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Should I worry about this mysterious scab on my cat's neck?

kiripin — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 11:42:09 -0800

My cat, Mint, has a round scab on the back of her neck, right between her shoulderblades. It seems to have spontaneously appeared a couple of nights ago. Possibly unnecessary photos here. Google results all seem to suggest it's an allergic reaction to a food (possible) or a vaccine (she hasn't been to the vet lately). I checked for more wounds, but couldn't find any. Her sister, Clover, is unscathed, as far as I can tell.

Of possible relevance:

We moved 6 weeks ago, but I don't think that's the problem. Both cats seem happier in the new place. Mint, in particular, mellowed out a lot.
I took Clover to the vet a couple weeks ago, and when she returned, Mint hissed at her for a few days. Soon after that, my husband woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of fighting cats, saying it sounded like it was coming from inside the house. It is possible that our cats fought, but that was after they'd gone back to being their usual cuddly selves. We do have some ferals hanging around the house, and I've heard them fighting in the yard in the middle of the night.
I'm pretty sure it wasn't there long before I found it--Mint loves being scratched between her shoulderblades.
They're indoor cats, but Clover has ventured out onto the porch. Could she have brought something in with her (fleas?) in the couple minutes she was outside?

There's been no change in either cat's behavior. Am I worrying about nothing> Should I have this checked out by the vet, or just let it heal on its own? She's not scratching at it, and it only seems to bother her when I inadvertently touch it.

What can I put on my lips to help them heal?

suncoursing — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:18:30 -0800

What can I put on my lips to help them heal? After a bout with Stevens-Johnson syndrome, the skin on my lips blistered off. Since then, they've been a bloody mess.

About once a day, the scab will get so thick that it will crack when I eat, talk, or laugh, and then the scab falls off and I get blood on everything until another scab forms. This can't be a good thing; it would take forever for a wound to heal if I picked to scab off every day, and that's effectively what I'm doing to my lips. If this were anywhere else, I'd use a hydrocolloid bandage like Tegaderm or Duodoerm, or maybe a liquid bandage, but there's no way I'm going to be able to get a bandage to stay on my lips, and liquid bandages are basically superglue, which is probably not the best thing to put on my lips.

I've tried the usual stuff people put on their lips, like vaseline, aquaphor, chapstick, burt's, etc., and those don't seem to help. Any ideas?

Tips for crossing the picket line

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 11:01:50 -0800

I work in an office that is union-organized and my job is a union title. Our contract renewal is being bargained right now. I want to be prepared to cross the line if we go on strike. I do not personally belong to the union, although I pay dues because my state is not "right to work". The last time the contract was being renewed, I found out that the union can penalize you financially if you cross the picket line while still a member. I think I should be able to make my own decision, so I resigned from the union. I've never asked for a refund of any dues.

If we go on strike, I will cross the line if I feel the company is being reasonable in their offers. I do not need advice on whether to cross or not.

What I need advice on is how to prepare for crossing, what to expect after crossing and how to deal with problems it may cause. I already plan to take the train to work instead of driving so there is no car around to be vandalized (not thinking the union itself would do anything, but we have some overzealous coworkers). Any contact info they may have for me is out of date by several years. There are a few people I work with that I am friends with. Some of those relationships may be hurt, but I am prepared to deal with that. I've talked with some of them about this.

Based on the reactions I got when I resigned and the way some people have treated me since, I assume some people will be rude to me and I'll be harassed when leaving work from time to time. That is fine, too.

Again, I do not need advice on whether to cross or not.

If you want to email me privately, write me at helpcrossing at gmail.com please. Thanks

strike protocol

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:46:12 -0800

My co-workers are on strike. Should I go to work? I work at a state university. My co-workers are on strike. I'm in a different union than the workers that are on strike. In the years I've worked for the university I've never heard a peep from my union so I don't think that they're an organization I'll look to for guidance.

I'm not sure if going to work is crossing a picket line. I'm not even sure whether the striking union intends the picket to discourage other workers from coming to work. We work for the state so actions are designed to influence the political process more than they're designed to inflict economic pain. The strike is time-limited. If the union intended for the strike to have any bite they would have chosen a different time of year.

