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Unwavering Care: Benny's Triumph Over Trauma at Shepton and Wells Vets

A British Blue called Benny was seen by us recently. Sadly, for him, he had been in some unknown traumatic incident that had caused extensive wounds over his left hind leg. He was therefore extremely painful on his leg and struggling to walk. Fortunately, he had not suffered any bony damage, which was confirmed by x-rays. There were multiple wounds each causing extensive damage, including tearing some deep muscles. The wounds were explored and cleaned thoroughly. Due to the deep wounds, a drain was placed in the hope to drain any fluid which tried to fill the space. The wounds were sutured up.

A few days later after extensive antibiotic coverage and pain relief, an out of hours call came from his dedicated owners. Benny’s wound had begun to breakdown and flesh was visible. The theory was then he had begun to interfere with his wound. He was booked in the next day for repeat surgery to assess the damage and hopefully repair it. This is when I met him. Benny was a sweet cat, but understandably unhappy to be back at the vets. He was anaesthetised and we were able to exam the wounds better. There was pus visible, and the first course of action is to flush the wound rigorously. During the handling of the skin, it was extremely friable. Minimal movement caused the skin to break apart, making the new wounds even larger. The injured muscle was not healing well also. The wound was obviously infected, even on antibiotics, but also, its tissue integrity was compromised. I spoke to the owner and informed them of our findings.

We agreed to re-suture it but with the real risk of it breaking down again, and you may start to run out of skin to close a wound. I removed all dead tissue and closed the wound but left a gap to allow any pus/discharge to drain out. This meant the wound would take significantly to longer to heal. With huge attention to detail from the owners and regular checks here at Shepton Vets, his leg healed with minimal bumps in the road.

Cases are not always straightforward and whatever attacked this poor cat had done some considerable damage. Benny is back to enjoying himself at home and the hair is beginning to grow back to cover the now historical trauma.

- Vet Harry

Benny's story exemplifies the intricate nature of veterinary care. Through collaboration between our team and Benny's devoted owners, his wounds, no matter how severe, found the path to healing. At Shepton and Wells Vets, we love overcoming challenges, ensuring every pet's journey to health is supported with unwavering dedication. Benny now thrives, showcasing the resilience of both animals and the care they receive here.