S
smithpd_3@yahoo_com
Could you let me know if I'm on the right track with this or if there are other things we should be considering? Our goal is to gently heal Chloe and prevent surgery for the hernia.
Here's the background:
My sister rescued a cat a few weeks ago (Chloe) who had a large abscess on the right side of her face and an inguinal hernia on her right side. She also noticed that Chloe's right eye turns inward intermittingly. Chloe was a stray from my sister's neighborhood and was covered in fleas and on the thin side when my sister found her.
Abscess: Before my sister could do anything for the abscess it burst so she brought Chloe to the vet who drained it, scraped off the dead skin and gave her an antibiotic injection. The vet also gave her a Capstar tablet to kill the fleas. Chloe appeared to be in a lot of pain but was very docile through it all. She tolerated all the handling well but didn't crave it. This was about 3 weeks ago. The abscess is healing well and the area is now about the size of a quarter (it was originally the whole right side of her face). She's very touchy about anything around her face though. Not sure if it's still painful or if she's still traumatized over the whole ordeal.
Hernia: The hernia does not seem to bother her at all. The vet said her intestines and possibly a kidney have breached the stomach lining. The vet was able to push them back in without her reacting at all. Chloe often lays on her right side. The vet recommended surgery to fix the hernia. My sister would like to avoid this, if possible, but is worried if she waits too long the surgery may become more complicated.
Chloe's right eye seems to turn inward intermittingly and may be compromising her vision although my sister hasn't noticed any particular issues (i.e., not running into things, can see to play and run after toys).
Temperament-wise, Chloe seems to be very passive and mild mannered. She's cautious at first but friendly when she warms up to you. She will swat if annoyed, though, and she goes ballistic when she see's another cat (hisses, spits, lunges and carries on even after the other cat has walked away). She gets visibly anxious when her routine is disrupted and is timid in new surroundings. Grooms herself obsessively.
Appetite is very good (she eats 3x a day and gobbles her food), stools are normal, water intake is normal. Vet said blood work was very good and guesses she's about 10. She's about 9 lbs.
I suggested my sister give Chloe Silicea 6c once a day and Rescue Remedy 3 or 4 times a day. My sister is adding the Silicea to Chloe's food since Chloe doesn't tolerate her face / mouth being handled. She started the Silicea on 7/5 and a few days later noticed Chloe seemed a bit spunkier. The abscess is healing well but it was doing well before the remedy too. No change in the hernia. No other changes noted in behavior.
Questions: I understand that Silicea is a deep and slow acting remedy so is it OK that we aren't seeing many changes yet? How long with this remedy should we wait until we try something else? I also researched Belladonna, Calc Carbonica, and Lycopodium but wasn't sure if those remedies fit due to Chloe's temperament and also since she doesn't have any sensitivity around the hernia. It's interesting to me that all her issues are on her right side but not sure if that means anything. I did note that when I was doing research on remedies.
Thanks for your help with this!
Patti
Here's the background:
My sister rescued a cat a few weeks ago (Chloe) who had a large abscess on the right side of her face and an inguinal hernia on her right side. She also noticed that Chloe's right eye turns inward intermittingly. Chloe was a stray from my sister's neighborhood and was covered in fleas and on the thin side when my sister found her.
Abscess: Before my sister could do anything for the abscess it burst so she brought Chloe to the vet who drained it, scraped off the dead skin and gave her an antibiotic injection. The vet also gave her a Capstar tablet to kill the fleas. Chloe appeared to be in a lot of pain but was very docile through it all. She tolerated all the handling well but didn't crave it. This was about 3 weeks ago. The abscess is healing well and the area is now about the size of a quarter (it was originally the whole right side of her face). She's very touchy about anything around her face though. Not sure if it's still painful or if she's still traumatized over the whole ordeal.
Hernia: The hernia does not seem to bother her at all. The vet said her intestines and possibly a kidney have breached the stomach lining. The vet was able to push them back in without her reacting at all. Chloe often lays on her right side. The vet recommended surgery to fix the hernia. My sister would like to avoid this, if possible, but is worried if she waits too long the surgery may become more complicated.
Chloe's right eye seems to turn inward intermittingly and may be compromising her vision although my sister hasn't noticed any particular issues (i.e., not running into things, can see to play and run after toys).
Temperament-wise, Chloe seems to be very passive and mild mannered. She's cautious at first but friendly when she warms up to you. She will swat if annoyed, though, and she goes ballistic when she see's another cat (hisses, spits, lunges and carries on even after the other cat has walked away). She gets visibly anxious when her routine is disrupted and is timid in new surroundings. Grooms herself obsessively.
Appetite is very good (she eats 3x a day and gobbles her food), stools are normal, water intake is normal. Vet said blood work was very good and guesses she's about 10. She's about 9 lbs.
I suggested my sister give Chloe Silicea 6c once a day and Rescue Remedy 3 or 4 times a day. My sister is adding the Silicea to Chloe's food since Chloe doesn't tolerate her face / mouth being handled. She started the Silicea on 7/5 and a few days later noticed Chloe seemed a bit spunkier. The abscess is healing well but it was doing well before the remedy too. No change in the hernia. No other changes noted in behavior.
Questions: I understand that Silicea is a deep and slow acting remedy so is it OK that we aren't seeing many changes yet? How long with this remedy should we wait until we try something else? I also researched Belladonna, Calc Carbonica, and Lycopodium but wasn't sure if those remedies fit due to Chloe's temperament and also since she doesn't have any sensitivity around the hernia. It's interesting to me that all her issues are on her right side but not sure if that means anything. I did note that when I was doing research on remedies.
Thanks for your help with this!
Patti