Expert: Jessica - 10/3/2010

Question
I recently took in a orphaned week old kitten that someone had dropped off at the rescue league i work at and about a week ago i noticed a little cut between his butt and the start of his tail. Ive been keeping it clean as much as i possible can but its getting worse and deeper. When the lil guy tries to walk his little back legs go flying in the air cuz hes in pain. I had the vet at our rescue league look at him and she said all it is, is a cut and keep it cleaned. But thats not working.

Answer
Hi Jennifer,

You should try to talk to the vet about prescribing an antibiotic cream to help heal the cut if nothing was given.  A product like Animax or Panolog cream can reduce the pain and prevent infection while also protecting and moisturizing it to encourage healing.  If this is not available, I recommend using Neosporin ointment.

Also, overcleaning it will delay healing.  Try to clean it only after the baby has urinated or defecated.  To clean it, I recommend using Wound Wash by Simply Saline, or if the vet will provide it, a wound flush called Chlorhexiderm diluted with water until it's very pale blue.  Most everything else is much too drying for wounds and will delay healing, and disinfectants like peroxide actually kill healthy tissue and won't allow new tissue to grow.  Apply the antibiotic cream after cleansing and as many times a day as is required to keep the wound protected.

Unfortunately, wounds around the anal area are extremely difficult to get to heal because urine and feces are very caustic.  Anytime they come in contact with the wound, it delays progress.  It can take many weeks for wounds in this area to begin to heal, but with antibiotic protection, hopefully you will begin to see some improvement.

Good luck!

Jessica