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Post by Claire on Oct 2, 2012 12:34:02 GMT 1
Hi all just wondering if anyone has tried anti lick strips on their dogs cats or horses? My cat Rosie has got an ulcerated tumour on her tummy which is not affecting her in any other way than it keeps bleeding then getting infected. I need to find some way of protecting the wound and stopping her licking it (which I think is what the main problem is) as the only other alternative is an operation to remove it which could be a bit risky as she is 15. After extensive research on the internet found these anti-lick strips which are a kind of sticky plaster for animals which also have a mix of ingredients impregnated onto the outside to stop the animal licking at them and pulling them off. www.anti-lickstrip.co.uk/index.php?search=anti%20lick%20strips&gclid=CK2U-pmV4rICFaXJtAodvBEA4wIf anyone has tried them would appreciate feedback. Or if you have any other suggestions. If these dont work I am wondering if a tube bandage type thing over her tummy would work? These strips seem to be the least obtrusive thing I can find tho.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2012 13:35:25 GMT 1
Poor Rosie Those strips look good, if they work.
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Post by Claire on Oct 2, 2012 13:44:35 GMT 1
They are designed to drop off naturally after a few days so you dont have to pull half of the poor animal's fur off removing them! I'm going to see if they have them along at the garden-sum-pet shop in the town.
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Post by Claire on Oct 3, 2012 11:16:07 GMT 1
Well no luck in finding them round here - will prob have to get them on-line. In the meantime I tried the old tights as a tube bandage thing. It worked for a while until Rosie decided she wanted to get at the blasted lump and pulled the tights over it with her teeth! Still it was on a few hours til she managed it so its not a bad stop gap.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2012 11:42:25 GMT 1
Hopefully Rosie won't be able to pull the strips off, she sounds quite determined!
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Post by kunuma on Oct 3, 2012 18:59:41 GMT 1
Well you could always use those vetwrap bandages that only stick to themselves - about 6 rolls of those and hey presto - mummy cat! ;D
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Post by haffyfan on Oct 3, 2012 19:47:36 GMT 1
Never heard of those before but vetwrap is bloody hard to get off (Murph's had an abcess recently) so second Kunuma's suggestion. Buy it from a tack shop though not pets at home/kennelgate etc as only £1.99 in tack shop and nearly £4 at kennelgate! (the kennelgate one did have smily faces mind)
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Post by Claire on Oct 4, 2012 2:51:30 GMT 1
Well I did find some of the anti lick things at pets at home only 15 miles away!!! Tried them but I think I should have got bigger ones cos by the time I put a dressing on first to protect the wound bit there wasn't much sticky left and I don't think they work too well on long haired cats either. I put another one crossed over and they didnt look like they would stay on very long. So I shoved the tights bandage (or should I say hose bandage for the American readers lol) back on top. Hopefully it will take a bit of getting through all that lot for her to get at the lump and start worrying it! Actually she doesnt seem to mind the tights for a while then she seems to suddenly realise its there and try and remove it. I may try the big ones you get for horses and cut a large piece to cover most of her tummy. Or may try the vetwrap. Trouble is its in an awkward place right at the back of her tum almost between her hind legs so its hard to bandage it and get it all in. Oh well she's always been difficult.
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Post by garej on Oct 5, 2012 19:11:21 GMT 1
I havent tried it, but I do sympathise with you not wanting to risk anaesthetic at her age. I took Pickle to the vet yesterday and I was told that ideally he needs a dental, but because of his age (he is 14, though he could be older because a) he was a stray and b) they put "10 years plus" on his paperwork) the anaesthetic is too much of a risk. He is eating fine, so unless he stops eating I will have to leave him alone.
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Post by Claire on Oct 6, 2012 15:26:37 GMT 1
Thanks garej I'm of 'the leave alone unless no alternative' school also. Plus she is eating fine, playing and is in perfectly good health apart from this pesky lump and the occaisional infection.
