No one knows what events caused this sweet-tempered cat to seek shelter under the hood of a Portland car one day in April 2009. After the rescuer realized his engine had caused serious burns on her back, he brought her to the Northwest Veterinary Specialist. The hospital staff contacted CAT’s Hospital Manager Ed Pashkin. CAT is well known as a facility that routinely treats strays with serious medical conditions.
CAT’s veterinary director Dr. Wendi Rekers, Ed, and the hospital staff’s first welcoming gesture was to name their new patient Burnadette, a sure sign that she was going to be not only OK but very well taken care of and guided back to a healthy secure life. The skin on her back was thoroughly examined for characteristic thermal burn signs of blisters, redness, and pain and this led to a diagnosis of a second degree burn covering an area measuring six centimeters by eight centimeters.
The degree of a burn describes how deep the actual wound is. First degree burns are superficial, affecting only the top layer of the skin (the epidermis). Second degree burns affect a deeper layer of the skin (the dermis), which is the location of most nerve endings and sweat glands.
Luckily for Burnadette, her deepest skin layer, the fat layer, which includes actual nerves and blood vessels, was not affected. Since all burns are serious and considered emergencies, everyone involved with Burnadette’s case was aware that without immediate care she was susceptible to infection, dehydration and shock.
During the course of Burnadette’s diagnosis and treatment, CAT Hospital staff were surprised by her good natured acceptance of being handled during medical procedures. She was given the “Meet Your Match” designation “sidekick” because of her obvious enjoyment of human company.
Three days after diagnosis, surgery was performed to remove the burned skin layers and to close the healthy skin layers over the damaged area.
Since the skin is the body’s first line of defense, all precautions for sterility had to be taken to prevent infection including a 14-day course of antibiotics. Second degree burns like Burnadette’s heal well because new skin can grow from the dermis.
Ed considers Burnadette one of his favorite patients. He was amazed that she was not emotionally scarred by her experience. She was always ready to have her cheeks rubbed and her head available for petting. Her even tempered, sweet personality made treating her a pleasure.
Burnadette, the sleek yellow-eyed black cat, was adopted in August 2009 by Liz Pysar of Portland, who read Burnadette’s story at CAT’s web site. Liz wanted to adopt a second cat as a companion for her male cat, Mr. Furley. After one day at home, Burnadette was relaxed and comfortable. Liz finds CAT’s designation of “sidekick” fits her perfectly. She follows her around the house and is curious about everything around her. She’s Liz’s steady companion and good company for Mr. Furley. Burnadette enjoys sitting in the window where her curiosity about the outdoors leads Liz to believe that she might have been an outdoor cat. Although a small scar is the only visible remnant of her physical trauma.
written by Nancy Contolini, CAT volunteer