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Sat 22 May, 2004 02:32 am
Oh dear!!!
My dear old Siamese, Oscar, has a disgusting problem - again!!!
I was brushing him tonight, and noticed the base of his tail near his anus, and a little bit his actual anus ('orrid word, that!) have been licked raw.
I assume he had an irritation - but it looks clean and ok now - except for the licking. I checked his pooh, and that is ok. (Don't ask!)
I know this can become self-perpetuating. I am thinking of popping one of those plastic bottle thingies around his neck - but I know he will be miserable.
I have put aloe vera gel on his bum, and I will get mercurochrome tomorrow (dries it out - and, I hope - tastes bad) - but, can anyone think of anything harmless but 'orrid tasting to put on his bum to discourage the licking until it can heal?
I literally cannot afford the vet until Thursday - and he is happy and well apart from this.
I can't help thinking this results from being ejected from the bedroom when me fella is here - but I understand the ejection - SIGH!!!!! Fella is allergic.
Can a bitter apple spray or cream be used directly on an animal? They make it for dogs and cats to keep them off of things. It is harmless, but smells and tastes horrible to the pet.
Yikes! I don't think so. It might drive him nuts.
This sucks - hard to say anything that isn't funny/dumb!
He is sitting by me and not licking - mebbe lots of attention?
Not that I can stay home all the time.
Who asked for pets with emotional problems!
I am thinking of ants....
Heh heh, ants...I had a pet aunt once, but she eventually demanded to be let out of her cage. Uh oh, I'm supposed to take this seriously. I would just give him some love and attention to stave off what sounds like a jealousy issue until you can afford to take him to the vet, especially if he doesn't seem infected or impacted.
dlowan
When we first inherited Flatty he had a neurotic licking thing. Not on his bottom, his leg. In fact he licked the spot raw & developed an infection. Not nice! Turned out it was a combination of a skin allergy & fretting. (he was a neglected critter). It took ages for the problem to clear up after treating the infection with antibiotics. And yes, lots of TLC contributed to the "cure".
Have you considered catnip? Would euphoria triumph over itch-scratching?
Hmm, the mention of mercurochrome worries me a little, are you sure that is ok, re licking?
Mercurochrome? Wow! That sounds as good as kerosine. Have you considered a small drop of that bitter apple spray on a less sensitive part of poor Oscar and seeing how he reacts to it?
Go to the drugstore and look for that stuff they paint on children's fingers to discourage nailbiting. I'll bet that stuff would work!
On a raw bottom!!!!
Mercurochrome was recommended by the vet when another cat got her bottom bitten, and the wound kept weeping.
It won't hurt him - it is a good disinfectant, too.
I dinna think there's enough mercury in it to worry him!
I think the bitter apple idea was a good one. Even if you don't have bitter apple, there is probably something like it.
Screech used to pull out the fur on the base of his spine and lick it raw. The vet said he was pulling the hair out - I said NO! I'd never seen him do it. But he was, I started watching him more closely and nailed him. THe vet said it was prolly a reaction to flea bites. Just one'll do it.
So - how did you stop Screech?
And no - we don't have "bitter apple" that I have ever seen.
The cat repellent stuff we have would seriously traumatise him - and probably burn the wound seriously.
than the bucket head might work, though cats don't stay in them very well.
I moved north where there aren't so many fleas. We maybe get one or two fleas a year in this apt. But, while I was still in GA, I kept him on something called "the program" which is a flea and tick repellant. The fleas still bit him, but they never lived to reproduce and we ended up with very few of them as a result. Regular brushing seemed to help him too, with the itchy-scratchy feeling. Is Oscar shedding right now?
Nah - 'tis winter - well, he always sheds - but no more than usual. He has no fleas - inside cat.
Any new blankets/bedding/cleaning agents or food?
Nah - just, as I said, a man - who is allergic and throws them out!!!!
how about putting aloe vera on the wound and then spraying with something nasty? The gel would protect the wound....?
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