Apollo claws back to full health after vet help

A cat that was suffering with a brain infection after having a claw stuck in his head following a fight has made a full recovery.

Four-year-old Apollo was rushed to Cambridgeshire-based Dick White Referrals (DWR) where an MRI scan revealed he had an abscess in his brain caused by a claw that had become stuck in his skull – prompting emergency surgery performed by neurologists Inês De Freitas and Max Foreman.

‘Dramatic case’

Dr De Freitas, a clinical fellow in neurology and neurosurgery, said: “This was a dramatic case and Apollo was in a very poor state when he arrived at DWR.

“The previous week, he had got into a fight with another cat and his owner had removed a claw from the skin over his head.

“However, despite having removed the claw, Apollo developed a swelling over his head, and he was taken to his local vets.”

Second claw

Apollo’s vet found another claw lodged in his head, which was removed, but his owners soon noticed the wound started to swell again.

A follow-up appointment with his vet revealed an abscess, which was drained. Apollo was also given a course of antibiotics and the swelling subsided.

Unresponsive

However, Dr De Freitas said: “A few days later Apollo became very lethargic, unresponsive and his pupils were different sizes, which is when he was referred to us.

“We performed an emergency MRI scan and found that not only had the claw pierced his skin, but it had also made a hole in his skull. The infection had tracked through this hole and had formed an abscess inside his brain.

“We performed emergency brain surgery, and happily Apollo has made a rapid and complete recovery.”