Here is one you don't see everyday, so I thought I should post it in case this happens to you...
Last night right before going to bed, I picked up Caelia Mae when I felt a hard lump on her bottom. At the base of her urethra, she had a swollen, hard patch of skin. I was slightly considered, but I thought that maybe she was just going through some kind of developmental stage.
I took her out the next morning, but really didn't have time to check her before I went to work. When I got home from work I noticed that she was very lathargic and wasn't eating. So I reexamined her pee-pee. The lump was big, and starting to turn pink.
Throughout the day, she developed what looked like blood blisters, and pustules. Her lump had tripled in size! I had made her an appointment for the next day (Saturday), when it happened. Her lump started leaking blood mixed with puss and she was having diarrhea.
So Caelia and I made a trip to the urgent care clinic.
Problem: She had an abscess below her urethra.
Cause: A foxtail. For those of you who don't know what that is (I didn't), let me explain. A foxtail is a weed that looks very similar to wheat. Its like tall, yellow grass that, of course, my dogs love to run through. The end of the foxtail, the part that looks like wheat grain can get lodged into flesh. Most commonly it is found in the ear, but Caelia had it on her bum. Once it gets lodged into the flesh, it will continue to travel further and further into the body. So naturally, Caelia's body was like, what the heck is this thing and started to react.
How she (most likely) got it: We think she probably squatted in the grass, and being so low to the ground, brushed up against the foxtail getting it lodged into her body.
Cure: Caelia had to be sedated, have the area probed to find the source, have it removed, drain the abscess, and then receive stitches. She is on pain meds and an antibiotic to kill the infection.
If anyone is interested, I have a picture of what her lump looked like, I will post it with the warning it's a little gross. Also, in case you are wondering what something like this might cost (I know I would), the urgent care fee and treatments came to $278. Feel free to ask questions and sorry I wrote a book
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Last night right before going to bed, I picked up Caelia Mae when I felt a hard lump on her bottom. At the base of her urethra, she had a swollen, hard patch of skin. I was slightly considered, but I thought that maybe she was just going through some kind of developmental stage.
I took her out the next morning, but really didn't have time to check her before I went to work. When I got home from work I noticed that she was very lathargic and wasn't eating. So I reexamined her pee-pee. The lump was big, and starting to turn pink.
Throughout the day, she developed what looked like blood blisters, and pustules. Her lump had tripled in size! I had made her an appointment for the next day (Saturday), when it happened. Her lump started leaking blood mixed with puss and she was having diarrhea.
So Caelia and I made a trip to the urgent care clinic.
Problem: She had an abscess below her urethra.
Cause: A foxtail. For those of you who don't know what that is (I didn't), let me explain. A foxtail is a weed that looks very similar to wheat. Its like tall, yellow grass that, of course, my dogs love to run through. The end of the foxtail, the part that looks like wheat grain can get lodged into flesh. Most commonly it is found in the ear, but Caelia had it on her bum. Once it gets lodged into the flesh, it will continue to travel further and further into the body. So naturally, Caelia's body was like, what the heck is this thing and started to react.
How she (most likely) got it: We think she probably squatted in the grass, and being so low to the ground, brushed up against the foxtail getting it lodged into her body.
Cure: Caelia had to be sedated, have the area probed to find the source, have it removed, drain the abscess, and then receive stitches. She is on pain meds and an antibiotic to kill the infection.
If anyone is interested, I have a picture of what her lump looked like, I will post it with the warning it's a little gross. Also, in case you are wondering what something like this might cost (I know I would), the urgent care fee and treatments came to $278. Feel free to ask questions and sorry I wrote a book
