Indy's Cow-bite wound

Thank you very much for asking after Indy.

Today is Day 5 since Cow went into a frenzy (agitated by a Vincent-Zurik fight outside the Stargate on Saturday night) and got into a ferocious brawl with poor Indy who happened to be there as well. Cow bit Indy on his left paw.

Since it happened on Saturday night and Sunday was a holiday, we didn't get to take Indy to the vet until Monday. Also, the wound had already closed up by Monday. Still, the vet prescribed a 7-day course of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory. I supplemented with Vetri DMG. At the clinic, Indy was running a fever of 40.3 degrees, much to my surprised as he did not even feel hot. He was also eating as usual, though a little lesser. The vet did say that we could also do the warm salt water compression (by dipping the affected paw into a bowl of warm salt water for 30 mins). The osmostic effect might help draw the pus out if an abscess formed. Warm water would also help circulation and hasten healing.

But 30 minutes?? That sounded quite impossible!

He did not even allow us to touch his paw. It must have been very painful. Poor Indy. I thought we would let the medicines take effect.

On Tuesday, the paw still looked swollen.

Though limping quite badly, our superhero vigilante joined everyone else for breakfast.

He didn't eat as much as usual, but he ate, which was good.

He was still grooming himself.

Although Indy seemed well enough, he was still limping and the paw was very swollen. Something didn't feel right.

Indy also looked rather depressed and spent most of the time sitting on the bench. In between, I handfed him. He wouldn't eat from the bowl. He wanted to eat from my hand.

By Wednesday, the paw still appeared swollen and had not subsided at all. I remembered about the osmosis with the warm salt water compression, so I decided we should try that.

The vet had suggested putting Indy on a table with his affected paw hanging down, then just dip that paw into the bowl of warm salt water. We tried that.

Would you know it? Indy did not put up a fight.

Just goes to show that you never know until you try. And never say die...try first.

We managed for 4 minutes...(*applause!*)

But here's what that 4 minute dip did...

Minutes after, I spotted reddish liquid oozing out of that tiny bite wound!

Oh gosh...the abscess must have burst!!

No wonder the paw looked so swollen even after 3 days - an abscess had formed and now the hot water compression and the osmostic effect has helped the abscess burst and pus was flowing out!

Yay!

I quickly cleaned as much of the pus as I could (as Indy would allow) with saline and sprayed Path-Away generously on the paw.

Only on Wednesday, after the hot compression did I notice that there were two bite wounds on the top. I thought there was only one.

The surrounding skin later looked a little purplish. We did the salt water compression again in the evening. This time, Indy was prepared, so he didn't allow me to handle his paw after that. He would "clean it up" himself by licking. I still sprayed Path-Away on it later on.

With the abscess finally having burst, I noticed Indy wasn't as depressed as he was earlier on.

This is the wound this morning (Thursday).

We did the salt water compression twice today and a little bit of pus flowed out. Very little.

The paw no longer looks swollen and I think Indy feels much better too.

Feeling better, Indy?

The paw certainly looks much better to our naked and untrained eye.

I hope we are right!

The Royal Guards - kindred souls?

Ever since Saturday night when Cow flew into a rage, we haven't seen Zurik. My husband did notice that both Vincent and Zurik ran helter-skelter from the Stargate to the gate when Cow went on his rampage that fateful night. We have also been trying to get Zurik to go home because he comes to the patio and picks fights with Vincent, Rosie, Daffodil or anyone he feels like. He even comes into the house and chases everyone out at midnight and sleeps on the sofa while everyone else has to sleep in the porch. Zurik doesn't want to share space. He's got conqueror blood in him and he wants to terrorise and monopolise our house. We cannot risk everyone else running away because of Zurik. Vincent has been standing up to Zurik's terrorising ways for far too long. One can only take so much.

We suspect Timmy could have run away because of Zurik too. Timmy used to get very upset whenever Zurik came and terrorised everyone.

We cannot have another PatioCat running away anymore. Zurik has to go home.

Maybe the blessing in disguise of this incident is that Cow has frightened Zurik back to his house now but Indy was collateral damage....poor Indy.