When Dryers Attack!

Everybody knows that cats love warm places, but not all warm places are appropriate places for a kitty to curl up. One of the most hazardous warm spots is the dryer, as the tumbling motion can cause internal and external damage, and the heat can cause severe injuries. Unfortunately, one of our patients found this out the hard way. He did survive to tell the "tail", and will happily make a full recovery. His mom gave us permission to share his story and pictures, to help others understand why it's so important to check before starting the dryer, and why you need to check immediately if you hear a thump or odd noise while it is running. Because Skippy is a Sphynx, which is an essentially hairless cat, the damage that can be done is immediately obvious.

Skippy's day began like any other. Eat, wander the house, get into mischief, curl up in a favorite spot to nap. The big problem, though, is that one of Skippy's favorite things to do was to "help" with laundry, and try to sneak in with it. Everybody knew to make sure he wasn't there when it was started, but one missed time is all it took....and Skippy went on a carnival ride he would have preferred to avoid. He only was in there for maybe 3 minutes, but that was more than enough time to do some damage.

At this point, Skippy is on a couple of pain medications, because keeping him comfortable will help him heal faster. He is also on an antibiotic to help prevent infections, as well as a salve for the burns themselves. So far he's doing very well, eating and drinking, although still moving a bit slower than normal. In the end, he'll heal up well, and hopefully remember never to sneak into the dryer again.

For those about to yell about bad kitty parents, let me explain that Skippy's mom is a very good kitty mom - she got him to the vet as soon as she was made aware of the situation. As awful as it all was, it was well and truly an accident. Knowing that Skippy liked to sneak into the dryer, everybody in the family always checked before turning it on, and this one time he was likely hiding amongst the towels, and just got missed. Because bumping and thumping was heard, the dryer was opened, and Skippy was saved. Always remember that accidents do happen, but that prompt medical attention can make all the difference!!!