Due to back-to-school chaos, the intended post has been held up. In its stead I present the Scratching Post; an illustration of the physical effect of topical iodine on wounds.
The Cat came with the house we intended to rent for six months during spring lockdowns three and a half years ago. He's the salve that keeps us from losing our sh*t waiting for our own house to appear.
One day at the beginning of last month, The Cat sat cat-loafing on the back doormat. He usually sprawled out like the king of the world. He came in, ate a little then left to cat-loaf further. The next day a gory wound festered on the left side of his jaw below the whiskers, swollen to the size of a regular marble & a half; the fresh wound must have been hidden by the angle he ate in relation to the fridge. He seemed soggy and sleepy. Next time he entered the kitchen, his bowl of tasty tuna was really a trap...
Five drops of iodine were put in a small ramekin half-filled with good water. A paper towel folded to the size of a fat thumb was dipped in the water, and just as his food was placed down I gripped his furry face and pressed the iodine-soaked towel on to what was a clearly infected wound. Material (skin, fur, blood) came away; I dabbed until it stopped. He held still long enough and when released went straight to his tuna. He's a tough bastid and didn't flinch. Warning: slightly graphic photos to follow.
Once the iodine had been applied and he’d eaten, he sat beside me knowing I'd fend off the others (which was necessary; his jaw was a curiously gruesome sight). He cleaned the wound constantly for about thirty minutes without interference, and finally slept a little in my chair.
The same routine was done the following day with similar results.
By the third day the infection resolved and his energy returned to normal.
He would vigorously clean the wound then sleep in a normal position, whatever normal is supposed to mean.
Five days later the gore had disappeared, and pink skin signalled all was well.
Diluted iodine treatment started on the 6th, applied once per day for three days.
The photo above was taken on the 14th — the eighth day.
Below, the 26th September.
It wasn't the first episode involving The Cat and iodine and I doubt it’ll be the last.
Lugol’s meant no stress of a vet trip, no stitches, no financial outlay, no drugs nor antibiotics. (Soldiers wort may have had a similar effect but would require sourcing fresh leaves, making a poultice and securing it for a while somehow.)
Today, fine white fur dost groweth upon whiskered chin.
“Priest and god of its own cult, the cat follows a code of ritual purity, cleaning itself religiously.” -C. Paglia.
Intended next post: Water purification
Love this. Brilliant photos, esp. The first with the irises! of course I am cross-posting!
Precious!!!