# antiseptic safe for cats



## Shadow And Lightning

my neighbours cat has just came home with a wound, he cant get her to the vets until tuesday but hes worried about infection etc

hes got tcp and germaline in his house and is just wondering if this will be ok to use for tonight, he knows about shadows scabby neck so assumed i would know but i dont :/

i know the vets said salt water is good but hes convinced that will sting the cat so i said id find out for him whats ok and stuff

soo anyone know?


----------



## MontyMaude

TCP goes cloudy in water doesn't it which means it's highly poisonous to cats and I would imagine germolene would sting as much if not more than salt water, so I would tell him to use salt water and nothing else.


----------



## Ang2

Honey is the best natural antibiotic for wounds and most people have some in their cupboard.


----------



## Shadow And Lightning

Ang2 said:


> Honey is the best natural antibiotic for wounds and most people have some in their cupboard.


wudnt that be kinda messy to put on a cat tho :/ and sticky lol.. ill suggest it to him tho


----------



## catcoonz

warm salt water would be best.


----------



## dagny0823

I'm really not clear if this is used over there in the UK in this capacity (judging by one person's comment), but 3% hydrogen peroxide solution is what I use for everything, us and the pets. It's sold in the first aid aisle in every pharmacy and apothecary over here. 

It fizzes in the presence of dirt or infection, and the bubbles lift everything out. It can sting a little if a cut is really dirty, but generally doesn't sting much. 

And it definitely knocks out infection quickly. I was fighting a summer cold last week and when i felt my ears start to get cloggy and my throat was getting sore, I cleaned my ears with some and felt better the next morning. My doctor used to recommend gargling with it for throat infections. Anytime anyone in the house has a cut, it's the first thing we use.


----------



## Shadow And Lightning

dagny0823 said:


> I'm really not clear if this is used over there in the UK in this capacity (judging by one person's comment), but 3% hydrogen peroxide solution is what I use for everything, us and the pets. It's sold in the first aid aisle in every pharmacy and apothecary over here.
> 
> It fizzes in the presence of dirt or infection, and the bubbles lift everything out. It can sting a little if a cut is really dirty, but generally doesn't sting much.
> 
> And it definitely knocks out infection quickly. I was fighting a summer cold last week and when i felt my ears start to get cloggy and my throat was getting sore, I cleaned my ears with some and felt better the next morning. My doctor used to recommend gargling with it for throat infections. Anytime anyone in the house has a cut, it's the first thing we use.


i was told to use this to help speed up shadows scabby neck but i never got managed to find any


----------



## seraphinious

If you wanted to get some in the UK and were struggling you could try an opticians as it is used as a cleaning solution for monthly contact lenses. However there is some debate as to whether it can damage white blood cells, slowing healing.


----------



## Jonescat

I have used salt water on the advice on my dentist and my midwife, and it doesn't sting. I have also used it on animals that haven't reacted in pain. I think you can reassure your neighbour. Not very many microbes can survive salt water (osmosis means the cells lose their water). 

I have heard about honey but I don't understand how it works. Does anyone know?


----------



## dagny0823

Really? Ain't science fun? Always some new study to refute something else. I found this such a fascinating idea, I did some quick internet research.

HMS Press Release - Hydrogen peroxide marshals immune system

Calling All White Blood Cells - ScienceNOW

Naturally Produced Hydrogen Peroxide Summons White Blood Cells to Wounds | 80beats | Discover Magazine

Apparently the newest findings are that naturally produced hydrogen peroxide actually summons white blood cells to a wound.

Next week, who knows what they'll be saying.


----------



## hobbs2004

Hydrogen Peroxide Solution 6 20 Volume 200ml - you can get different solutions as a quick google search of shops selling this stuff in the UK will tell you.


----------



## MummyCat

Shadow And Lightning said:


> i was told to use this to help speed up shadows scabby neck but i never got managed to find any


You should be able to find some at your local pharmacy, if not I'm they would order you some


----------



## koekemakranka

I understand that hydrogen peroxide should be used with care because it causes tissue damage. I prefer to use salt water or 10% dilution of chlorhexidine (Hibiscrub) which most vets would have. Never use any other antiseptic on animals.


