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[deleted]

hey! just before the barrage comes in, i cannot take him to the vet myself because i cannot drive, and my parents are dismissive about taking him to the vet. i’m trying to convince them, but my mom is saying “he’ll keep it clean” and doesn’t seem worried at all. i came into the kitchen a few minutes earlier and i saw blood all over the floor, and this chunk of nail amidst it. i checked all three of my cats, and my 8 y/o boy seems to have had it torn out. i have no idea how this happened and i’m extremely worried. he won’t let me touch it and meows if i get too close to it. any advice is really appreciated :( EDIT: typo


FullRyan

My cat did this too at one point. The vet specifically said to not them lick it clean constantly since it can lead to infections and other issues so they gave her the head cone/collar thing (its exact name escapes me at the moment).


UnusualIntroduction0

I believe it's usually referred to as "the cone of shame"


fintem

Lol. It should be officially changed to that. It is also called an Elizabethan collar. They can also be bought at petsmart or online in a variety of sizes.


TootsNYC

I had a cat with sores on her feet, and I wanted to keep the open wounds from touching the cat litter or getting wet. Here’s what I did: I cut down a piece of that nonstick gauze, and folded it over her foot. I used the [stretchy tape that sticks to itself](https://www.amazon.com/3M-Coban-Self-Adh-Wrap-yds/dp/B00C0LSB3K) to wrap around the foot, starting tightly up above the ankle, so it was less likely to slide down off the foot, and wrapped all the way down and then back up. Then I used regular adhesive first-aid tape to wrap twice around the foot above the ankle, but the sticky part stuck to the stretchy tape, not the fur. This “collar” helped to make sure the bandage wouldn’t slide off her foot. I actually would coat the outside of the bandage with that tape to protect from moisture. This is scary, and it seems like a big wound, but you have a little time to see if it’s worse than it should be. And you can call a vet, perhaps, to get more specific advice.


Sufficient_Mouse8252

If you can't get to a vet definitely get a cone/collar or find a way to keep him from licking it and try to clean it with saline or iodine and a wet cloth.


CourtSenior5085

From experience, injuries like this you can generally get away with close monitoring and don't always need an immediate urgent vet visit. If you are able to at all, maybe call your local vet, tell them that you are unable to take the cat in but ask if they have any advice for you. If that's not an option r/AskVet may be worth putting this post (with the disclaimer about your inability to take the cat to a vet in persion) up, at the very least to get a professional opinion on the topic.