# Question about Abscess care



## Beckie210789 (May 9, 2011)

So on Thursday, my vet opened up an abscess on my 5 week old kitten (god he's growing too fast) Waffles. I've been keeping the wound open and irrigating it, packing it with sugar, as per the vet's instructions, and administering antibiotics every 12 hours. 

My question is, it's healing, yes, and that's good, but a few times a day I have to reopen the surface. Normally, a warm compress to soften the 'weeping' fluid and pull it apart, is all that's necessary. However, this morning, it had closed completely with a scab. I had to compress the wound and then pull the scab off before I could irrigate. I felt awful, because I know it caused him discomfort. 

The wound itself, is only about a half an inch deep now. I'm not entirely sure how long I should keep the surface open. It still weeps a kind of cloudy yellowish liquid, but it has no bad odor. We actually called the vets about this yesterday, and they said that the antibiotics he's on should take care of any residual infection, and not to worry unless it develops an odor. 

I also wonder if it's not the residual dissolved sugar that's making that 'puss' like substance?

So, basically, I'm wondering if now that the surface is trying to heal, should I let it? It's only been 4 days since we had it opened, and I do know kittens heal fast since they are growing. (right?)


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## Beckie210789 (May 9, 2011)

Also, when is it safe to bathe him? Being a baby, he tends to get his food all over him. We wipe him up with moist paper towels etc, but he always got a bath every couple of days to keep him from smelling like a garbage bin. Since the abscess was opened, I haven't bathed him at all, and he's really starting to smell offensive. He's also got a little bit of the runs, and that, also, gets on him. He never holds still when we bathe him (not unusual) and I'm worried about getting soap or contaminated water, inside the abscess opening.


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

You must keep the absess open and irragated. Weve never used sugar packed into an absess. Its not fun process to keep opening it to keep it draining. But necessary.

Get some Johnson & Johnson baby wipes to clean your kitten with while the wound is healing. Do not bath your kitten while its healing. Stress alone, from bathing, impedes its immune system.


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## Beckie210789 (May 9, 2011)

My vet recommended the sugar because it's safe and virtually idiot proof. If he licks the sugar, nothing bad happens, the sugar doesn't burn in the wound, and if you leave a bowl of sugar out on your table (provided it doesn't get damp and stick together) if NEVER goes bad. It won't harbor bacteria. It also aides in drying out the wound as well so it can heal faster. At least that's what he's telling me. 

How shallow should the abscess opening be before I let it heal at the surface? I will keep picking that scab off and keeping it open, no worries there. (cringe) I'm just wondering how long I'm going to be looking at having to do this as well.


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## Beckie210789 (May 9, 2011)

ah right, here's some info to support his sugar treatment. ::

In abscesses that are large or deep, where an incision is required to be done over the suppurative area, irrigate the wound with normal saline twice a day or as directed by your veterinarian, and keep the incision open to allow drainage and promote healing. Irrigating a surgical wound with solutions other than normal saline should be done only at the direction of your veterinarian. Using an antibiotic ointment in a large or deep abscess may cause the abscess to heal from the outside trapping bacteria in. Abscesses heal more efficiently from the “inside out.”

In addition, granulated sugar or medicinal honey may be used twice a day to gently pack wound. The use of granulated sugar or medicinal honey aids in inhibiting the presence of bacteria in the wound, and helps with granulation and healing.


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## Fyreflie (Mar 5, 2011)

Yeah, our cat had an abscess when I was in my teens and we had to pick the scab off too--I found that moistening a clean gauze with saline and holding it over the scab for as long as you can before taking it off can soften it enough to be a lot less uncomfortable/icky for your kitty and for you--and you're already doing that! You have to keep irrigating until it closes, and packing it religiously--if the outside closes first you can end up with another abscess or a fistula and that's not fun either! It took our adult cat about 2 weeks to heal start to finish so hopefully your kitty will do it faster! I would wait to bathe until it's completely healed with no visible scabbing left--that's just my preference I guess? 

It's funny the things we have to do to animals that we don't have to do to humans--for a human, we would keep that scab from forming by "wet packing" and then wrapping a wet gauze overtop all the time until it was almost healed but of course silly kittens won't stay still enough for that!


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## Beckie210789 (May 9, 2011)

Tell me about it, I'm lucky if I can hold him still long enough to compress it. My neighbors must think I'm torturing animals with the way he howls.


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## Beckie210789 (May 9, 2011)

Alright, as of tonight's irrigation, the wound is less than an inch long and about 1/3" deep. The hole is gone, and essentially, it's just a cut. Should I still be opening it up every time I irrigate? Or should I let it finish healing on the surface? I plan on calling the vets in the morning as well and asking the same question, but I was wondering here as well what your collaborative thoughts are on it?


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