The Mystery Kitty

Shoback was found running loose as a stray in a rural area of Wisconsin and brought to a shelter. The staff thought he might be a Sphynx and contacted SPCR. Four paw declawed and virtually naked, this poor kitty (breed completely unknown) is covered from nose to tail with sores and blackheads, like the worst possible full body acne. His foster mom has never seen anything like it in 20 years. Shoback is as sweet as he is sad looking…constantly purring and so happy to be somewhere safe, indoors and with plenty of food. He is currently being treated with a regimen of baths, antibiotics and salves but has a very long way to go. He will need to be seen by a specialist for his skin issues and more tests are ahead.

Updates

Shoback was renamed to Chupie.

7/17/2017 – The biopsy results came back as chronic folliculitis, meaning a very severe skin infection. The plan of action is medicated baths every few days and a course of antibiotics for a month and then reassess depending on results. Under the current regimen, more and more fur is developing, he’s eating and drinking great, normal stools and he’s just a sweet, loving guy who is easy to care for with all of this (fortunately ). The vet recommended we try the conservative approach and if we need the big gun specialists later that will be provided. So far so good!

8/20/2017 – Many of you have been asking for updates on Chupie a stray kitty with a horrific skin condition who came to SPCR from a local shelter. After spending some time with Kirsten, he was transferred to me about 10 days ago. NOTE–The photos may make you uncomfortable. Please use caution in viewing them. Know that in all of them HE WAS SEDATED, NOT FEELING ANY PAIN AND WAS SAFE. They were all taken while he was at my vet clinic on Friday. I was at his side the entire time. The veterinary staff at my clinic has more than 140 years of experience. No one has ever encountered anything like this. Until he can see the specialist, we have 2 primary goals. The first goal is manage his pain. The second goal is to reduce/eliminate the infection and manage the symptoms of his condition. Whatever is going on with Chupie causes him to develop massive abscesses over his body. They often appear within a few hours, filling with infectious material and then rupture. This happens nearly daily. Typically the abscesses are about the size of a nickel in diameter. The abscesses are often joined in tunnel-like fashion beneath the skin. Pushing on one you can literally see it move to another location. Additionally he is covered with black and white heads that enlarge and spread. We have done several cultures, a skin biopsy and blood work. Currently he is on antibiotics specific to the type of bacteria and infection present and is on two different pain medications. One of the pain medications must be given by a vet so 2-3 times per week we make a trip in to see Dr. Becky. Disturbed by the size and increase in abscesses on Friday, he was sedated, the abscesses lanced,drained and flushed. Simultaneously hundreds (yes, hundreds) of the black and white heads were expressed. The look and the smell is something that is hard to fathom unless you are there. We have done this each week the past 2 weeks. All is done to help his healing and to help him be more comfortable. Dr. Becky and CVT Missy have taken special interest in Chupie and are aggressive with their care. (Friday’s 15 minute appointment for a pain med injection and quick exam ended up being almost 2 hours.) At home I do the antibiotics, some of the pain meds and give him medicated baths plus apply a topical cleanser and antifungal liquid several times a day. Through it all Chupie continues to be a trooper. He purrs, wants to climb in my lap and be pet. He is eating well, perfect with his litterbox and has soft bedding with just enough texture that if he needs to rub on it to scratch, he can do so without causing more pain or damage to skin. We see a dermatology specialist on Tuesday. There are only 2 in the state. Please, please send positive wishes for him and hope that the doctor can provide us with answers to manage this condition to his benefit.