Happy Pets

Wounds are injuries which disrupt or destroy tissues, usually the skin. Severe wounds may also affect underlying structures such as bones or internal organs and gun shot wounds, in particular, can cause massive damage to adjacent structures.

Wounds vary enormously, from small and superficial to extensive and deep, and can sometimes be very deceptive in appearance. For example, bite puncture wounds are often much more serious than large but superficial skin tears, yet a puncture wound may be so small as to be hardly noticeable on the cat’s hairy body. Initial impressions might be that the gaping shallow skin wound is the worse injury, it certainly looks more dramatic. However it is often the small but deep bite injury, combined with the crushing effect on surrounding tissue that causes the most pain and carries most risk of serious complications. (more…)

Vomiting

Cats, like us, are sick from time to time. There is no reason to panic; overindulgence may easily be the cause. You should, however, check the vomit to see whether it really is the result of eating something indigestible. If the vomit is merely a sausage shape of food then the cat probably ate its last meal too fast — and may well have done if another cat was trying to make off with its favourite titbit. All cats bring up balls of fur that they have swallowed when washing their coats, and sometimes feathers if they have been eating a bird. (more…)