Cat with ruptured abscess saved from near death
Published on: Monday, January 18, 2021
By: Dr Roslee bin Haji Abbas
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WHEN Heart was called out to help a stray cat with a severe neck wound, we were shocked, by what we found. We named him Adam. Eight-month-old Adam had a wound the size of a fifty cent on his neck, which was discharging foul-smelling pus.
The gaping hole had fur hanging to the side. Adam was severely dehydrated and underweight when he was rescued and had no trust in humans. He was close to death when he was picked up behind the security guard house, on January 10.
The ruptured abscess had probably originated from an infected cat bite. Unfortunately, such wounds are common in stray and feral cat colonies, where unneutered and unvaccinated felines will fight and attack each other to assert dominance and mark out territory. Because Adam was a stray, the original wound hadn’t received any care or attention. Cats’ claws and teeth are covered in bacteria, and so if they bite or scratch another cat, it’s very likely that the bacterial contagion will spread. Adam was ignored for many weeks, too many people thought they were doing enough by feeding him and walking on by, but sometimes, these strays need so much more.
“We Are The Animals’ Voice” – Heart
Adam’s bite had very quickly turned into an abscess, which, left untreated for much longer would continue to make him feel extremely ill and affect his ability to survive on his own. The smell was extremely strong and he was having difficulty eating because of the state of his pus. Poor little Adam had a runny nose and lots of mucous.
We brought him to the vet clinic to minimise the poor thing’s suffering. The vet explained to us that the cause of the gaping wound was most likely an abscess that had burst. The vet then explained how a cat gets an abscess, how to care for the abscess at home, and how to know when a vet’s medical attention is necessary.
His claws were also so long they were embedded in his paws and he could barely walk and the vet said he was hours from death. Adam was clearly distressed and in pain and suffering from dehydration.
The vet gave an injectable antibiotic that lasts for 2 weeks. In order to make him feel more comfortable, the vet prescribed a course of anti-inflammatories and pain relief to take care of the infection and treat Adam’s discomfort.
We will spend the next couple of weeks monitoring his condition, before he is ready to be neutered and go up for adoption. Even if he only has a couple of weeks, or a couple of months, of happiness, we’ve done our job.
Whilst Adam may be looking forward to finding his forever family, Heart is gearing up to treat more animals just like him and we couldn’t do it without the ongoing help of our followers and supporters. Your donation will go straight towards helping animals just like Adam.
We receive no government funding and rely on the support and kindness from our community, private donations and charity bazaar to complete our mission. Heart does not euthanise animals to make space to house others. We are a no-kill animal welfare group and work to preserve life whenever possible.
We rely on donations from people like you who are willing to spend their hard-earned money to help animals in dire needs.
If you would like to help to pay for Adam’s medical veterinary bill and his other expenses please send your money to:
CIMB BANK BERHAD
Account no.
70 3762569 4
ROSLI @ ROSLEE BIN ABBAS
Every ringgit helps! Thank you in advance for your generous, big and small (and no donation is too small).
Have a heart. Donate.
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