Dylan's been to the vets

[Phoenix]

I took him into the vets this evening because although his breathing was better he wasn't letting us do anything with his back legs :(

He's had an abscess right before his tail which James (vet) has drained, he's had a painkilling injection and he's now on antibiotics and has to have his wound bathed in antiseptic.

James shaved off some of the fur near Dylan's tail in order to get the stuff drained out (Dylan was making no effort to use his tail today) but Dylan REALLY didn't like it :(

He started struggling when having his bum shaved (I had to scruff Dylan by this point - something unheard of usually!):shock: and that point Dylan decided to have a bit of a hissy fit towards James :shock:

James thinks it was either a rat or a cat that Dylan was fighting with. :shock:

Coming out of the consultation room, Dylan was literally glaring at the two dogs waiting in the room like he wanted to have them for dinner :shock:

I've given him some turkey now and he's eaten that, he's curled up in the sitting room sulking with me now.

He's got to have antibiotic tablets once daily and he's got to have the shaved area bathed in antiseptic daily (which is going to be fun :roll: )

[HappyKatz]

Oh Mr. Dylan - up to something...good thing hes okay though :smt049
Thank goodness Dylan is back home & getting better :cat27
I wonder how much fuss Dylan is going to give you
when you have to give him his pills & bath his shaved area...

[Phoenix]

Oh Mr. Dylan - up to something...good thing hes okay though :smt049
Thank goodness Dylan is back home & getting better :cat27
I wonder how much fuss Dylan is going to give you
when you have to give him his pills & bath his shaved area...

Pilling him I think he's going to be OK with, it's bathing him I think we'll need all hands on deck for :roll:

[Shelley123]

Sorry to hear about poor Dylan, hopefully he will feel better soon.

[dandysmom]

Poor boy, what an awful day for him. He must be glad to be home; good luck bathing the wound.

[Elaine]

Poor Dylan, he doesnt half get into some scrapes. Hope he gets better very soon xxx

[James]

Another chapter in "Life with Dylan" :)
I have a fencing mask and a wet suit you could borrow!

Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery.

[angieh]

Poor lambkin! I do hope that you are able to bathe his wound without too much of a struggle.

I found with both Merlin who had an abscess very like Dylan's and Smudge, who had been bitten on her foot that they got used to it and were quite good. I think if you are confident and talk gently it helps. Also having someone else standing by with a towel to wrap said struggling cat in might be a good idea!

Get better soon Dylan.

[calismum]

Poor boy - I hope he doesn't object too much to the care you have to give him. If only they could understand that we are only doing it to make them better.

He really is a worry with all the scraps he gets into.

Give him a chin tickle from me.

[Phoenix]

He went into hiding this afternoon after I'd pilled him and bathed his wound in antiseptic.

Did the pilling first because I knew I had more chance of getting that done without stress, the bathing I wasn't sure how he'd react.

The pill he swallowed first time in an "I suppose I'd better have it" manner.:D

When I bathed his wound I had to scruff him again because although he wasn't kicking up a fuss he was trying to avoid me getting near the wound so I had to trick him with a bit of turkey then pounce. Scruffed him (I'd already got the antiseptic ready to use) and managed to bathe the wound without any more trouble :D

With his fight though, I suspect it was a female cat because the position of the wound it looks like he turned and tried to get away. Male cats he'll stand and fight, rats don't stand a rat in hell's chance against Dylan (he kills them before you can say squeak)

[angieh]

Glad to hear Dylan took his pill and you were able to clean his wound. I wonder why the vet thought it was a rat bite then RCR? I would have thought cat/rat bites look quite different.

Anyway, I do hope that he soon feels better - how is his tail and back legs reacting now?

[dandysmom]

I wondered about that too, a cat and rats dentition is so different...??? I hope you can continue to treat the wound. Poor baby.

[James]

Good news that you are able to clean the wound :)

Delving around in what makes human beings tick, it is an interesting diversion to speculate what thought processes occupy a feline’s brain. As we are aware, they are very intelligent, however, they are but one small step away from their wild ancestry. There will be a conflict between their hard-wired instincts and the behaviour learned through contact with humans. Accepting and yet fighting care and health treatment is one example. Dylan is fully ware of his feelings towards his human family and yet instinct tells him to flee or fight. I think sometimes we humans (I am speaking generally, not about folk on this forum :) ) underestimate this conflict.

However, it is similar to our instinctive reaction to humans and/or other life forms that ring warning bells because they look so different or their behaviour is intimidating.

I used to live in the South Pacific and recall meeting a group of war-painted, fully armed Papua New Guinea tribesmen who stood in line in front of us, stamping a challenge on the ground. I knew they were friendly and yet their appearance and body language still triggered a reaction to be on my guard.

What i mean by all this waffle :) is a hug to Dylan and an acknowledgement of the task facing those who have the responsibility for his care.

[Phoenix]

He took his pill like a lamb today, no struggling :D

His wound we needed two pairs of hands for, one pair wouldn't have been enough because Dylan was determined his wound was NOT going to be bathed in "stinky stuff" as Dylan put it :roll:

[angieh]

But you and your accomplice persevered I have no doubt! Well done.

[Phoenix]

But you and your accomplice persevered I have no doubt! Well done.

Yep :-D his back legs are absolutely fine now :-D his tail is getting there - he can raise it about halfway now but the abscess won't let it go any higher :(

[Shelley123]

Glad Dylans feeling better

[dandysmom]

Good to hear that, RCR!

[Kazz]

Did the vet check him over for other wounds,...bites. Oscar (many years ago) was treated for one but another absyss...popped up and was missed...Cleo spotted it and it was when we had to physically restrain her from licking him that we saw the abysyss..the vet lanced...well attacked by a razor sharp knife by the vet to release the poision. He had a good course of antibiotics and was as right as rain.

[Phoenix]

Did the vet check him over for other wounds,...bites. Oscar (many years ago) was treated for one but another absyss...popped up and was missed...Cleo spotted it and it was when we had to physically restrain her from licking him that we saw the abysyss..the vet lanced...well attacked by a razor sharp knife by the vet to release the poision. He had a good course of antibiotics and was as right as rain.

Yes he was checked over all over from head to tail :D no other wounds :D