Re: Wherefore art thou, Othello? (bandaid hints)
Well, I have an in-depth study of band-aids going on around here. I can offer my best tips: The Nexcare Comfort strips are the BEST bandaids made. They even make them in "Oh my god, I'm going to bleed to death" sizes. The huge 2x4" ones are awesome to keep on hand. If you need it bigger, use a gauze pad and cut the foot part of a nice snug fitting sock off, and use it as a armband/legband to hold it in place (I find my hands/arms usually get it the most, though I've had a few on my thighs too, as well as many face and chest ones). I have permanent scars from a few good ones. Here's the trick to get even the deepest cat scratches to heal in 3 days or less: 1. Clean it WELL when first done. Get in the shower if you have to, use antibacterial soap, and WASH it very thoroughly. You should be bleeding MORE after you are done than you were to begin with. 2. Get the Bactine liquid, the kind in the squeeze bottle, and blot at it with a cotton ball, this helps with the stinging. 3. Choose a bandaid that will completely cover the scratch, preferably one with the sticky part all the way around the pad, so it seals the medicine in, and the dirt out. 4. Use a generous glob of Neosporin on the scratch. 5. Squirt a bit of the Bactine liquid ONTO the bandaid pad, so it is WET, but just the pad is wet, don't over do it and get the adhesive part wet. 6. Apply the wet Bactine bandaid to the cut that is globbed with Neosporin. If your scratch looks gaping, like it might could use stitches, use the bandaid to pull the two side together, apply one side first, pull it over the wound and adhere the second side to the skin on the other side of the wound, but pull it tighter than you normally would, so it pulls the scratch closed as it covers it. 7. If you're dealing with a thigh scratch, take into consideration if you spend more time sitting, or standing, and apply the bandaid in the position you will be in most of the time, as the skin on the thighs moves a LOT from a sitting position to a standing one, and a bandaid applied while sitting will pucker once you stand up. Puckering is bad, because it mis-aligns the two wound edges by placing more tension on one side then the other. 8. Leave it on as long as it will stay on. If it comes loose, immediately make another one just like the first one. Sleep with it on, KEEP it covered and WET, if you shower/bathe, take it off as soon as you get in the tub (not before), and immediately dry the skin around it and reapply a new one as soon as you get out, it HAS to stay moist at all times. If it dries out, squirt some more Bactine on the outside of the pad (the Nexcare strips allow it to pass through to the pad from the back side if applied carefully). That's the trick. Wounds allowed to dry out form scabs, scabbed wounds heal slower than clean edged wounds (and they scar more). Phaewryn PLEASE Adopt a cat from Little Cheetah Cat Rescue!!!http://ucat.us/adopt.html DONATE: We could really use a power saw (for construction), a digital camera (for pictures) and HOMES for CATS! No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.9.7/379 - Release Date: 6/29/2006
Re: Wherefore art thou, Othello? (bandaid hints)
Thank you very much, Phaewryn, for taking the time to write this out. This is very good information...and I can see very well that it was born of painful experience. I'm printing this out to keep it handy...and shopping tomorrow for bactine and Nextcare Comfort strips. I keep a pretty good first aid kit otherwise - but these sounds like true necessities. Thank you for all you do for the kitties. elizabeth In a message dated 6/30/2006 10:53:08 P.M. Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Well, I have an in-depth study of band-aids going on around here. I can offer my best tips: The Nexcare Comfort strips are the BEST bandaids made. They even make them in "Oh my god, I'm going to bleed to death" sizes. The huge 2x4" ones are awesome to keep on hand. If you need it bigger, use a gauze pad and cut the foot part of a nice snug fitting sock off, and use it as a armband/legband to hold it in place (I find my hands/arms usually get it the most, though I've had a few on my thighs too, as well as many face and chest ones). I have permanent scars from a few good ones. Here's the trick to get even the deepest cat scratches to heal in 3 days or less: 1. Clean it WELL when first done. Get in the shower if you have to, use antibacterial soap, and WASH it very thoroughly. You should be bleeding MORE after you are done than you were to begin with. 2. Get the Bactine liquid, the kind in the squeeze bottle, and blot at it with a cotton ball, this helps with the stinging. 3. Choose a bandaid that will completely cover the scratch, preferably one with the sticky part all the way around the pad, so it seals the medicine in, and the dirt out. 4. Use a generous glob of Neosporin on the scratch. 5. Squirt a bit of the Bactine liquid ONTO the bandaid pad, so it is WET, but just the pad is wet, don't over do it and get the adhesive part wet. 6. Apply the wet Bactine bandaid to the cut that is globbed with Neosporin. If your scratch looks gaping, like it might could use stitches, use the bandaid to pull the two side together, apply one side first, pull it over the wound and adhere the second side to the skin on the other side of the wound, but pull it tighter than you normally would, so it pulls the scratch closed as it covers it. 7. If you're dealing with a thigh scratch, take into consideration if you spend more time sitting, or standing, and apply the bandaid in the position you will be in most of the time, as the skin on the thighs moves a LOT from a sitting position to a standing one, and a bandaid applied while sitting will pucker once you stand up. Puckering is bad, because it mis-aligns the two wound edges by placing more tension on one side then the other. 8. Leave it on as long as it will stay on. If it comes loose, immediately make another one just like the first one. Sleep with it on, KEEP it covered and WET, if you shower/bathe, take it off as soon as you get in the tub (not before), and immediately dry the skin around it and reapply a new one as soon as you get out, it HAS to stay moist at all times. If it dries out, squirt some more Bactine on the outside of the pad (the Nexcare strips allow it to pass through to the pad from the back side if applied carefully). That's the trick. Wounds allowed to dry out form scabs, scabbed wounds heal slower than clean edged wounds (and they scar more). Phaewryn PLEASE Adopt a cat from Little Cheetah Cat Rescue!!!http://ucat.us/adopt.html DONATE: We could really use a power saw (for construction), a digital camera (for pictures) and HOMES for CATS!
Re: Wherefore art thou, Othello? (bandaid hints)
LOL, yeah, well, I have a day job that requires I use my fingers and hands all day, repetitively, so any painful cat scratch is a torment all day. Lots of trail and error. There's a story behind every scar though, someday, when I'm an old lady, and my great-grandkids visit me, I will be able to tell them all about each of them. :) Phaewryn PLEASE Adopt a cat from Little Cheetah Cat Rescue!!!http://ucat.us/adopt.html DONATE: We could really use a power saw (for construction), a digital camera (for pictures) and HOMES for CATS! No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.9.8/381 - Release Date: 7/3/2006
