Malik, my 12 year old altered owner, suddenly REEKS.
He smelled badly for a week about a month ago, that stopped after he sprouted (overnight!) a nasty abcess on his neck. Abcess is all gone now, I gave him some Terramycin powder and the problem was solved quickly.
He lost some weight, poor lil guy, because he just didn't feel like eating; he is slowly regaining the lost ounces.
But: he smells awful again from nose to tail...so bad that I dampened his hair brush and brushed baking soda through his hair. That worked for a while.
No sign of fever, he is eating pretty close to his normal, drinking enough water...his sandbox use is normal.
As a side-note, I'm wondering if something is depressing him since he has isolated himself in my bedroom to the extent that his sandbox, food & water dishes have also been relocated to the room he seems to prefer.
Malik has arthritis that seems to be responding pretty well to antioxidant capsules...tea tree...and I've also started giving him a tiny bit of vit B12. He gets those two things twice a week, and I swear the tea tree is perking him up a little.
Does anyone have any ideas as to what might be causing him to smell bad all over? And what I can do? I'm pretty sure the problem is not due to what he's eating --- he's eaten Hills Science Diet since he was a baby.
Hauling him to vet is not an option; the only vet within 50 miles is one I've learned not to trust. So any possible fix-its will have to be home remedy sorts of things, or something I can find at a Feed & Grain-type store.
Thanks in advance,
Lea.
SMELLY CAT, SMELLY CAT...WHAT TO DO?
Are you for real? Your cat needs a VET, and right now!
Stop giving him "tea tree", it's toxic to cats. Stop brushing baking soda in his fur, what are you trying to accomplish by this? Abcesses need to be treated as wounds with proper wound care and appropriate antibiotics prescribed by a VET. Antioxidants are virtually worthless, let alone for abcesses, nor are vitamins appropriate. Do you even know what terramycin powder is, where did you get this?
Your kitty needs a vet, and RIGHT NOW, he deserves to be treated and cared for by a competent vet, not a feed and grain store! So, call a competent emergency vet and get your kitty seen ASAP.
Stop giving him "tea tree", it's toxic to cats. Stop brushing baking soda in his fur, what are you trying to accomplish by this? Abcesses need to be treated as wounds with proper wound care and appropriate antibiotics prescribed by a VET. Antioxidants are virtually worthless, let alone for abcesses, nor are vitamins appropriate. Do you even know what terramycin powder is, where did you get this?
Your kitty needs a vet, and RIGHT NOW, he deserves to be treated and cared for by a competent vet, not a feed and grain store! So, call a competent emergency vet and get your kitty seen ASAP.
..........Traci
Re: SMELLY CAT, SMELLY CAT...WHAT TO DO?
I agree.....the abcess is probably still festering with infection throughout his body...they keep eating away at the inside even when they look helaed on the outside and a COMPETENT VET needs to do this....
If he has secluded himself in one area, he is in deep pain/distress and you are making things worse with your attempts at home remedies....
most plant oils are toxic to pets...tea tree (Melaleuca alternofolia) especially...
here are some links with more information
The Lavendar Cat
Vet Task Force
Exotic Bird
PLEASE....get your cat to a vet somewhere and get him help NOW....he has been piosoned intenally first with the abcess that was left untreated and now by your home remedies without doing further research on the toxic results...
If he has secluded himself in one area, he is in deep pain/distress and you are making things worse with your attempts at home remedies....
most plant oils are toxic to pets...tea tree (Melaleuca alternofolia) especially...
here are some links with more information
The Lavendar Cat
Vet Task Force
Exotic Bird
PLEASE....get your cat to a vet somewhere and get him help NOW....he has been piosoned intenally first with the abcess that was left untreated and now by your home remedies without doing further research on the toxic results...
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slvrwhispr
- Posts: 1366
- Joined: Tue May 27, 2003 11:48 pm
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Re: SMELLY CAT, SMELLY CAT...WHAT TO DO?
Not to jump on the bandwagon, but there's a very good possibility that the tea tree reacting poorly with Malik's system is precisely what is making him smell bad. His body can't process it, and the toxins are seeping out through his skin. Honestly. He needs URGENT vet care.
Traci wrote:Are you for real? Your cat needs a VET, and right now!
Stop giving him "tea tree", it's toxic to cats. Stop brushing baking soda in his fur, what are you trying to accomplish by this? Abcesses need to be treated as wounds with proper wound care and appropriate antibiotics prescribed by a VET. Antioxidants are virtually worthless, let alone for abcesses, nor are vitamins appropriate. Do you even know what terramycin powder is, where did you get this?
Your kitty needs a vet, and RIGHT NOW, he deserves to be treated and cared for by a competent vet, not a feed and grain store! So, call a competent emergency vet and get your kitty seen ASAP
**********************************************
Yes, "Traci," I'm for real.
