One of the most common accidents is a cut or laceration that causes bleeding. Bandage material, cleaning agents and anticoagulant powder (for nails that have been cut too short) take care of most minor wounds. Larger wounds should be seen by a vet.

WHAT YOU AND YOUR VET CAN DO

If a cat is bleeding the principle is the same for pets and people. Apply direct pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding. It is best to use gauze or a clean bandage, but anything available — including your hand — will do if necessary. Release the pressure after a couple of minutes.

If the bleeding stops, access the wound. Use clippers or scissors to remove hair from the area, then take an iodine-type soap and clean up wound. Rinse it out again with hydrogen peroxide. If there is a lot of hair surrounding the wound, before you clip the hair; coat it with water-soluble KY jelly. The hairs will stick to the jelly and not to the wound and will be much easier to wash away. Cover minor wounds with gauze and reassess them the next morning. Always give your vet a call just to be sure.

If the bleeding doesn’t stop, continue applying direct pressure to the wound while on your way to the vet. For foot wounds, once the cat has been treated by your vet, placing a clean sock over the paw helps keep the dressing clean. Use adhesive tape to secure the sock in place.

If you think your cat might bite you because he is hurt, scared, and in pain, protect yourself by wrapping her head in a towel. Don’t leave the towel on too long or wrap it too tightly.

FACT: An Elizabethan collar helps prevent cats from traumatizing a wound but most cats don’t like them.

COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY

HERBAL REMEDIES

Calendula (Marigold) lotion- 6 drops of Calendula tincture in 2 tablespoons of water. Apply to the wound, cover with gauze, and tape the gauze to the skin. This will decrease pain.

Calendula-hypericum ointment applied to a minor wound will promote healing. Leave the wound open.

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES

Calendula 6x is often recommended for superficial wounds. One tablet twice daily promotes healing.

Arnica decreases bruising.

If the wound becomes infected, Hepar sulphuris helps to heal the infection.

Rescue Remedy, 1-2 drops in your cat’s mouth or food or water dish is calming and will help him/her to relax.

Comfort. A little tender loving care (TLC) can help calm your cat and spead the healing process.

In these dark, cold days of August (isn’t it hard to believe it is summer?) tiny golden suns adorn our herb-garden at Herbal Tinctures Supplies. They bring a joyful blaze to the garden, and I am always amazed at how versatile these commonly-seen flowers are.

Marigold (Calendula Officinalis) is one of the most wonderful, and probably underestimated herbal remedies available. Skin inflammation, bruising, strains, cuts and wounds,minor burns and scalds,skin ulcers, all are healed safely and quickly with Marigold flower ointment or lotion, or, in the case of muscle-strains, with warm herbal poltices. For internal use, Marigold, taken as a tea or herbal tincture has excellent results with duodenal or gastric ulcers,indigestion, (if the stomach is very sensitive, a tea may be gentler to take than an alcohol-based tincture, or if a tincture is preferred, it is easy to ‘take the edge off’ the small amount of alcohol by adding the dose to a herbal tea, for example, peppermint, spearmint or camomile)

Marigold is also classed as a ‘cholagogue’. That means it stimulates the secretion of bile from the gall-bladder (which can have great beneficial effect in gall-bladder complaints.) And as a result, is mildly laxative, which aids detoxification of the whole system, gently and without side-effect.

It is known as an ‘emmenagogue’ (this means it tones the womb, and can help normalize menstrual irregularities.) n.b. please be careful when taking herbal remedies during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Seek professional advice.

And, most interesting of all, Marigold has anti-fungal properties, so is the herb which is most useful in cases of Thrush or Candida albicans. Taken internally, as a tea or tincture three times a day, it will help tremendously to banish fungal infections. For Vaginal Thrush, a douche made with a herbal infusion of Marigold is a natural way to help clear this uncomfortable problem.(1-2 teaspoonfuls to 1 cup of boiling water:steep 15 minutes: allow to cool to body temperature.)

It tastes quite bitter as a tea, but apparently the bitter taste affects a certain nervous system response which actually helps the herb to work! (Or that’s what we’re told in order for us to take our medicine!) As a tincture, it is much easier and more convenient to take.

Marigold contains Lutein and Zeaxanthin, which according to a study published in The American Journal of Nutrition, have a role in the prevention of degenerative eye problems, such as Cataracts and Macular Degeneration. It has also been discovered that Lutein lowers the incidence of Mammary Tumours (as a result of a study of laboratory mice.)

Wow! What a flower!