Hi Everyone:

Our Ms. Lucy had an appt with the vet on 7/10 for a thyroid check (she has hyperthyroid). For 4 days I had lowered her dose b/c she was losing weight (not the right thing to do, I've been told), and wanted to have a level drawn. The vet suggested I get her back up to her regular dose of Tapazole, (which is 7.5 mg), and come back in a week for a blood test. I had asked him if they would clip her nails as well. Now, I used to ask them to shave her backside a bit because of BM issues, but this time, I know I did not.

She was acting quite odd for a few days and at 4am on Wednesday morning (I have insomnia & was up) our girl came out to me and laid down. I laid down right next to her and was able to see this horrible looking ? cyst with bloody & purulent
drainage. There was a 1" x 1.5" area of dead looking skin with a hole in it. I was panicked!

We took our girl to a 24 hour emergency care and she had sedation & flushing out of the abscess (large amount of purulent material & "backside" gland material), as well as removal of a large flap of dead skin.

When we picked up Ms. Lucy she had an Elizabethan collar on (we're not familiar with this at all). Her wound (pretty large) had to be left open to heal as it will most likely abscess again if closed. So.........she needs to wear this collar until she is healed.

Today is Saturday, and she looks and is acting SOOOOOOOO much better ! (Thank you Dear God and St. Francis). The only way (initially) she could be fed is putting wet food in a shot glass and hand feeding her. But today as I was trying to take a nap (with earplugs in), I could hear some unusual sounds.......
Ms. Lucy was in the kitchen with a bowl of food on the floor with the tinfoil taken off . (the bowl had been up on the counter).

She is on antibiotics, pain medications, not to mention her Tapazole and a tiny amount of insulin. She really is being such a trooper and so is our little guy, Mr. Yoster . He doesn't know what to make about Ms. Lucy , that's for sure.

For those of you who are familiar with this collar, we really could use some advice. The vet technician was saying how easy it was to take off to wash, but you have to watch her every single minute so that she doesn't lick the wound - and then put it back on again ! I don't know, it seems very difficult to do. I clean it as best I can when she's resting after her pain medication. I thought that they only used these collars if sutures were involved?

Thank you all for reading this. I didn't know if I'd ever get this written because I feel incredibly exhausted. I will say that, having Ms. Lucy and Mr. Yoster really is the most rewarding thing for the both of us. As I was taking a nap yesterday & today, Ms. Lucy laid down on me so that her little collar was around my face/chin. I could feel her beautiful face & hear her very loud purrs . Because of things like that, my heart feels full and everything seems okay with the world.

My mother is back in the hospital after having her 3rd fall in 6 weeks . We saw her late Thursday night and some of her memory was there, but it just looked as if she was looking through me. (all of her brain scans, etc.., have come out negative). I've talked with her on the phone a few times and we're going by to see her today. We'll bring her some of her favorite foods because they told me she doesn't have an appetite, which is worrisome. On July 13th she was at home and her regular self. I hope that today we will see some improvement.

Wishing all of you much peace, love, good health & happiness.

Denise xo

Hi Denise,

Glad to hear Ms. Lucy is on the mend. Gidget has had to wear that kind of collar a few different times. They use these collars for various reasons. One being stitches but also to keep animals from licking their wounds and irritating the area.

The one I use is made of plastic. If you can have somebody hold Ms. Lucy you can wash it and put it back on her in short order. Even if you leave it off of her for just a few minutes while you wash it she isn't going to cause harm. Use the laundry tub or a bathroom so you can close the door and keep watch. Gidget looked so silly in her collar. I only kept it on her though while I was away from home. I washed it in the laundry tub with the door closed.

So sorry to hear about your Mom. It must be very sad for you to see her this way. I never got a chance to see my Mom grow old because she passed away at 57 years old. I assume your Mom has some gait problems. Has a physical therapist worked with her at all with this? Physical therapy is the field I work in and I have many elderly patients I work with. Sometimes we have to teach them not to try and walk too fast and to think about each step they are taking. You can put a belt around her waist and help her improve yourself if she is still walking. I can tell you other things to do as well and you can PM me if you are interested. Her appetite will improve once she's at home again in more familiar surroundings.

How is Ben coming along? I hope there have been no more setbacks there. I always wonder about you and how YOU are doing too because it seems as though you are always taking care of somebody else.