I'm sorry you didn't see the part of my message wherein I said the nearest vet is too far away and, anyhow, is not competent...as I said, I've learned not to trust her.
Tea tree is not toxic to cats. It's a very good treatment for Malik's arthritis, which I also happened to mention.
Putting the baking soda on his fur and then brushing it out did not cause him any harm at all. I wrote my message because he stinks...remember?
Baking soda is good for removing bad odors. Other than that, it's benign.
The abcess....which I said has healed....HAS HEALED, without the attention of the incompetent vet. I don't know where you got the idea I was using the antioxidant as treatment against the abcess. I certainly never said so.
There is nothing inappropriate about giving a cat vitamin B12. The dosage for cats, by the way, is: .00025mcg per pound the cat weighs. Just thought someone might want to know.
Yes, I know what Terramycin powder is. It's an excellent treatment for abcesses. That's why I gave it to Malik, and he healed just fine. The dosage for that, by the way, is: 1/8 tsp to two cups of water. Administer 1/2cc, by mouth, each 12 hours.
It's not necessary to go to a vet to get Terramycin powder. The Feed & Grain store, which seems to appall you so, is the source for that.
"Traci," I live in an isolated area in northern California. There is no such thing here as an emergency vet.
Now. Does anyone have any idea what to do about an odorous cat?
Lea. [/b]
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slvrwhispr
- Posts: 1366
- Joined: Tue May 27, 2003 11:48 pm
- Location: Canton, MI
- Contact:
Re: SMELLY CAT, SMELLY CAT...WHAT TO DO?
Yes. Take him to a vet. I can't imagine there's really only one vet within driving distance, and if your cat has a lingering foul odor, it means there is some sort of imbalance which his sweat glands are trying to regulate by eliminating whatever is causing the imbalance through his skin.
Have you ever been around someone who smokes heavilly and has been sweating? You know how you can smell the nicotine in their perspiration? It's because that's how mammals flush toxins -- through their sweat. And tea tree IS toxic to cats. Whether or not your cat is having a reaction to it, I can't tell without seeing him. But I'm willing to bet that if you stop the tea tree, the smell will stop, because his body will stop trying to purge it through his skin.
My biggest concern is that the toxins aren't the tea tree specifically, but other toxins that are building up because the tea tree has compromised his kidneys. It's possible, and even if you think we're wrong, can you afford for us to be right? It's your cat's life.
Have you ever been around someone who smokes heavilly and has been sweating? You know how you can smell the nicotine in their perspiration? It's because that's how mammals flush toxins -- through their sweat. And tea tree IS toxic to cats. Whether or not your cat is having a reaction to it, I can't tell without seeing him. But I'm willing to bet that if you stop the tea tree, the smell will stop, because his body will stop trying to purge it through his skin.
My biggest concern is that the toxins aren't the tea tree specifically, but other toxins that are building up because the tea tree has compromised his kidneys. It's possible, and even if you think we're wrong, can you afford for us to be right? It's your cat's life.
Re: SMELLY CAT, SMELLY CAT...WHAT TO DO?
Terramycin soluable powder was never intended for use in cats, and if the manufacturer (Pfizer) is selling it for use in cats, then it is to be prescribed by a licensed vet, period. All oral antibiotics are to be prescribed in this manner because they are a drug, as per FDA regulations. If a feed store is carrying this item, and the item is labeled for use in small animals, then the feed store is subject to fines. FYI, the soluable powder is intended for use in livestock.
Tee-tree products are in fact, toxic to cats and dogs, take the time to look that up, if you think differently, you are willingly, consciously putting your cat at risk for severe toxicity, including organ failure and death. Wherever you got your information, you are seriously mislead, and whoever sold you the product needs to exercise common sense and better business practice (not to mention looking into the toxic effects the products are known and documented to have). Tee-tree products are toxic through inhalation, oral absorption and ingestion, dermal absorption.
Where did you get any information that tea tree is an antioxidant or even has those properties? Where did you get information it is useful for arthritis? This is bogus information, stop using it, period!
Where did you get the idea that using baking soda on a cat's fur is useful for the purpose you claim?
Your cat has withdrawn to one room in your home, apparently is suffering depression (most likely because he has an underlying illness that you are completely ignoring) has lost weight, has a skin condition that has a foul odor, and perhaps has an arthritic condition, but have any of those things been checked or diagnosed by a vet? Self-diagnosing and self-treating/medicating is putting your cat at further risk, and you are knowingly doing so at HIS expense. Don't expect us to believe you have any indication of caring for your cat properly, or caring enough about him to get him to a competent vet for an exam, and other testing. All cats over the age of 7 need yearly or twice-yearly exams and bloodwork to prevent, manage or treat common illnesses, you could very well be seriously harming your cat by thinking your home remedies are effective, when clearly they are NOT. Imagine for example your kitty may have early renal failure, and here you are giving him oral tea tree. Can you see the obvious harm in that? A vet needs to determine what the underlying problem is in order to treat it most effectively, you cannot do this on your own, and by doing so, you are putting your kitty at grave risks.
