Guide to Warriors
Hello, pups! I am back with another chapter to the guide! Erm… yeah, okay.
Emberflame1706- thanks for the review! I edited the fifth chapter for you! Of course, there is still many names I have missed, but the current ones will have to do. Thanks for your help! :-)
Well then, on with the chapter!
Chapter 7: Diseases and Injuries
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Greencough:
A sickness similar to pneumonia that is often rampant among the Clans in leaf-bare. Symptoms include wheezing, pus excreted from the eyes and mouth, fever, and green phlegm streaming from the nose and mouth.
Best Treatment: Catmint and feverfew.
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Whitecough:
A mild sickness like a cold. More common than greencough, but can become greencough or even the fatal blackcough. Symptoms include sneezing and white phlegm streaming from the nose, and a slightly high temperature. This is similar to kittencough.
Best Treatment: Catmint.
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Blackcough:
A fatal sickness that spells certain death for any cat who catches it. Symptoms are unknown, but the "black" might be blood.
Best Treatment: none.
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Chill:
A very mild ailment usually caused by very cold weather or falling into icy water. Much like whitecough, but with cold chills.
Best Treament: Catmint.
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Cracked pads:
A painful ailment usually seen in elderly cats. The pawpads crack from cold or dryness, and if untreated can lead to infection. Symptoms include swelling of the paws and pain.
Best Treatment: Marigold and yarrow or dock leaf poultice or coltsfoot, and poppy seed if there is pain.
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Aching joints:
Basically arthritis in cats. Caused by age or damp weather. Symptoms include pain and stiffness.
Best Treatment: anything that cures pain.
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Toothache:
When the tooth of a cat aches. (Obviously)
Best Treatment: Alder bark.
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Kittencough:
Mostly caught by kits, very easy to cure and is the least harmful.
Best Treatment: Catmint.
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Bleeding:
When blood comes out of you.
Best Treatment: Cobwebs.
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Wounds:
Wounds are injuries when the skin and the muscles beneath are torn, cut, or punctured. They may put a cat's life in danger due to blood loss, infections, or the damage of the organs. Wounds are the most common injuries, due to the nature of the cats often fighting rival Clans, or enemy animals such as badgers, foxes, or dogs.
Minor wounds heal on their own in no time, but severe wounds must be treated by a medicine cat. This treatment includes cleaning it thoroughly with the tongue, stopping the bleeding by pressing cobwebs or moss on it, and applying poultices to prevent infection and help it to heal. Herbs used in the poultices often include goldenrod, marigold, burdock root, or (in the case of rat bites) wild garlic. If the wound becomes infected, chervil or horsetail is used as well. The pain can be eased with poppy seeds or willow bark.
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Sprains:
Sprains are injuries to ligaments of a joint, caused by being stretched beyond their normal capacity and possibly torn. It causes severe pain and decreased ability to move the joint. The cat must rest for several days.
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Joint Dislocation:
Joint dislocation is the displacement of a bone from its normal joint. Medicine cats treat this condition by first feeding the patient poppy seeds to make them sleepy so they don't feel it as much, and then forcing the limb back into the joint.
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Broken Bones:
A broken bone is usually the result of an accident, such as falling down from a high place, or being hit by a monster. Cats most often break their legs, and while medicine cats try to bind the bone with cobwebs, the injury usually results in the cat remaining crippled for the rest of their life. The only cat known to fully recover after breaking a leg was Cinderheart.
A more severe injury is when a cat breaks their backbone. This results in the cat being unable to feel or move parts of their body. If the break is bad enough the cat will be killed on or shortly after impact.
