Cat attacked by dog

[Lakers66]

A cat I am feeding was attacked by a big dog. He has 1 small puncture wound on front shoulder and many scrapes. This is a 20lb outdoor cat who put up a good fight and avoided getting killed somehow. The cat has been resting for 24 hours now. I cleaned all wounds and the many scrapes with peroxide, betadine and neosporin. I am giving him 50mg of Penicillin twice a day. Today he accepted very little food and water. His 3rd eyelids are not up and his eyes look clear. He is very sleepy and probably in pain from the swelling of his shoulder. I can't afford to take him to a vet, he's an outdoor cat that I have been feeding. This happened yesterday and he has not relieved himself. Is this normal? What else can I do?  Again, no vet near or far will look at him without money and I don't have it. Humane Society or animal control will put him to sleep as he is a outdoor cat and scruffy. Doing the best I can with what I have. Please advise me as to what else I can do. Thank you.

[maaskant]

its not the dogs fault.  by nature dogs go after cats just like cats go after mice.  i agree that you should keep them separated and slowly get them used to each other but dont punish the dog for doing what comes natural.  

as far as the injuries i agree that the cat should get a check up from a vet.  like opus said not all injuries that the cat could have gotten are view-able on the outside.  i hope the poor kitty is ok

[opus88]

hi your poor little kitty, just b/c there are no wounds doesn't mean the kitten wasn't injured, the twitches sound to me like she sustained some trauma to her head/brain....hopefully this is the only effect she will show, but if she were mine I would sure take her in to a Vet for a good check up....if there is swelling the Vet can give her some meds for this.....she could also begin to have seizures which I hope would only be temporary, again she needs to be examined.......if the dog is going to show signs of aggression towards something so tiny you are going to need to keep them separated for this little kittens protection or next time may not be so mild....((hugs))

[shonna9374]

My dog attacked my cat left no wounds cat was down about 10 or 15 minutes brought it in to see if there was any blood there was no any so no blood no wounds I gave her a bath cause she was caked in mud but now she has a twitch almost like hiccups at this point I don't no what else to do for her she seems fine other than the twitch. please help thank you, shonna

[opus88]

sorry...this would have been a more direct route for the info,hope you can find some help ♥

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Pets/RESOURCES-TO-HELP-PAY-FOR-VET-CARE/show/535?cid=2

[opus88]

yes the antibiotics will help with the abscess however afterward the decaying tooth will still need to be removed....have you tried the links on this forum for help with Vet bills?
Please read over the list and try...sounds like this poor kitty sure needs some additional help..keep us updated, its wonderful people like yourself who are doing their best to help unfortunate little ones like him....((hugs))

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Cats/RESOURCES-TO-HELP-PAY-FOR-VET-CARE/show/1301863

[Lakers66]

Hello and thank you for responding. I found the info for dosage here http://www.***********.com/Amoxicillin-prod2445.html You are right it's taking some time for the vet to answer. So far the cat is doing significantly well. He has moved about the room a few times today and eating and drinking a little. His urine is clear. He also has an abscess in his mouth from what appears to be a broken tooth so hopefully the antibiotics will help this as well. I might just go to the local feed shop tomorrow they will sell me antibiotics for him without a script for a couple of dollars. I only have enough for a few more days. Those guys at the feed store are very knowledgeable, these country folk know all about meds for animals..LOL. I have been giving him human penicillin not amoxicillan. Not sure how people can do this for a living, it breaks my heart to see an animal suffer. Thank you for the info on aspirin.

[opus88]

hi and welcome, bless you for caring. Is this a Veterinary penicillin that you have or human? I know you are trying your best and I give you tons of credit for that...but alot of care must be taken when using meds for cats....is it amoxicillin you have? just incase I am sending you the site and the recommended dosage for cats, if you don't have enough to use for the recommended time week-10days than it will just cause a suspected infection to grow even stronger and possibly antibiotic resistant. so if you are going to do this you must have a good supply. or please take this kitty in where it can be cared for and not suffer.

http://www.drugs.com/vet/amoxicillin-100-can.html

its sometimes a few days before the Vet on the general forum does any replies....but I hope she will get back to you asap.
Let me know if its another antibiotic you have and if its a Veterinary one ok....

Oh and NEVER give aspirin to a cat, its very toxic.

[Lakers66]

Thank you Linda. Luckily I was just able to post a question on the Expert Help part of this site, so I'm hoping a vet will answer soon, I wasn't able to yesterday as it was full.

The cat seems to be doing better today. I called Humane society and they referred me to a low cost vet which I still can't afford to pay. Been without a job for some time now. I don't trust that they won't put him to sleep. Have been through this with them before.

I saw the ending of the attack. The cat was on his back screaming and in panic as the dog was nudging him with nose. This dog is a stray who gets fed by everyone in the neighborhood and is usually not aggressive. I live in a small country town so it is not unusual for a dog to live loose. This dog has been around for as long as I can remember, at least 7 years. Someone got her fixed and she just roams. She's in really good health for being a stray country dog. I have been feeding this cat for awhile now. We have approx. 4 strays in the neighborhood who have all been spayed/neutered. 3 cats and 1 dog. This one cat stays close to my property so I make sure to put a bowl out for him every night. I'm wondering if the cat was protecting his food or something. I have been told this cat has had altercations with other wildlife out here to include bears.  

[LindaTX]

First of all, bless you for taking care of this cat.  Did you see the attack?  Was the dog a stray? Maybe not vaccinated for rabies?  Cat ma not be vaccinated either?  You might call the shelter and see if they have a list of people who will take the cat as a foster....I think that way it would have access to Veterinary care.  I don't think I would give the aspirin.  My vet recommended that for one of my cats but there is a huge negative view of giving aspirin on here so to be safe....don't give the aspirin.  He should be looked at by a vet.  It sounds like you would love to keep him if possible.  There are low cost spay/neuter clinics and reduced rate rabies ($5-10) clinics from time to time.  Good luck with your new-found friend.

[Lakers66]

Thank you Melipops. He just ate and drank again a small amount of water with my assistance, so that is a good sign I think. I didn't syringe was afraid it might go into his lungs. He also relieved himself on the bed I made for him. Looks like maybe he has a chance as he did walk from one end of the bed to the other. I did read on the internet that the vets usually give 5mg per pound twice a day. He is about 20 lbs, but didn't want to take that much of a chance and halfed the dose. I will call the Humane society in the morning. Last time I found a stray dog that was half dead they were of no help at all. I had to nurse him back to health with the help of the internet. I do notice an improvement. He's not walking around or anything, just laying there, but he is lifting his head and purred when I rubbed his head. Yesterday he appeared to be in total shock. I am hoping a vet could comment on the dosage for the antibiotics. Also if aspirin every few days would be helpful and how much. This I am afraid to do on my own until I get the okay from a Dr.

[melipops]

Hi, I would try to syringe him some water. You might want to check on the amounts for the penicillin as this sounds a bit much for me. I really think you should take this cat somewhere for help. I know you said you have no money and are just trying to do the right thing. The Humane society may not put him down and they often have programs for strays that someone fosters them and they pay the bill so please don't rule it out. Why not ring and check then you will truly know you have done all you can to help this poor cat. Good luck.