Self-harm in teenagers
Dec. 23rd, 2010 10:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stephbgPrincess is 13-14ish and so ripe for emo attacks of depression, masacara, black fashion, and self harm. Being a cat she struggles with the mascara and black wedding dresses, but is doing a bang-up job of self harm and associated emo.
We're only about 6 weeks in to the hypoallergenic food trial, and she's had one dose of flea treatment. Unfortunately she scratched her right ear last week and a little cut is turning into a bigger and bigger mess as she continues to scratch at the scabs as they heal. I've been washing the wound and today took a bit of a risk putting some human antiseptic cream on it. I'm also doing my best to keep up with her earwax problem.
Sigh.
She appreciates none of this, but has been reasonably complacent (mostly) as I've groomed her ears many times before. I'm thinking it might be time for some ear drops to dissolve the wax that's deeper in her ear, and perhaps some cortisol cream to stop her scratching as it heals. An antibiotic shot might also be called for.
She has a track record in self-destruction. When we first brought her home from the Cat Haven with the stitches from her spay, she tore out the stitches. We took her to the vet, who put in staples. Princess tore out the staples. We took her back to the vet, who had to knock her out, trim the edges of her now frayed surgical site, re-stitch, then put a bucket on her head for a few weeks.
Great way to bond with a new cat.
Tomorrow feels a bit premature to take her in to see the vet, but then that inconvenient Christmas thing comes along for a few days during which she might do some significant damage to herself or get an infection.
We're only about 6 weeks in to the hypoallergenic food trial, and she's had one dose of flea treatment. Unfortunately she scratched her right ear last week and a little cut is turning into a bigger and bigger mess as she continues to scratch at the scabs as they heal. I've been washing the wound and today took a bit of a risk putting some human antiseptic cream on it. I'm also doing my best to keep up with her earwax problem.
Sigh.
She appreciates none of this, but has been reasonably complacent (mostly) as I've groomed her ears many times before. I'm thinking it might be time for some ear drops to dissolve the wax that's deeper in her ear, and perhaps some cortisol cream to stop her scratching as it heals. An antibiotic shot might also be called for.
She has a track record in self-destruction. When we first brought her home from the Cat Haven with the stitches from her spay, she tore out the stitches. We took her to the vet, who put in staples. Princess tore out the staples. We took her back to the vet, who had to knock her out, trim the edges of her now frayed surgical site, re-stitch, then put a bucket on her head for a few weeks.
Great way to bond with a new cat.
Tomorrow feels a bit premature to take her in to see the vet, but then that inconvenient Christmas thing comes along for a few days during which she might do some significant damage to herself or get an infection.