----------



## Shadow And Lightning

koekemakranka said:


> I understand that hydrogen peroxide should be used with care because it causes tissue damage. I prefer to use salt water or 10% dilution of chlorhexidine (Hibiscrub) which most vets would have. Never use any other antiseptic on animals.


he ended up using salt water

i need something that will help heal shadows scabs tho, the vet stuff seems rubbish lol


----------



## MummyCat

Shadow And Lightning said:


> he ended up using salt water
> 
> i need something that will help heal shadows scabs tho, the vet stuff seems rubbish lol


Something like this?? This comes highly recommended by our local rescue


----------



## Prince33Sp4rkle

salt water or hibiscrub on open dirty fleshy wounds.

both are drying howoever, so would not use for dry/scaley/scabby problems, would use honey.


----------



## Shadow And Lightning

Prince33Sp4rkle said:


> salt water or hibiscrub on open dirty fleshy wounds.
> 
> both are drying howoever, so would not use for dry/scaley/scabby problems, would use honey.


ok so shadows are like... basically it looks like eczema on his neck... we're on the waiting list still to see a specialist... so far ive just been using fuciderm from the vets... and 1 month has gone and no sign of healing..

he also scratches at them which doesnt help... if i was to put honey on him, would it need to be covered with a bandage or can it be left


----------



## MontyMaude

Have you tried Aloe Vera, you would have to get the proper proper stuff that hasn't got nasties added to it or buy a plant and use the leaves as and when, as it natural moisturising and healing and if it is an allergic reaction this may well help more than medicinal creams.


----------



## Prince33Sp4rkle

i would apply and leave open but the trouble with cats is that they are prone to licking it off! (not such an issue with the horses).

aloe is another good one for scabby things and less palatable, good thinking MM!


----------



## Shadow And Lightning

hmmm i thought aloe vera was poisonous to cats :/
i heard back today we arent seeing the specialist untill end of september so thats another month of me having to manage it.. 
its getting worse and its starting to affect his personality, he doesnt do anything all day because it hurts him, his whole neck is just one fleshy wound, and whenever it starts to scab over and heal he scratches at it 
he runs away from me too cause hes associating me with cleaning it etc

i think its starting to become infected but ive visited 3 different vets now and neither are helping him at all 

ill attach pics ive literally just took, how can the vets seem to think this isnt something serious? i mean... just look how bad it looks and the pictures reduce how bad it looks...

he went the vets just yesterday and all i got was more fuciderm to put on and some more loxicam solutiion and anti inflammatory injection

its not fair for him 

pics of the little guy 


Untitled by kiwi20122012, on Flickr


Untitled by kiwi20122012, on Flickr


----------



## Shadow And Lightning

My neighbour took his cat to the vets tuesday, for something not even half as bad and they seem to have done more for him just that one day than they have done for me since march! arghh! 


alll he does all day is hide under my blankets or in the wardrobe, its very rare that i see him play anymore... he doesnt come for food, i have to place him in front of it then he will eat, he hates being touched by me or even the other cats

with all that how can they all keep sending me away without helping him?!


----------



## Prince33Sp4rkle

:frown: that looks really really sore, poor little man.

no idea if its similar but one of my horses has an allergy to grass (yes, i know!) on the pink skin in his heels, so he's ok in summer when skin is dry 99% of the time but in winter when its wet a lot the skin cracks open and then starts to slough off, this lets in infection in to the upper layers of skin and it starts to ooze clear fluid and then those layers start to slough off too.

he has to have a mixture of antibiotic cream and steroids to get it under control-are you being given any steroids at all?

the only other thing i can think of to try is camrosa ointment. i would do a patch test first on some healthy skin as i know some animals can be sensetive to it, but its cleared up some horrific skin problems in dogs i know so???????

failing that i would give the honey a shot and maybe put a cone collar on so he cant lick it off or roll it off. it certainly wouldnt do any harm at all.


----------



## seraphinious

That is terrible!