I tried the bigger strips and they are better they may even stick on their own but I put the tights back on just in case. The wound seemed to be a bit better and infection clearing/stopped bleeding when I had a look at it and dressed it again. I'm just hoping it will heal up a little after a few days of Rosie not picking at it so I can take the bandages off.
Pickle sounds like he is enjoying a ripe old age, and they all get pretty awful teeth when they get old but seem to be alright. Oscar only had one canine tooth (fang!) left in his final years and he managed all right!
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Post by garej on Oct 6, 2012 16:40:08 GMT 1
Thanks garej I'm of 'the leave alone unless no alternative' school also. Plus she is eating fine, playing and is in perfectly good health apart from this pesky lump and the occaisional infection. Pickle sounds like he is enjoying a ripe old age, and they all get pretty awful teeth when they get old but seem to be alright. Oscar only had one canine tooth (fang!) left in his final years and he managed all right! Pickle is fine, he is eating fine and the vet asked me if he was drinking excessively. I replied no because he isnt, though I did say it was slightly hard to tell because more than one cat uses the drinking bowl. Pickle is more prone to mouth complications because of the fact he is FIV positive (the FIV virus makes them more prone to getting mouth problems and gingitivitis). Petplan has an exclusion for mouth issues anyway, so in a way I am glad that I dont have to pay for a dental (as I would be liable for the full amount). At the moment he is eating fine (the vet asked that and the only problem I said is that I have trouble stopping him eating Eric's food, which is not suitable for him as Pickle has kidney problems. Eric's food is ordinary cat food), so when (and if!) he stops eating or reverts to being a grumpy old man (when he had a tail he was incredibly grumpy, due to the pain he was in), then it will be back to the vet to see if he can have the anaesthetic and a dental.
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Post by Claire on Oct 9, 2012 19:33:09 GMT 1
Oscar had to have special food too which looked pretty unappetising - hard to keep him off Rosie's, so I know what you mean garej!
Well it looks pretty much like its Rosie who is causing the lump to bleed by washing it cos I had it bandaged up for 4 days and when I changed the dressing both times there was no blood there at all but after about a day or so without it on, as soon as my back was turned there was a little patch of blood on the bed again (I've got old sheets and towels lying around everywhere to catch it - house looks delightful!) I've found there is some stuff you can spray around the wound to try and stop the cat licking it so I might try that. Hopefully then I won't have to keep it bandaged up all the time which is a faff on, expensive and cat doesn't like it (she doesnt mind when its on but its putting it on/taking it off she hates!). I'm not even sure if you should keep the thing covered up. I know you can with human ulcerated tumours so I would have thought you can with cats. Will have to ask vet when I go next. Unless anyone out there knows...?
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Post by Claire on Nov 2, 2012 12:58:07 GMT 1
Well I'd taken the bandage off and it was healing up quite nicely and I was getting quite optimistic. Then blasted cat decided she wanted to give it a good nibbling and presto - blood and gore everywhere again! So she's back on with the pair of tights bandage. I'll have to take a photo of her with it on she looks a bit like a furry whippet! My next plan of action is to try this spray stuff you can get to spray round the wound to stop the animal chewing and washing it due to having an 'orrible taste. Not convinced it will work as she actually licks off the sudacrem if it gets on her fur which can't exactly be a nice taste - but we will see...
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2012 13:26:38 GMT 1
Poor thing, I can't imagine the sudacrem tastes very nice. Fingers crossed the spray works....if only you could tell them it's for their own good!!
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Post by Claire on Nov 2, 2012 20:27:59 GMT 1
.if only you could tell them it's for their own good!! Yeah thats the real problem with animals isn't it? Every time I clean and dress it she acts as if I am torturing her - got a lovely 5 inch scratch on my hand as the result of the last little session!
