting into fights with other cats. Let us take a closer look at what abscesses are, what causes them, along with the symptoms, and treatments that a cat owner can expect regarding this topic.
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Rear End Odors Can Be Particularly Smelly
Causes:
Matting is a problem for long haired cats in particular because their hair is prone to mat. Any cat can have a matting problem causing a smelly rear if there is a cut or scrape under or around the tail to which the fur is sticking.
If your cat is overweight, grooming will become increasingly tricky for your cat, and there may be more skin and fat folds around the rear that make thorough cleaning a problem. If your cat has arthritis, the pain and stiffness will make it difficult for your kitty to reach all parts of the body that would normally be groomed, especially around the rear and genitals.
Recovery After A Simple Rectal Prolapse
Recovery from a simple rectal prolapse, where the rectal tissue was healthy and could be reduced without complication, requires that the purse-string suture remains in place for 5-7 days while your cat heals. During the recovery period, your cat must wear an E-collar to prevent licking, which can cause the suture to fall out early and increase the risk of infection.
Soft foods and stool softeners will be prescribed to reduce pressure on the purse-string suture while your cat poops. After your cat is healed, the purse-string suture should be removed by a veterinarian, who will clear your cat for regular food.
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Diagnosing Feline Skin Sores
Your vet will need a complete medical history and a thorough physicalexam to diagnose the cause of your cat’s skin sores. Sores and lesions caused by parasitic infestation, fungal and bacterial infections are easily diagnosed. Your vet can treat skin sores caused by parasitic infestations and fungal or bacterial infections by addressing the cause of the lesions with the appropriate therapy.
If your vet rules out infection or infestation as the cause of your cat’s skin sores, he’ll test for food allergies or allergic reactions related to contact dermatitis. Allergies can be difficult to treat. You’ll need to discover what your cat’s allergic irritants are through trial and error. Cats can develop allergic reactions to airborne irritants like smoke and aerosol sprays, as well as to dust, mold, pollen, wool, wood and even plastic treatment will involved removing the allergic irritants from your cat’s environment, and may also includeallergy medication.
If your vet can’t find any signs of infection, infestation or allergies, he may perform a biopsy to determine if the lesions are cancerous. Other tests, such as blood tests and urinalysis, can determine if your cat’s lesions are the result of serious illness.
Tips And Warnings About How To Heal An Open Wound On A Cat:
You should always consult an experienced veterinarian regarding the health and treatment of your cat when she has a serious cut or gash. Immediately take your cat to the vet if she has a large open wound over 1 inch long and 1/2 inch wide, especially if it is bleeding profusely.
Dont attempt to apply a tourniquet to your cat when she is bleeding. More harm than good can be done if its tied too tightly.
Wounds can be cleaned by flushing them with hydrogen peroxide as an alternative to washing with soap and water.
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Can I Put Vaseline On My Cat Bum
Can I put Vaseline on my cat bum? Does it really help with constipation? Is vaseline safe for cats?
Having a tub of Vaseline in the cupboard is handy for a number of reasons. Im sure a lot of people reading this have one of those little blue tubs somewhere in their home.
But did you know Vaseline also has some useful applications for your cat?
We all have to deal with the good and the bad points of owning cats. Seeing your cat with a sore bum is probably one of the less desirable aspects of living with a cat. But the least you can do is help them out in any way you can, after all, I bet you know how uncomfortable a sore bum is!
So, Ive done some research, aggregated several answers from friends and the cat community, and put together this article to help answer all the questions you have regarding the use of Vaseline and your cats bum.
Contents
About Dr Pete Wedderburn Dvm
Dr Pete Wedderburn qualified as a vet from Edinburgh in 1985 and has run his own 4-veterinarian companion animal practice in County Wicklow, Ireland, since 1991. Pete is well known as a media veterinarian with regular national tv, radio and newspaper slots, including a weekly column in the Daily Telegraph since 2007. Pete is known as “Pete the Vet” on his busy Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages, regularly posting information on topical subjects and real-life cases from his clinic. He also write a regular blog at www.petethevet.com. His latest book: Pet Subjects, was published by Aurum Press in 2017.
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Rectal Bleeding In Cats
One incident with only a small amount of blood could be from something as simple as straining when going to the bathroom. However, a significant amount of blood can indicate a problem. Cat owners should take the cat to the vet as soon as possible.
- Try to collect a fecal sample to take as well, even if you must take it prior to the actual appointment.
- The vet can test for worms or other problems from this sample.
- Most common issues can be easily treated with medication, but it is usually best not to delay in taking the cat to the vet.
Treating The Underlying Cause
To avoid recurrence of rectal prolapse, the underlying cause of the prolapse must also be treated. This treatment will depend on the underlying cause.