I know what you mean when you say everything seems ok with the world when Ms. Lucy and Mr. Yoster are there with you. When I have tough times or a stressful day at work I know when I get home I can just cuddle with Gidget & Browser and just forget about it all. They are the ones who keep me grounded in remembering what my true blessings are. Some things we can change and others we can't. Enjoying the special moments with those we love so much help us to see the bright side of life and not to dwell in what we cannot change.

God's blessings to you Densie as well as Ben, Mom, Ms. Lucy & Mr. Yoster,
Beth

Hi Denise,

I only have a few minutes here and just happened to catch your post (I've not been around much at all for various reasons), so I'll tell you what I know about the collars....and yes, they're used for all sorts of things. (also so glad Ms. Lucy's problem was caught before it got even worse! Abscesses can be very dangerous if they go unnoticed, although the farther from the head, the better) How MUCH you keep them on at home depends on how often you HAVE to, according to the problem. Both Sabin (esp.) and Nissa had to wear those a number of times for eye problems. Being very small cats, I had to cut the edges of them down (all around) to JUST the right length so that they'd do their job of keeping paws away from their eyes, but also allow them to eat by themselves at will. This just took a bit of observation at the bowl and judicious trimming until they were just right, each according to their own size.

I also replaced the tape-like tie they had around the neck portion with a long enough and wide enough strip of cheesecloth, as that was softer, more washable and easier to tie up again. The only cleaning I usually had to do, since they'd been shortened to fit better, was a quick wipe where bits of wet food fell during a meal, and to let them groom themselves while I sat RIGHT THERE so they couldn't wash or rub their eyes during bathing. (if they tried, I'd simply hook my finger gently across their wrist to stop them and guide their 'arms' away from there) They slept in their collars and didn't seem to really mind them THAT much after the first day each time, although they couldn't curl up normally and I felt SO bad for them. Ours were semi-opaque plastic, with 3 loops that stuck out a wee bit around the base, for the cloth tie to be threaded through. They could also be adjusted width-wise, for different sized necks, as they had 3 sets of notches along the sides to either tighten or loosen them as needed, so to get them off, all I had to do was give a swift little tug and they'd pop right off (with the tie undone and loosened, of course).

If yours isn't that well-constructed, maybe you could ask your doc if they've got any better ones around. Once I got one at a different vet's and it wasn't nearly as good or convenient and when I 'complained', they gave me a better model.....though the original ones I kept at home were still better so I switched as soon as home.

Our kids even went outside with them on if it was in the warmer months, with me right by their sides, of course. Sabin always tried to do ALL his normal stuff in his collar, even climbing trees (nothin' ever stopped him from living his life BIG! ) so I just had to be vigilant and prepared to move like lightning if need be! Playing wasn't as fun for them, but they still managed at least some.

I also remember when my H's dog (when he was alive; a large lab-shepard cross) had to wear one to stop him from chewing a "hot-spot". Given his size, the collar was as big as a lampshade and looked just like one, too! He was fond of putting his head right up to the side window by the door and barking if someone was standing outside.....well, he tried this with his 'lampshade' on, pressed right up against that window....and darn near deafened himself with his own bark! I had to run out of the room, I was laughing so hard and didn't want to embarrass him (he hated being laughed at).

I'm also sorry to hear about your mom's condition and all the stress that adds to your life, and hope she's eating up a storm once she gets all her 'treats'. I wouldn't have much appetite under the same cir%%stances and in the same setting, either, and I know it's often a problem. Having some company will likely benefit her. I mean, how many people like to eat alone? The right supplements might also help overall, too.

And yes, do let us know about Ben as well. Hope all is well with him and the rest of your family, and that Ms. Lucy's thyroid levels are good, too. Take good care, all of you.

Thank you so much Beth, FK's Mom & jackjackbojack for taking the time to reply to my message.

As soon as I get a free moment, I promise to reply to each of you. My mother is not well at all and I am trying to get her the best care possible. I want to check out facilities before I sign on that dotted line. My "brothers" have pretty much washed their hands of all this, so I am running around during the day. What goes around comes around..... of that I am sure.

I thank God for my sweet Ben (and of course, our precious kids ). All of you here I consider a wonderful support system, though I haven't had time to do much posting.