So am I crossing a picket line if I go to work? What was the protocol for something like this back when unions were strong? I know that the Teamsters would sometimes refuse to deliver to struck companies but that was a decision taken by the union rather than an individual worker.
Just to be clear I'm not asking about whether I should cross a picket line. If there a clear picket line in a traditional strike, there's no way I would cross it.
You can use picketquestion@gmail.com for follow-ups.

Ow

lunasol — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:31:17 -0800

Could this scab be infected? I bit it on the street in front of my house on Sunday, and scraped up my elbow (classic case of road rash). I soaked the wound for about a half hour or so, and cleaned it with soap and water, but there were still some dirt particles that would not come off.

Two days later, the wound had developed a nice, if painful, dry scab. It hurt like hell, but seemed to be healing. Yesterday, I noticed the scab was yellowish, but still dry. I have been applying antibiotic ointment and trying to keep it clean.

Today, however, two tiny parts of the scab have broken and started leaking yellow pus. The scab still hurts. It has, however, been getting a bit smaller.

I don't have any of the other signs of infection: no red line to my heart, no growing pinkish area, no heat, no bad smell.

I know that you are not my doctor, but to be honest, I would rather not spend the $50 emergency-room copay if this is "normal."

So I guess I'm not asking if it's infected, but whether or not this is "normal," or if it's something that requires immediate medical attention.

How do I get this scabby dry skin to heal?

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:48:50 -0800

How do I get this scabby dry skin to heal? Anon because it's in my groin and itches like hell... For the last five years I've had the same patch of skin which is very dry and itchy. I regularally end up scratching it so much it bleeds. Even at it's very best it has a couple of minor scabs on it.

I've seen a couple of doctors and they've both told me that it's a sweat rash. They've given me cream (that doesn't work) and packed me on my way. I'd tend to believe them because the only time it's ever really been comfortable was on holiday - two weeks of wearing swim shorts, lying in very dry heat and dipping in the pool. It doesn't move around or grow, it just exists.

Diagnostically I think I'm sorted.

So I'm turning to you guys because I want to clear it up. Doctors seem unable to help, can you? I know YANMD, and I'll take any type of answer you throw at me...

Creams (like Lush's grapeseed based Cosmetic Lad) ease the itch but not enough to hel me heal. Talc helps a lot, but only for very short periods. Petrolium jelly type things make up feel uncomfortable.

What else can I try?

How are Stewart and Colbert back on the air when the strike is still on? (derail follow-up)

paddingtonb — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:07:07 -0800

Piggybacking on the derail in this question, and solipsophistocracy's question therein, why are the Daily Show and Colbert Report making new episodes with the writer's strike still going on? I heard that both Stewart and Colbert are members of the WGA and all the repeated references to the strike during their first shows back on the air lead me to believe that they are both completely sympathetic to the strike. What is going on here? Is it correct to say that they are not violating the strike because they aren't writing anything? How does the Daily Show/Colbert situation differ from the Letterman situation?

I've done a bit of googling, but everything I have come across is so piecemeal. I would love to hear some mefite perspectives on what is going on, especially from folks who are following the ongoing saga more closely then I am.

Does Hollywood Want Us To Be Scabs?

Anonymous — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:50:57 -0800

Is my comedy group being asked to scab? So, long story short. My comedy group gets a call last month to submit some material for an industry showcase in Los Angeles.

Now, we're from what is essentially a hick town. The industry person saw us perform at a festival about a year and a half ago. Collectively, we know next to nothing about the TV/Film industry - and never imagined that we would need to.

They are asking to see some material from us, including sketch scripts. There has been no discussion of doing anything but taking a look at our group if they like our work.

Is this business as usual for Hollywood or are we being asked to cross the picket lines? We don't want to be in a situation where we get to do a showcase and then, once the strike is over, never get another opportunity again.

For the record, we all support the WGA and want to do the right thing here. We just don't know what the right thing is.

How to heal raw skin in a delicate position

Kwantsar — Wed, 09 Jun 2004 18:53:00 -0800

A friend has some raw skin. (more inside) The skin is raw (chaffed, really) on a particular body part that changes shape and size, periodically. Unfortunately, this body part can't really be immobilized, and it moves two or three times per day, whether or not my friend wants it to. As it moves, it rips open the scab. When it returns to its normal position, the scab won't "stick" to its old spot. Any suggestions for medication or care?