Percy is back at the vet *sigh* (Update with pic in post 5)

[Macky]

I don't know if anyone remembers Percy, the stray we neutered a few weeks ago (thread and pic here (http://www.gentlechristianmothers.com/community/showthread.php?t=421627)). After the surgery, we kept him in for a few days and then let him go again (we already have five inside and obviously cannot take in any more). We're out in the middle of nowhere and the shelter in town is not no-kill, so he's truly better off outside here with us. (Just heading off all the cats-should-never-be-outside comments that usually come when I post about having outdoor cats, even in the country. That's done, so I'll move on. :))

Well, he stayed around for a couple of days and then took off again. We hadn't seen him in, I think, over a week... maybe almost two. He showed up late last night with a large puncture wound on the side of his jaw and a very swollen foot that he won't put any pressure on. :cry It looks like the fight was a few days ago. I'm not worried about the puncture. It's already draining (gross) and I'm comfortable dealing with stuff like that myself. I'm concerned about his leg. The vet is optimistic that it's another bite that's abcessed, but there's a chance it could be broken.

DH doesn't approve of spending money we don't have on a cat we don't know will even stay; he still conciders Percy a stray, even though he was the one who started petting and picking him up first AND thought it was fine for the girls to name him early on. I can't not do anything when a creature comes to us for help (who knows how long it took for him to hobble back here from wherever he was :().

Thankfully, we got to see the owner of the clinic and not the other vet who usually sees the small animals. We haven't seen her for ages. She totally gets the money thing (he doesn't so much, being somewhat fresh out of vet college), so I can tell her the situation straight out and she'll work with it. :phew I was so thankful this morning!

If you pray for animals, please say a little one for Percy. Thanks ladies! :heart

[SilverMoon]

:hugheart

Poor Percy. I hope it's just another abscess and not broken. One of our cats escaped to the great outdoors before; about a week later he too had a foot he wouldn't put pressure on and the hair was falling out around the abscess. Fortunately, abx worked quickly on him.
Will you be able to keep him contained somewhere for the duration of his treatment?
Do you put food outside for the stray cats? If you do, then I'm sure that will keep him coming around. I read a homeopathy magazine article that discussed treating strays with homeopathy. The woman put the pellets into fresh water for the injured strays. It took longer for the wounds to heal, but they healed.

[Macky]

We have two strays already, Max and Twist, who haven't left our yard for years now. DH considers them ours. :giggle They have free-choice kibble and water available at all times with a heated water bowl and insulated cat house in the winter. Percy has found all of the above and helps himself. We keep the bowls full. Despite that, he still took off. I'm wondering if it's taking the hormones longer than usual to work out of his system after the neutering.

Thankfully (again :)), the vet can give him an antibiotic injection that will last a week, so we won't have to keep him in and pill him twice a day. We'll judge when I pick him up how long he needs to be kept confined. The only place we can confine him in the house is in our one and only teeny tiny bathroom, which is terribly inconvenient. Plus, he get really runny poops when he's kept inside and the stench is unbearable (probably not very nice for him either). Unfortunately there's no window in the bathroom. He's better off going back out as soon as possible.

I'm going to try and put together some sort of box for him so he can have a dry place to eat, drink and lie down that's away from the other cats. He's been sleeping, I think, in our corn patch :giggle so I'll probably set it in there for now. I'd like if he would share the cat house in the garage, but Twist is not taking to him at all and I don't want Twist running away if Percy decides to stay, so I don't want to pressure them together. If we have to, we'll create some sort of hay-bale shelter for him in the hay barn for the winter. I just don't like that it's far away from the house. We've got a few options, so we'll see what happens. He's super, super friendly and obviously knows he can come to us for help, so we'll just hope that eventually translates into his staying around the yard in time.

I'm writing a novel. :giggle No call yet, so I'm taking that as good news that it's not broken because she would probably call about how I wanted it set if it was (general splint or surgery). Infections I can handle. :)

[itzj]

:pray4 Maybe some rescue remedy while he adapts? Poor thing.

[Macky]

He's all patched up and back home. :) The vet is as certain as she can be without an x-ray in hand that there's nothing broken. He got the antibiotic shot and we've got anti-inflammatories to do him over the weekend. If he needs more, I'll go back on Monday; if he takes off again, at least I'm not out the money for doses I can't use. He's started trying to put weight on the bad leg already. I actually can't see the puncture and scratches on the foot because he's really touchy right now (still wired from the sedative). Here's a pic (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/Macky77/DSC_3487.jpg) of the gaping hole on his face, though, poor babe. :( It's pretty gross, although loads better-looking now that it's cleaned up. :tu We're going to keep him confined overnight and until his next anti-inflammatory dose, then if he's feeling better, he can go out.

Thanks for letting me blather on. :heart Sometimes it makes a person feel better to just share a worry or concern, even if the other person can't really do anything about the situation.

[SilverMoon]

Aw, poor kitty baby! That hole looks so nasty! I hope he cooperates and you're able to give him all the doses he needs.

[Amber]

Poor guy. I hope he heals quickly and stays closer to home after this.