If the prolapse is due to birthing kittens, your cat must be spayed so it wont happen again.
Intestinal parasites can be treated by deworming, while a urinary stone or obstruction will need its own treatment, and so on.
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What Is Vaseline Used For
Vaseline, also called petroleum jelly or healing jelly is primarily used to protect and heal dry skin. Common uses are as a lip balm, to soften up hard skin on feet, treat other cracked and sore skin issues, and as a moisturizer.
When it comes to cats however, Vaseline has been proven to be an effective remedy for constipation, hairballs, and also skin issues as Ill explain in more detail in this article.
How To Diagnose And Treat Mouth Ulcers In Cats
This article was co-authored by Lauren Baker, DVM, PhD. Dr. Baker is a Veterinarian and PhD candidate in Comparative Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Baker received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Wisconsin in 2016, and went on to pursue a PhD through her work in the Comparative Orthopaedic Research Laboratory. This article has been viewed 104,542 times.
Mouth ulcers can occur in cats for a number of reasons, from plaque buildup to feline immunodeficiency virus . Mouth ulcers typically manifest as small, open sores in the mouth that can cause bleeding and pain, especially if left untreated. If you notice mouth ulcers in your cat, or other symptoms that cause you to believe your cat could develop ulcers, contact your vet immediately so that they can diagnose the underlying cause of the ulcers and start your cat on a treatment plan.
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Home Remedies To Treat Sores On The Body
- To prevent the infection from spreading, you can wash the area with warm water and medicated soap.
- You can sprinkle diatomaceous earth on the cats bed or carpet. You may also brush it through his fur.
- Including vitamin E and fish oil supplements in your cats diet is also a good measure against sores. Vitamin E has anti-inflammatory properties, and fish oil is an antioxidant, which help cure the infection easily.
- You can include yogurt in your cats diet, as the probiotics present in yogurt help cure the sores sooner.
It is your responsibility as a pet owner to take notice of the slightest of symptoms that may be indicative of a disease. You should also pay attention to your cats diet as contaminated food could be the culprit. Also, do make use of flea and tick control methods, thus ensuring a hygienic and healthy living environment for your cat.
Remove Hair Around The Infected Area
Of course, shaving even a small patch of hair might be a challenge, but this isnt a step you can skip. Hair removal is essential to the healing process for several reasons. It exposes the hot spot for easy evaluation, makes it easy to apply medications, and it helps to rein in the spread of infection.
Once youve exposed the entire lesion, use a non-toxic marker or pen to mark its perimeter. This will allow you to determine whether its shrinking or growing during the treatment process.
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Is Vaseline Safe For Cats
Vaseline is not toxic or harmful for cats in sensible amounts either applied to their skin or fed to them.
What I mean by this is, if a cat licks a small amount of Vaseline its not going to do them any harm at all. Obviously, if a cat had access to an open jar and sat eating as much as they could, Im sure thats not going to be good for them. But that can be said about almost anything that isnt food.
From looking into this subject, as far as I can tell Vaseline simply passes through their digestive system relatively unchanged when they eat it. Ive seen Vaseline recommended by vets as a hairball treatment for this reason as it simply helps the blockage move through their system.
So its safe to say that Vaseline is safe for cats when used properly.
When To Contact Your Vet
Some cats scoot occasionally without having a problem but if your cat is scooting a lot or seems to be uncomfortable, there is likely to be something wrong. Check under your cats tail and around their bottom for anything obvious. If something is stuck, you could try to gently remove it by bathing. If it doesnt come off easily, you see a growth, your cat seems to be in pain or youre unsure, contact your vet for advice.
Consider insuring your cat as soon as you get them, before any signs of illness start. This will ensure you have all the support you need to care for them.
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This Is How To Heal An Open Wound On A Cat
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Indoor and outdoor cats can both end up with open wounds due to abscesses or accidents. This article will show you how to heal an open wound on a cat.
The first thing to do is determine whether the injury is severe enough that it requires medical care. In his book Whats Wrong With My Cat or Kitten? veterinarian John Rossi says that small wounds under 1 inch long and 1/2 inch wide dont need veterinary attention. If your cats injury can be dealt with at home, you should stop the bleeding, clean the wound and bandage it, if necessary. Your cat should be able to finish the healing process on her own.
Causes Of Rectal Prolapse In Cats
Rectal prolapse can be caused by any medical condition that causes a cat to strain too hard while peeing or pooping. Straining weakens the tissue that supports the rectum.
These conditions could cause rectal prolapse in cats:
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Intestinal parasites
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Obstruction of the colon or rectum because of a foreign object
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Rectal or vaginal mass
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Giving birth
In kittens, diarrhea due to intestinal parasites is the most common cause of rectal prolapse.
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Caring For A Cat’s Abscess At Home