Btw, vitamins should not be given to cats unless a qualified vet has diagnosed a condition that actually warrants a vitamin supplement. Excesses can be extremely harmful.
A feed store is NOT a veterinary clinic, and no one at this store can advise you or suggest treatment in lieu of a vet. Drive the distance to see a competent vet (small animal vet) and get your kitty effective diagnosis and treatment that he deserves, he's depending on you to do so. Fr the price you've been paying for capsules, supplements, and delaying medical treatment for your cat, you could have had this all done at the onset and saved yourself money, as well as saved your kitty a great deal of discomfort and harm.
So, get your kitty to a vet, driving the distance is worth it, for your kitty.
Tee-tree products are in fact, toxic to cats and dogs, take the time to look that up, if you think differently, you are willingly, consciously putting your cat at risk for severe toxicity, including organ failure and death. Wherever you got your information, you are seriously mislead, and whoever sold you the product needs to exercise common sense and better business practice (not to mention looking into the toxic effects the products are known and documented to have). Tee-tree products are toxic through inhalation, oral absorption and ingestion, dermal absorption.
Where did you get any information that tea tree is an antioxidant or even has those properties? Where did you get information it is useful for arthritis? This is bogus information, stop using it, period!
Where did you get the idea that using baking soda on a cat's fur is useful for the purpose you claim?
Your cat has withdrawn to one room in your home, apparently is suffering depression (most likely because he has an underlying illness that you are completely ignoring) has lost weight, has a skin condition that has a foul odor, and perhaps has an arthritic condition, but have any of those things been checked or diagnosed by a vet? Self-diagnosing and self-treating/medicating is putting your cat at further risk, and you are knowingly doing so at HIS expense. Don't expect us to believe you have any indication of caring for your cat properly, or caring enough about him to get him to a competent vet for an exam, and other testing. All cats over the age of 7 need yearly or twice-yearly exams and bloodwork to prevent, manage or treat common illnesses, you could very well be seriously harming your cat by thinking your home remedies are effective, when clearly they are NOT. Imagine for example your kitty may have early renal failure, and here you are giving him oral tea tree. Can you see the obvious harm in that? A vet needs to determine what the underlying problem is in order to treat it most effectively, you cannot do this on your own, and by doing so, you are putting your kitty at grave risks.
Btw, vitamins should not be given to cats unless a qualified vet has diagnosed a condition that actually warrants a vitamin supplement. Excesses can be extremely harmful.
A feed store is NOT a veterinary clinic, and no one at this store can advise you or suggest treatment in lieu of a vet. Drive the distance to see a competent vet (small animal vet) and get your kitty effective diagnosis and treatment that he deserves, he's depending on you to do so. Fr the price you've been paying for capsules, supplements, and delaying medical treatment for your cat, you could have had this all done at the onset and saved yourself money, as well as saved your kitty a great deal of discomfort and harm.
So, get your kitty to a vet, driving the distance is worth it, for your kitty.
..........Traci
Re: SMELLY CAT, SMELLY CAT...WHAT TO DO?
Did you READ the links I provided...information from COMPETENT certified aromatherapist....certiifed VETERINARIANS...all stating the results of administering tea tree oil....it is TOXIC to them...their systems FAIL...your cat's system is failing because he cannot process the tea tree oil...it could be possible that his liver and kidneys are failing...which is NOT allowing toxins to leave his body...they are building up...making him SICK...making him STINK...Tea tree is not toxic to cats
YOU NEED to get on the phone...call around and find SOMEONE...I don't care if it is a 3 or 4 hour drive...and GET THAT CAT TO A VET....
I drove ONE way over 4 hours to take our dog to a vet...in a snowstorm...in February...but he needed specialized treatment and that was the nearest facility...no questions asked...we were on our way at 3:30 on the afternoon...
I live 30 miles to the nearest ANYTHING where I live...but I would not hesitate to drive however far to find a competent vet for my animals...
YOUR CAT IS SUFFERING AND YOU ARE ALLOWING IT TO HAPPEN...
Re: SMELLY CAT, SMELLY CAT...WHAT TO DO?
According to your IP, there are several vets in your area, many within 30 miles. So, no excuse, please get your kitty to a vet NOW.
..........Traci
Re: SMELLY CAT, SMELLY CAT...WHAT TO DO?
My mum has two cats and one of them had a huge absess and she did get treatment for the cat at the vets whilst on the traetment the abssess burst and as my mum said it did smell but she had to finish the complete course of antibiotics until it was all gone it is the same as humans infection lasts and lasts until it is treated properly and to the exact dose.So I would also suggest get him to the vets asap.Because this could now be an underlying infection.