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Post by Claire on Nov 7, 2012 12:25:20 GMT 1
Well that anti lick spray stuff arrived. Tried it last night. She went to wash her tum and you should have seem the expression on her face! She appeared to wash all around the place where it was sprayed but hasn't touched the wound. She keeps giving her tummy a wounded look! Mind you she's a bit p***d off as she's a very excessive washer and doesn't like having her hobby curtailed. I have a feeling she may overcome the taste to get at it, but at the minute at least she is having a break from the bandage. Here's a couple of pics of her in her bandage and one in 'the nude'
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2012 12:56:08 GMT 1
Aww bless her. I do hope the spray continues to work but if as you say she's a determined little b she might grit her teeth and start licking it again. Hope not, otherwise you might be getting a few more scratches!
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Post by kunuma on Nov 7, 2012 20:39:13 GMT 1
;D Looks like a cat in a corset!! Is she really two toned? She looks a different colour on each side, _ or have you really got two cats in corsets??
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Post by Claire on Nov 7, 2012 21:11:31 GMT 1
She looks lighter in one but she is under the light in that one (also the pics were taken on my crappy phone camera and the colours come out weird sometimes) She does have more cream splodges on the near side tho! The tights bandage may look odd but was a brilliant idea of yours kunuma (or of whoever you got it from) as it really keeps the dressing in place and she doesn't really mind it. I've given up using the anti lick strips and am just using a normal surgical dressing under the tights. After a sleepless night last night (as I kept waking up every time my brain registered the cat making washes noises) I think I'll put the bandage on on a night and leave it off thru the day. Its mainly thru the night when I'm asleep she tends to nibble at the wound. But the spray stuff is fairly successful - it does seem to wear off after a few hours tho so another reason to keep it covered over night. Crikey what do non animal owners do to fill all the time we spend faffing about with them!
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Post by Claire on Nov 9, 2012 12:38:48 GMT 1
Well it lasted all of 2 days before her determination to get at the thing overcome her aversion to the spray stuff! Back to the drawing board....sigh....
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2012 12:57:43 GMT 1
Oh dear Is there nothing else the vet can suggest?
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Post by Claire on Nov 9, 2012 13:38:11 GMT 1
Vet hasn't really got a solution except for lopping it off! There's the collars that stop them licking wounds but they are not very comfy for the poor animal or making some sort of garment to put over it which lets it breathe but keeps the cat off. In the meantime I'll just have to keep her dressings and bandages on and hope it doesn't have too detrimental an effect on the wound.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2012 14:11:13 GMT 1
Yeah those collars are O.K for a short time, but not all the time. I can see why you don't want her to have an operation at her age either. Not easy. Fingers crossed the bandages continue to stop her anyway.
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Post by Claire on Nov 9, 2012 23:16:20 GMT 1
Thanks rosie x
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Post by trixiepony on Nov 10, 2012 0:11:49 GMT 1
Rosie dus sound determined to get to the wound, may be you can try all the idears Claire it will stop any off it getting to eritating for her.
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Post by Claire on Apr 2, 2013 17:29:34 GMT 1
Well folks may be coming to the end of the line with all these things as the lump is bleeding a lot now. May have to take her in for the operation soon to remove the tumour and some of the other lumps which are coming up. Just had her blood tests and they're fine and she's healthy so I'm just hoping that it all goes smoothly. But I am terrified as she is very old for an operation.
Anyway apologies if I am a bit distracted at the moment or a bit behind with things - I'm sure you'll understand.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2013 18:27:52 GMT 1
Claire, I do hope she comes through the op O.K. When is she having it?
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Post by Claire on Apr 2, 2013 19:58:21 GMT 1
Thanks rosie. I'm waiting for my vet to come back from holiday and then she's going to examine Rosie and we'll take it from there. Unfortunately she has several other small lumps coming up so even if the op is successful she may end up in the same boat in a year or two's time. I just wish there was some way to control the lumps and stop them getting bigger.
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