When treating cats for various diseases, drops at the withers or injections are often prescribed. Where is this place in the animal and how to conduct such procedures? About where the cat has a withers , as well as how to put medicine on it, read the article.
Where is
The withers - this part of the animal’s body, located behind his head, where the neck ends and the back begins. It is this place in the common people called the "scruff". If you want to know exactly where a withers cat has , look at how these animals carry their cubs. Pets do this always the same. The place for which the mother takes her kittens with her teeth is the withers. Holds the cat by the scruff and the cat during mating.
Structure
So, what is the withers, and where is the cat located , we found out. How is this part of the animal’s body arranged? The first 5 thoracic vertebrae form the bony base of the withers . They have spinous processes that give shape to this part of the body. The skin in this place in the animal is very thin and elastic. That is why kittens do not feel any pain at the moment when the mother takes them by the scruff with her teeth. The ostomy processes of the vertebrae have different heights. Due to this, the withers of the animal are slightly arched in shape.
Under the skin in this place is fatty tissue. Next come the muscles (semi-axial, rhomboid, trapezius, etc.). Joint joints at the withers are found only in the spine itself. The shoulder blades of a cat are attached to the body exclusively with the help of muscles and tendons. This determines the extraordinary flexibility of the animal and its ability to make almost lightning-fast jumps.
Due to the special method of fastening the front limbs, it is undesirable to take a cat for them and lift them up in weight. The animal at the same time experiences severe discomfort. It is much more correct to keep the pet behind the shoulder blades in the chest area when lifting.
The withers of a cat, where it is not too sensitive to burns , is still a relatively problematic place. After all, next to it is the neck of the animal . Any serious injury to this part of the body can lead to health problems or even death of a pet . Therefore, in case of damage to the withers, the owners should show their pet to the veterinarian as soon as possible.
Advantage of drops
More recently, fleas in a cat could only be withdrawn using various shampoos. Today in pet stores selling all kinds of sprays against parasites, as well as drops in capsules. When using the latter, the medicine is usually applied precisely to the withers of the animal. This method is a guarantee that the cat will not lick the drug, will not reach it with its paw and will not recover. Where the withers of a cat is understandable. In fact, this is the highest place of the back. Therefore, after application, the drug is distributed relatively evenly by gravity along the back of the animal and its sides, which ensures the best effect. Of course, in order for the drug to work as efficiently as possible, it should be used correctly.
Preparation for treatment
Thus, now the reader knows where the withers of the cat. How to find it if you need to use the medicine is a simple matter. However, when using the drops themselves, several important rules should be followed. Firstly, a cat should not be bathed for 2-3 days before using the medicine and for 2-3 days after that. Secondly, before using the drops, the withers of the animal must be carefully examined. If there are large injuries and wounds on it, it is better to refuse to use the medicine. In case of unsuccessful circumstances, in this case, the insecticide can get the animal into the blood, which will lead to poisoning.
Performing the application procedure itself, the cat should be carefully held with the left hand behind the back. You should not drip the medicine to a worried something, an outburst or an angry animal. The cat may twitch during the procedure to run away, and the drops will fall on the body too low. As a result, subsequently, the animal will be able to reach them. Wait for your pet to calm down.
How do cats drip flea drops at the withers correctly
The instructions for applying the drops are simple. In order to do everything correctly:
spread the hair on the animal’s neck closer to the base of the skull;
completely squeeze the product from the capsule onto the skin in the region of the highest spinous process;
Lightly pound the drops so that they do not drain sideways.
After using the drug, the animal, as already mentioned, is not recommended to bathe for several days. Also, do not brush your cat. Well, of course, a couple of days should not be stroking the pet on the head and back. Otherwise, the medicine may fall into the hands and subsequently cause poisoning in the host. Some varieties of flea medications can also cause irritation to human skin.
What is a withers? Convenient place for injections
A very common medical procedure in the treatment of animals is subcutaneous injection. Such injections are less painful than intramuscular, and provide a high speed of action of drugs. Subcutaneous injections are given to cats in the withers area. After all, here the animal has the most thin and elastic skin. In addition, the skin of a cat in this place is less sensitive. And consequently, the pet will not have so much pain . To everything else, as a result of capturing a cat by the scruff of hers, the instinct of submission is turned on. Therefore, the animal resists less.
How to make an injection at the withers correctly
It is best to inject medicine to an animal with an assistant. This procedure is performed as follows:
The cat is laid on its side on a table with its back to itself. The assistant should hold the animal by its hind legs and back.
With the left hand they pull the skin at the withers with a fold.
Make an injection, directing the needle parallel to the back.
If there is no assistant, you can not put the cat on its side . In this case, it will be more convenient to put it on the floor or on the sofa. An injection is made to the animal by pressing it with the elbow of the left hand and simultaneously pulling the skin with your fingers. Finding where the cat has a withers, in which case it will be easy. The injection itself is done by inserting the needle by no more than a third. Use for injection is only for children or insulin syringes.
Wounds to the withers
Most often, such damage appears in animals during mating. A cat rarely leaves wounds at the withers of a cat, but sometimes this still happens. To heal around the damage, you first need to trim the coat. Next, rinse the wound with hydrogen peroxide. You can also use Terramycin Spray or Zelenka.
Old wounds with traces of inflammation should be treated with antibiotics. It can be, for example, ointment "Mizofenom". It is applied to a napkin and applied to the wound. Then do a bandage dressing. But of course it’s better not to bring inflammation. If the damaged area is swollen and reddened or pus protrudes from it, you should immediately consult a specialist.
Interesting fact
Where cats have their withers, and what injuries a pet receives in the scruff area most often, is thus understandable. This place is significant for the animal organism. Among other things, the withers also have one very interesting property. The fact that kittens calm down immediately after the cat takes them by the scruff of the neck, hang quietly and do not try to break out, is well known. Why is this happening? Why do kittens hang in the mother’s teeth like lifeless “bags” in the fetal position? In fact, this behavior is due primarily to the presence in the brain of cats of a special zone. As soon as the animal is taken by the scruff, certain impulses begin to come from here, soothing it. At the same time, the cerebellum gives the cat a signal to adopt a characteristic pose.
Scientists believe that such a mechanism developed in these animals during evolution. After all, just like that, a cat will not transfer its offspring from place to place. She does this only when her children are in danger. A screaming, attention-grabbing kitten in nature simply significantly reduces the chances of survival.
Instead of a conclusion
Well, we hope that we have answered in sufficient detail the question of what the withers is and where it is with a cat. This place differs from the rest of the animal’s body primarily by more elastic and less sensitive skin. But, despite this fact, it’s not worth taking an adult animal by the scruff and lifting it on a weight. The body weight of an adult cat is much greater than that of a kitten. And despite the not too high sensitivity of the skin, the animal will certainly feel great discomfort or even pain with such treatment.