So far.

Simon, the cat. I just noticed it.

Now, let me tell you a bit about Simon, (Lucky Simon Vincent) showed up in the barn a few months ago. A plain ol orange tom, dumped or wandering.

I saw him lurking in the barn one evening, then the next morning he was at the front door. His paw was the size of a softball. Gawdawful stench! He looked like a goner, severely dehydrated, weak, and that foot was rotting...

I picked up, he was bad off, almost unconsious. I thought I'd shoot him, it seemed like the kindest thing. But then he started purring...weakly. He must have been in unbearable misery. So I decided to give it a little time, if he got worse I'd put him down.

Well, of course a vet was out of the question, but he needed IV fluids and antibiotics...and that foot(!)...I thought a vet would probably have decided to take it off if they saw it. Of course I could do none of these things.

But, we did what we could. Soaked the foot, debrieded(sp!) it(ugh). He got lactated ringers(fluids) subQ. A TEESNY touch of banamine. Antibiotics. All under advice from a friend who is a large animal vet. He recovered. He only has a couple toes and less than half the foot..the bones stuck out for awhile, but healed over. It was from a bite.

He's really "thankful". He purrs constantly, shakes the windows, lol.

He got neutered last a week ago, (spay day, 20 bucks for any spay or nueter...we did 4, all strays..*sigh*)

Today I noticed that across the top of his nose the pigment has changed color. A deep red stripe. Thin, but distinctive. He seems fine except for that. Eating, not lethargic, no swelling from op.

Any ideas!? Tell me it's some sort of virus, not something dreadful!

-- Patty (Sycamorehollow1@aol.com), May 25, 2002

Answers

might be a staph infection.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), May 26, 2002.

Mmmmm, I don't think so.

Anyway, it's strange. He seems fine, and now the stripe is "broken/faded" in the middle. Just vivid dashes of red on either side of the top of his nose...I guess it's going away? (I hope)

I think it is some sort of virus....they can be so odd!

-- Patty (SycamoreHollow1@aol.com), May 27, 2002.