I did want to post a couple of photos of Ms. Lucy and Mr. Yoster for all of you to see. Our girl is wearing a larger e-collar -- we took her back to the emergency center & whoever put the first collar on put it on backwards, and PUT IT ON TOO TIGHT .

Wishing all of you much peace & love - Sending all good thoughts your way !

Love, Denise, Ben, Ms. Lucy & Mr. Yoster

Hi Denise,

Take care of what is most important for you to focus on right now. Do what you can and leave the rest. We may be your extended family.........but your immediate family always must come first. That includes taking good care of yourself too.

Thanks for posting Ms. Lucy and Mr. Yoster's pics. The collar looks like it fits Ms. Lucy well, and I see you got the plastic one for her. I know both you and she will be happy the day you can take if off of her. Mr. Yoster looks very comfortable on that bed. We could all stand to relax like that once in awhile.

Please keep us posted on Ms. Lucy's recovery and about your Mom and Ben.

Hugs and kisses to all of you with love,
Beth

As Beth said, no need to worry about replying to us individually. You've got more pressing matters on your hands right now. And I'm sorry to hear your mother's not doing very well.....I understand how stressful and worrisome that is. Caregiving, no matter to whom, is inherently so draining!

And yes, thanks for the lovely pics, of your lovely furkids! (but can't help but feel so sorry for Ms. Lucy! )

I simply can't believe ......even though I most certainly do..... that they put Ms. Lucy's collar on backwards! ( insert very nasty words here) The stupidity of people never fails to astound me, esp. when they're in the so-called health fields!) GAD! No wonder you were having such trouble with the darn thing! I'm just astounded.

So you seem to have the same type as I did, except Ms. Lucy's is clearer, which is an improvement over the more opaque ones. FYI, I had our kids' cut down 'round about 1/2-1 inch shorter all around than Ms. Lucy's looks to be, for my kids. It made for easier self-feeding and a bit more comfortable for them......like those icky things can ever really be comfortable! The things we have to do to our kids in the name of safety, eh?

As for your mother, you might see if you can do some online research about ALL the questions to ask of homes (I'd found some pretty good guidelines myself when I was faced with this), as well as taking their suggestions and dropping by, unannounced, at whichever facility(ies) you've narrowed it down to, and most importantly, striking up conversations with either those who are living there or their family members, if they're around.....just to get the REAL stories about the care they provide. (and watch out for any Extendicare facilities, as they've been taken to court numerous times already, and just lost a case not long ago....same company I'VE had nothing but trouble with in the death of my father....they didn't even notify me and so far have refused to even tell me the cause of his death, if you can imagine.....)

You're such a giving woman and you DESERVE to take care of your own needs, too, as best you can manage at a time like this. It's so debilitating taking care of so many others, so you NEED to do for yourself as well, in order to keep going.

Keep us updated only as you can manage then, and we'll hold you all in gentle prayer until then.

Furkidlets' Mom

Hi Denise, glad to hear that Ms Lucy's ok even though recovering and Mr Yoster and you too.

Love

Sue

How is Ms. Lucy coming along Denise? I know you have other things going on and realize I neglected to ask about her. Please leave an update when you have the time. I think of you so often.

Love and hugs,
Beth

Beth -- Thanks for reminding me to pop in here and post a follow-up about Mr. Lucy .

I can't recall the exact date, but we did make the decision to remove her e-collar at approximately 10 days post procedure. One evening we saw blood at the end (widest part) of the e-collar, and saw that she was getting that hard piece of plastic back to the wound, and had removed the scab that had formed.

Removing it turned out to be a great idea, and thank you God she has healed. Not to mention, she was a very, very happy girl having that uncomfortable collar removed .

She still needs to have a follow-up visit for that as well as thyroid blood tests. <<-- We need to make sure that 7.5mg of Tapazole per day is sufficient.

Things in my personal life are still very hectic and busy, but today I have a yearly physical with my doctor.

Thank you ALL so much for your love, care & concern. It really means so very much to me (and of course, to Ben & our precious kids, too).

Peace, Love & God's blessings to all of you,

Denise xo

p.s. Dear Sue..... I was so happy to see your post, my friend. You are never far away in my thoughts . I hope & pray that all is well with you and your loved ones.