Bo has bumps on his neck which he scratches and opens. He was given an antiseptic antifungal shampoo which helps calm it. We were orgiinally told it was an allergic reaction to vacination by the breeder, but as it didn't go away and spread to other areas out vet (who is LOVELY) referred us to a dermatologist - we were seen within a week. 

Sample revealed bacteria, antibiotics prescribed, we have to wait out the course to see if that bacteria is secondary or the cause of the bumps in the first place. This cost £260 excluding antibiotics. 

We are also continuing with the shampoo Malaseb. When we miss a day or so you can tell his scratching gets worse and the bumps get ickier. You can buy this from amazon direct yourself. We wet him with cottonwool balls (they've been soaked in luke warm water - part boiled from the kettle, part cold from the tap), then use cottonwool balls to apply, distract him from licking for 10 mins, then use wet cottonwool balls to wash it off. Then try to keep him distracted from licking/scraching where we've cleaned.

If the bumps are still in place next Fri (we only saw him yesturday), they will be biopsied by our vet. 

Bo does not look ANYTHING as bad as that.

What kind of specialist is it? Is it a dermatologist? Can you ask / ring round for another one where you can get a quicker appointment?


----------



## Jonescat

Poor Shadow, and poor you watching him. Can you get a second opinion from within your practice, or is there another vet you can get to? Sometimes vets get stuck or haven't seen something before, but if you can get to another vet, then they may have the right experience to help. 

Constant pain is debilitating and makes you crabby - I am wondering if the Zylkene people talk about on here might help him cope until you get some help?


----------



## Shadow And Lightning

none of the vets have even mentioned steroids and ive been to 3 different practices  its so fustrating...

how would i know if it was getting infected?? im started to get really worried for him that it may become septic or something 

i actually cant get over how useless the vets have been tho


----------



## MontyMaude

What specialist are you waiting on is it for a referral or something as I would't be happy waiting for my cat to be seen when his neck looks like that, I would be demanding some other treatment or urgent referral as the Fuciderm they are giving you obviously isn't working if this had been going on for months and thats the only treatment they have been giving you.


----------



## seraphinious

Infection is bacteria. The only way to really know is to take a sample (skin scrape) of the infected area and put it under a microscope.

Find out what kind of specialist you need (I'm assuming it has to be a dermatologist, unless your vet has said different) and call more to get a quicker appointment.

Power of google:
University Of Liverpool Small Animal Hospital / Dermatology / Referral Practices / VetClick
The Skin Vet | Furthering the Art and Science of Veterinary Dermatology

Don't wait.


----------



## Jonescat

This is from the PetDrugs site.
"Fuciderm gel contains a well known antibiotic which helps kill the bacteria and a corticosteroid anti-inflammatory which will help relieve the itching and inflammation."

So I think they have given you steroids and a topical antibiotic. I guess he his being referred because that hasn't cleared it up. 

Signs of an infection would be coloured or smelly discharge, a temperature, and being ill (i.e having a fever). The Fuciderm should control this but obviously you need to keep a close eye on him. Has the vet said anything about what their best guess is?


----------



## morgmonster

I would try manuka honey - not just any honey. (it's all antiseptic but i believe manuka is the "good stuff"). 
Be warned it is expensive - I mean honey is fairly expensive these days anyway but good manuka honey may be £10 a jar. You can buy it from holland and barretts etc. they have a number rating and the higher the number the more bacteria it cleared off a petri dish in a set time! The higher the number the more expensive it is.
I know someone who's cat was lost, and when found the elastic collar had gone under his armpit and he had a terrible wound. I know that isn't the cause of Shadow's problem but it looks kinda similar - red raw, weeping, sore. After a few weeks of "normal" treatment with not much improvement the vet tried manuka honey and at last he started to improve. I believe they put a dressing over it but being the armpit it was very easily lickable! The neck might not be so so lickable?
Having said that I am usually fairly sceptical of most "alternative" medicines but this does seem to be pretty good. A toddler daughter of one of my friends also had a break out of some skin condition (molluscum?) treated with manuka - again recommended by their GP as it's so gentle, doesn't cause other problems like steroids can (when used long term).
Have a google and see what you can find. I'm hoping you migt be able to find something written by an actual vet about using it on animals. I would look myself but have to dash to a meeting in a few minutes, sorry!


