-Wall of text. Sorry in advance.-
I had posted something on here (I forgot what forum or such I put it in) about the little one I rescued from a barn accident with a cow. Partially severed his leg and he had to have a lot of attention. Sam has been doing a lot better since all the fuss of pain and getting socks to stick to him. I found a “cheaper” brand of pads to use on his leg as the others, well, stuck three brand names on the package, costing me a lot more than it would with /just/ “Johnson and Johnson” on it. The miss at the little veterinary clinic was able to give me more of the roll up socks, though they appeared a little bigger, and only charged a small fee because they are not used to selling them and didn’t feel right just giving them away as they are for vet use.
His leg still bleeds heavily, though when I have to change him. With college classes returning, I can only change it every other day, posing a problem as when the scabs build up more and form into the padding… I have to rip them off. He has also gained another wound right at the elbow, both on the outside (where it bends out) and the inner part (the little crease). The inner spot has grown due to that being where his bandage stops, rubbing on it a lot and tearing just a bit more. It is also VERY difficult to cover because they are not long enough (I have to fold one over itself due to his little legs) so he ends up licking it constantly, causing bleeding, swelling, infection, and that bad smell. The sock soaks up a lot of the blood up there, hardens, the actually wound scabs, and all that makes it about 100% harder for me to remove it without having to push through the screaming, hissing, and biting he does. His screams are getting much louder and he is starting to do it when he just wants me to stop. If I adjust my grip on the neck skin, he screams like he is having scabs pulled, so it is harder to tell when and when I’m not doing something too rough. His screaming can get to where it is not just extremely loud meowing, but just the most horrific sound as if every cat in a city gathered to beat each other up. Just horrible. I get to where I cannot hold onto him as my anxiety will build up hearing it, causing me to have to stop and just hold him down, leg unbandaged out in the open, and end up scratching on my legs(Kind of a nervous tick when I start to panic) or breaking down and crying. He takes a long spell of “I hate you” and refuses to purr, unfold his ears, growl, or come out from under things if I put him down. (I can’t sit him down quickly as I want to re-enforce lots of pets and love after bandages and to make sure it stays on).
His leg does not seem to be healing as well as it used to, and with the added wound, I feel like it will go back to being “degloved” once that upper portion spreads further down to what is almost healing back (skin growing back lightly). His growing body will make it more difficult to cover all the wound without forcing his leg in a splint (which would have to be done by the vet because he no longer is as still as he used to be). He reacts more to the liquid medicine I was given to put on his leg and will stretch his leg up to his face and he makes attempts to bite the nub at the end. I have to hold his head down, his neck, and bandage it without getting too much blood on him, me, or him seeing it and getting startled. The leg itself is not swelling like it did once due to a circulation issue but that upper spot is.
Besides all the bad, Sam is gaining weight, a bit slowly, and is, last I checked, 2.9 pounds. It is difficult to weigh him but the bathroom scale picked him up. Fur is taking on its stronger colors and the ringworm he used to have is clearing up except for a tiny patch every now and then. His appetite is really good (eats EVERYTHING that hits the floor if I drop it so I have to watch). He is still super playful, getting to where wants to smack at the parakeet instead of let him sit on him but it is a work in progress. He will purr very heavily when the parakeet comes to visit him and preen his whiskers. When playing, you could never tell he has issues with his leg, using it and raising it swiftly when needed and only ever in a bit of pain if he jumps from something. He is still terribly afraid of anything loud; lawnmowers, thunder, RAIN in general, children.
I’m going to try to get him to the vet this Friday as I have no classes that day. I’m worried about the second wound and wonder if the surgery is something they could go ahead and do. The bandage changing is getting even worse for myself to push through and it seems to be becoming more painful for him. I know they wanted to neuter him for it and do a two for one kind of thing but I’m more worried about this getting worse and causing blood poisoning, him getting the bandage off while I’m at classes, or just anything going wrong with the leg. The vet wanted to wait till he was four months old or at least four pounds (whichever came first). They are worried about blood loss and would hate for me to have to go through so much only for him to be taken out in that way. I cannot recall exactly how long I have had him as he seemed to be three weeks when I got him. The very tips of his ears where slightly folded, he could walk well, and was still mostly nursing.
Checking now, he seems to have a rough spot on the bone of his shoulder on the bad leg side. Could be additional damage I did not notice, could be just regular cat thing with him.