Note: Havoc's tumor recurred along the bottom edge of previous surgery to remove it, in several spots -- the biggest
tumor that opened and started draining was on his side, several inches back from his withers and a little way down
from the spine. That's why his bandage has the pad on the side -- you may need to adjust this concept to cover your
cats tumor wherever it is. The basic ideas hold, however, to get two belly straps, and a reinforced backstrap to
support wherever you have to put your pad over the tumor.
Materials Needed (in addition to one loved cat)
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Soft fabric with a little stretch but not too much (may need to experiment). I used an old pair of riding
britches with 4 way stretch, roughly 5% lycra in cotton/poly mix. If you have too much stretch, you may be
able to reduce it by adding another layer. I had to use two layers with the fabric I had.
Empty 2 liter coke bottle or perhaps empty milk bottle. (and scissors! <g>)
Package of iron on hem binding. (and iron & ironing board! <g>)
1/2 inch wide velcro.
Marking pen, like a sharpie -- anything you can mark the location of the pad on the vetwrap with later or
mark where you need to modify the pattern.
4 inch wide vetwrap (any feed or horse store, approx. $2.00, or from any vet that treats horses)
Hand needle and thread. Some small paperclips.
Maxi pads if tumor is oozing a lot, panty liners if very little fluid oozing. Diapers work also -- anything that
will keep the skin/pad surface relatively dry and wick the moisture into the pad. Can be cut to size, be sure
to extend beyond the tumor roughly an inch or more on all sides (you'll figure out the best way with a little
experimentation). If you cut maxi pads or diapers, use some masking tape longwise along the cut edge to
seal it -- these have grainy absorbant in them that will fall out if you don't. Run the first line of tape half on
the pad, half off, along the cut edge. Lay another line of tape half on the piece you just put on, half off, then
fold over the cut edge and press on the backside to seal the open end(s).
Making the Bandage
Optional: Vetwrap can be used to get your first "pattern." It is very stretchy -- do NOT pull against the cat to get it
off the roll as you apply it! You'll make it too tight that way. You want this bandage to be snug, but not tight, so
don't use much of the stretch in the vetwrap. Place the pad you'll use over the open tumor after you've flushed it and
put antibiotic ointment on it, with the pad adhesive out of course. Wrap cat around the body from front legs all the
way to the back legs, using the entire roll of vetwrap.
Press the vetwrap firmly all over the cat (it sticks to itself).
The next day, carefully decide where you are going to cut the vetwrap when you are ready to make your bandage or
need to clean the tumor -- you want to cut it about 2 inches away from the tumor edge, and not where the backstrap
will be on the cats spine. Just to the side and about 1 to 2 inches below the spine is fine, it all depends on where your
pad needs to be. (see diagram)
Carefully cut the vetwrap off along that line from front to back of cat. Use this for your pattern. Just remember that
the vetwrap edges just meet -- you actually want the two sides to overlap so your velcro is totally on the fabric and
no strips hanging off the fabric (more comfortable for the cat and less chance of matting hair).
Mark where your pad is, or needs to be. Then you can cut out as much of the vetwrap as possible, leaving only about
1 1/4" belly bands, about 1 inch backstrap on either side of the cut you just made.... also leave a patch to hold the
pad of course -- make the patch roughly an inch bigger than the pad on all sides.
You can then put velcro on the edges to try this pattern and see how it wears. The velcro will have to bring the two
edges together. Cutting out as much of the "bandage" as you can makes this more comfortable for him to wear, and
allows him free access to groom most areas -- but keeps him from biting or scratching at the tumor itself that will be
covered by the pad and patch of vetwrap.
Cut out a long strip from the plastic bottle that you can tack onto the outside of one of the backstraps. Make it a little
SHORTER than the backstrap so the edges won't touch the cat and irritate him. Tack it in place with the needle and
thread. That will keep the bandage from riding up his back or sliding backwards.
You may also find that your cat has pushed up a bit of the vetwrap by his hind legs, under the belly -- if you cut out
the rolled or smooshed up fabric, it will be more comfortable for him.
Make the bandage: Use the vetwrap bandage to lay on top of your fabric and mark the fabric accordingly. Be sure
to pull it just a little so its slightly stretched as it would be on the cat. ADD about 4 inches to the width of one
backstrap (so it can overlap the other backstrap, and yet you'll have room to adjust if the fabric stretches a bit or is a
little too tight). If you chose to not make a vetwrap pattern, you can measure the circumference of your cats barrel
just behind his front legs, just in front of his hind legs, and also the length of his back between those two
measurements. Use those measurements to make a pattern along the same lines as discussed with the vetwrap.
Cut out TWO patterns.
Cut out another plastic strip from the bottle, that is just a little shorter and a little thinner than the narrow backstrap.
Try this pattern on the cat and see if it seems like it will fit, and the two edges overlap appropriately.
Lay one pattern out, place the iron on hem binding all over it and very close to the edges. Be sure to place the plastic
between the two layers of the narrow backstrap with hem binding on both sides of the plastic before you iron that
backstrap together. Carefully lay the second pattern on top of the first so they're lined up.
Iron the two patterns together long enough that the hem binding glues them together. You may need to iron a few
spots again after you first try it, see where the peices want to come apart.
Tack the velcro on -- just use a couple of stitches or use the paperclips, this may be temporary if you need to make
the bandage tighter or looser. It helps to put the hook side of the velcro facing up, away from the cat, on the
backstrap that will be beneath the other. Then the fuzzy velcro goes in matching locations on the underside of what
will be the top backstrap -- that way the hook velcro won't try to catch on your cat's hair as your trying to close the
bandage.
Test it: See how well the bandage works. If needed, you can use paperclips to hold the velcro on, and also a couple
to hold the pad in place -- just try to place them with the cats comfort in mind and so they won't poke the tumor
either.
You may need to use this as the new pattern, and make a totally new bandage, adjusting so it fits properly based on
how your testing goes.
Once you're sure the bandage works, you may want to sew the velcro on better so it won't pull off over time.