----------



## dagny0823

I can't believe 3 different practices have fobbed you off like this. The poor little guy--it looks so sore! It does undermine your faith in vets, I'm sure.

I would give the manuka honey a go if I were you. It can't hurt him, right?

As for aloe, I keep reading and getting told that it's toxic to cats. Yet, on the hyper-thyroid forum I'm on, whenever a cat is having an intestinal problem, aloe juice is recommended. Many of these cats have a lot more going on than just a thyroid issue--most are quite elderly and ill and none of them have keeled over after daily doses of aloe juice for weeks on end. I'm thinking maybe aloe fresh from the plant might be toxic, but processed isn't? Although I used to have a plant and Henry would find every means to get to it, no matter how high up I stuck it. He chewed on it every day, and he's still here 2 years later to tell the tale. So, I throw my hands up on this one. I think aloe is fine, I have no reason to believe it isn't, but I'm constantly told it's fatal.

As for the peroxide. It will kill most everything in its path in a wound when applied. It's not intended for use 3 or 4 times a day for days on end, nor is it for deep wounds. I use it in my ears pretty much every day in the winter, but there's no raw wound in there. Its job is to clean a shallow wound or cut--it kills bacteria, foams out the dead stuff and dirt. It might kill some cells in the meantime, and some tissue, but once the wound is clean, it's of no further use and it also signals white blood cells to come to the area to help heal. Once foaming stops, it's time to use something else, like an antibiotic cream or honey, etc. I'd use it once or twice just to clean the wound up, then move on. 

I would guess he's licking or grooming the spot somehow when you're not watching, so you need to keep him off of it. The dreaded cone might be your best bet. A bandage would just give him something else to pick at.


----------



## Paddypaws

OMG, that skin issue looks terrible....poor little cat and poor you as I am sure you are in agony watching him in discomfort.
I agree that the 3% peroxide is worth a go...if nothing more, it would prevent secondary infection of the wound. Surely the vets will give a steroid shot to calm the itching, or can you ask about using Piriton antihistamine?
On a side note, I use Colloidal silver to clean wounds etc....has worked a treat on Woody's itchy skin and resistant ear mites.


----------



## Shadow And Lightning

ok so the vets have speeded up the referral i should have an appointment by tuesday  
its a skin specialist hes seeing


----------



## Treaclesmum

Poor baby, and poor you 

I use this: Johnsons Tea Tree Skin Cream | Pets at Home

I used it on Jumpy's open neuter wound which was quite big and red and it seemed to help, definitely worth a try


----------



## ellouisegrace

i read an article in your cat magazine about manuka honey being good for wounds xx


----------



## Shadow And Lightning

seen as this thread was originally about my neighbours cat, the poor girl got gang attacked by the strays last night  the screeching woke me up... god knows what happened there has never been a problem between them before 

poor thing


----------



## livingstoneIpresume

I was wondering if you can get rescue remedy and when the scratching starts use it to calm him and it down (and you too) it doesnt have to be ingested just some drops on the head area will do. Also - my cat recently got scratched on the ear and I have applied manuka honey, a very good quality organic one, and it's going very well - it is a nasty tear but i think with the manuka honey (and there on the ear he can't really lick it off, but the vet seems to think it's fine by not overdoing it) helping to keep it stuck together, the skin will rejoin- also i have a great herbal scarless cream which has tinctures of Hypericum, calendula and comfrey as a topical application - it's amazing. I suggest you try some such remedy. Mine was made up the the local sydney based compounding chemist. even just calendular by itself.
Another comment re scratching and rescue remedy, there are remedies in it that are good for shock, and esp crab apple which is likely that would help with the cat's internal state of irritation. you can also get rescue remedy cream these days; if you've never heard of it you can look it up on the internet. make sure to get the authentic one and it's not expensive. Also, not trying to plug a particular brand but, with a cat that is scratching or any animal, for that matter, there would be distress present I think. you could try one of the new fangled electric plug in hormone release into the air thingies for cats. That may help as well. hope puss is on the mend - realising that this post is probably not timely as I've just joined.


----------

