Warning!
This Article Contains Graphic Wound Images.
Viewer Discretion Is Advised.
Meet Reggie. He’s one of those cats you just have to love. He’s a neutered male about three years old. He has a really great, laid back personality. He lives out in the country in a nice little house with several of his employees. They keep the house clean, open the door for him to come and go, and fill his bowel with food every day.
He runs a successful extermination business keeping mice, bird and dog populations under control on his vast estate. Recently it’s been getting cold outside and occasionally the staff forgets to open the door when he knocks. But no worries, Reggie discovered that the engine of his butler’s car stays warm for several hours after it returns from the cat food store and he has taken to curling up under the hood for a nap on cold days.
Several weeks ago, Reggie’s maid had to run to town on an urgent errand (they were shockingly low on catnip!) and started the car without waking him first (it really is hard to get good help these days). Reggie’s foot got tangled up with the fan belt and had a good bit of skin removed. Ouch!
Day 1
His dutiful staff brought him to my veterinary clinic. There really wasn’t anything I could do surgically. Fortunately for Reggie there were some other options. As an herbalist, I’ve treated hundreds of serious wounds. My protocol is to use herbs that accelerate healing and kill bacteria internally while simultaneously using poultices or wound sprays topically. These are the formulas I usually reach for (You can click on the links to see the ingredients…I’m too lazy to type them all out today).
Internal Formulas
Topical Formula As Poultice Or Wound Spray
I mixed a little of each of the internal formulas with some canned cat food and offered it to Reggie. He smelled the food, looked at me and said. “There must be some sort of misunderstanding. Didn’t my staff tell you I only eat things that are delicious?“. Yes. I speak cat fluently.
So, there was nothing for it. Internal herbs were not going to be part of this treatment. I figured he’d object to me applying a poultice to his sore foot everyday as well. So, I grabbed a bottle of the poultice tincture and added 1 tsp to about 2 ounces of water in a little 4 oz brown spray bottle. Voila! Wound spray!
I sprayed his foot several times a day. Have a look at the progression of the wound.
Day 1 Day 7
Day 11 Day 22
Reggie never acted as though the spray was uncomfortable, though he did always shake the excess liquid off his foot and onto my face so that I could be healthy too.
All in all, things worked out well for Reggie. He had us instruct his staff to honk the horn in the winter before starting the car. But, other than that, things are pretty much back to normal at the manor.
The take home message from this case is that, even in the absence of internal herbal support, the wound spray made from the Poultice tincture works beautifully. Nice to know for aristocratic cats (or obstinent husbands) that won’t eat herbs!
Doc Jones
My momma cat with three small kittens got injured on her back left leg last week while no one was home. When we found her she could barely drag herself around. Her babies were in a box with sides about 8 inches high and I watched her collapse and fall 3 times as she attempted to climb in. She’s really wary and always stays out of reach, so we were at a loss as to how we could help her. I replaced the kitten’s box with one having about 3 inch high sides, put comfrey leaves in her bedding and got her some beef liver to eat, but worried I wouldn’t be able to do anything for the actual wound.
After the first couple days, I was able to sometimes pet her a bit while she was nursing, but she still hides when not with them.
I found this blog and decided to see what I could concoct from my own garden. Ultimately I included comfrey, plantain, green garlic, dandelion, yarrow, rosemary and aloe, which I chopped up and blended with hot tap water. After straining out the solids I poured some in a brown glass dropper bottle. While Miffy (the injured mama) was feeding her kittens, I fed her some liver, then dripped some of the green juice onto her wounded leg. After a few minutes she sniffed around, then began licking at it. The second day I did this, I poured a teaspoon or so into the small liver bowl and offered it to her. She licked it clean!
Today is the 8th day and she’s still slowly improving, though she still just drags her injured leg. I’m allowed to pet her now, but only when she’s with her kittens; otherwise she hides.
Her injured leg is aligned (nothing turned at odd angles), but I’m wondering if she might have a dislocated joint or if we just need to give it more time to heal. I’d like to have her looked at, but she panics/runs/fights every-time I even act like I’m going to pick her up.
Any suggestions?
I’d get an x-ray and see what’s going on. Sometimes issues like that need a good mechanic.
Your best bet would be to get an x-ray and see what’s going on. If it’s a dislocation or fracture it’ll need more attention than you can give at home.