Grey smooth looking blister

[Doodle]

Hi,

I have booked my cat in with the vet earliest appointment being tomorrow afternoon. In the meantime does anyone know what this might be?

Yesterday a white colour today grey smooth oval shaped thing looks like a blister attached to the inside of her leg just above the paw. She is limping and picks her foot up when sitting. I tried to look at it yesterday and got yowled at and this morning when the OH picked her up I couldn't get close before she went for me so she is obviously in pain. I don't think it's a tick - at least it doesn't look the same as the previous ones.

Thanks, Chris

[JohnRoss]

Could it be a reaction to a spider bite or even a snake bite? Vet's advice soonest for sure, hope all goes well.............JR

[Doodle]

Hi JR

It could possibly be a bite as we live in a small village in the countryside surrounded by fields and she digs for australia so she may well have been bitten. It worries me that the earliest appointment is tomorrow afternoon but she is eating and is out and about although when she jumped on the wall this morning she let out a loud yowl. Maybe we worry to much as this is a country cat which adopted us and we are used to town cats where the only worry was the traffic.

[JohnRoss]

Hi again. This table might be worth a look. Hope puss does ok...........JR

 http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2111&aid=424

[Doodle]

Thanks JR what an interesting site. I think she has probably been bitten. This morning the blister has gone and she is walking it seems without a limp however, touch the leg and she is not happy. I will let you know the outcome of the vet visit.

Thanks again Chris

[Théière]

Cats are so resilient and heal well just as long as it doesn't abscess

Good luck at the vets

[JohnRoss]

Maybe the vet will give antibiotics to be on the safe side and Vetadine to wipe on the area which we are told does not matter if they lick it off. Our vet stocks it so maybe yours will too. http://www.thevetshed.com.au/product_info.php/products_id/209 Yes do tell us how puss gets on.........................JR

PS Our kittens, Darty and Kulani and our adopted female Misty, send their regards.

[Doodle]

Hi JR,

Update on Dora, the vet said that it was a very large tick and also told us that some ticks can grow as large as a thumb nail but also (which we didn't see), it had buried itself over a claw the area of which was inflamed - no wonder she was limping - so he gave her a dose of antibiotics. She is back dancing around the garden, bright as a button thank goodness and perhaps tonight we will all sleep well.

Dora sends a big thank you to Darty, Kulani and Misty,

and thanks Theiere.

Chris

[Patf]

What you described did sound like a tick to me.

I've asked before, are there two kinds of tick: the little brown spider-like ones, and the fat grey leathery ones? Or do the brown ones develop into the grey ones?

Does anyone know?

[JohnRoss]

Misty had about 5 or 6 ticks on her ears when she came to us. They started white and changed colour to grey as they inflated with blood one must assume. I took them off with a tick removing tool obtained from the local pharmacy. When full I guess they drop off and lie in wait for their next food bar as it were! One is always concerned about the possibility of Lyme disease with tick bites. Because of symptoms I had some time ago I was tested for Lyme disease and antibodies were found but not enough to indicate that I actually had it. A friend living a short distance away was not so lucky. Glad Dora is feeling better............JR 

PS List of symptoms in cats for Lyme disease here. http://www.cat-health-guide.org/lyme-disease-in-cats.html Glad to say Misty has shown no signs of this so far. One of these antibiotics can be used for Lyme disease in cats, maybe this is what your puss was given. Amoxicillin, Doxycycline and Tetracycline

 

[Théière]

Sounds awful, how big are these ticks? A friend of mine got a sheep tick years ago and that was nasty.

 

[Polly]

For the OP and anyone else who doesn't know what ticks look like in the various stages of their life cycle there is a wealth of info available on line

see for example http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/images/tick.php which shows you common UK ticks

or http://www.tiques.fr/ which will help anyone wanting to improve their French vocabulary concerning ticks! Click

There are different species of tick.

[Théière]

Polly your links didn't work for me

http://www.tiques.fr/index.html

http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/images/tick.php

Lets try that [:)]

Too important to miss

 

[Polly]

[quote user="Théière"]

Polly your links didn't work for me

[/quote]

Ok, let's try these :

http://www.tiques.fr/index.html

http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/images/tick.php

That's weird, they work OK on safari but not as a link from here on Firefox! Try copying and pasting

[Suninfrance]

http://www.tickinfo.com/

Down the left hand side after "contact us" is a list of tick species.

[Merlin]

I often find that after you remove a tick from the dogs, it leave quite a nasty lump which can hang around for aages.  At first I thought it was because I had left the head in........ but no, I always use a tire tick implement anyway, no I think it's just the after effects of the nasty jaws of these blighters.  So, I use tee tree oil a lot for small wounds on the animals and find it disinfects and heals like no other, doesn't sting on open bites either - good stuff.  Also did you know that if you get some Neem oil, mix it with warm water in a spray bottle and spray immediately on the dogs' coats, it puts ticks off arriving in the first place - not an offensive smell (bit earthy) but you can mix it with some drops of lavender oil if necessary.  Neem oil works on aphids on your roses also...... totally non chemical so kind to all things.  Just some natural remedy tips that I know work for my animals - I hate all things chemical and they're not 100% anyway.

[Megan le Fey]

I haven't seen the fat grey ones here yet but when I lived in South Africa there were several different types of ticks, including the fat grey leathery ones which are not so fat when they are still hungry. Full ones are about the size of a ladies little finger nail and fat, grey/blue and leathery describes them perfectly. I am pretty sure there is a larval stage but whether your particular brown one is its own species or the larval stage of another, I couldn't guess.

[Megan le Fey]

Sorry, duplicate.