Cat wounds....

[sanchezf (Premo)]

Originally Posted by cattitude

Give it a little squeeze.

ewwwwww

[Callie girl]

Originally Posted by sanchezf

ewwwwww

[cattitude (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Callie girl

If it is an abcess and you don't get it drained, he will get pretty sick...and fairly quickly.

[Cowgirl]

Originally Posted by cattitude

If it is an abcess and you don't get it drained, he will get pretty sick...and fairly quickly.

And she may want to cover it with a paper towel or something when she drains it. :squirt:

[red_explorer]

Originally Posted by cattitude

If it is an abcess and you don't get it drained, he will get pretty sick...and fairly quickly.

Yep, he will. But if you can drain it and clean it, he will get better.

[Callie girl]

Thanks guys, I have a weak stomach so when DB gets home in a little while I will have him do it. He has no problem doing stuff like that. If he starts to get sick I won't take any chances, I will take him in. That's one of my babies.

[luvscats]

this was really interesting reading. I thought I always had to take the cat to the vet for a bite wound or abscess. I never thouht I could take care of it here at home without the vet prescribing antibiotics. How do I tell when to take the cat to a vet for a bite wound/abscess and when I can take care of the wound myself? I guess I'm wondering what if I try to treat it myself and he gets really sicker?

Next time one of the outdoor kitties comes up with a wound I'm going to try what y'all wrote on here. Thanks!

[Cowgirl]

Originally Posted by luvscats

this was really interesting reading. I thought I always had to take the cat to the vet for a bite wound or abscess. I never thouht I could take care of it here at home without the vet prescribing antibiotics. How do I tell when to take the cat to a vet for a bite wound/abscess and when I can take care of the wound myself? I guess I'm wondering what if I try to treat it myself and he gets really sicker?

Next time one of the outdoor kitties comes up with a wound I'm going to try what y'all wrote on here. Thanks!

Hmm...if it just looks like a superficial wound, I'd try to treat it at home first. If the wound isn't getting better, or if the cat acts differently (ie goes off food, has a fever, etc) then I'd take it to the vet. Cats are usually good at hiding abcesses, so sometimes they're hard to notice. Just go with your gut feeling. If you're nervous about it, then it's better to take the cat to the vet.

Oh, and one thing to remember about abcesses, they're usually deeper than abrasions (because they form a pocket of pus), so you want them to heal from the inside out. If they scab over after a day, I'd try to soak it with warm salt water or wash with betadine soln. to soften the scab. You don't want it to scab over and trap more infection inside.

[luvscats]

Originally Posted by Cowgirl

Hmm...if it just looks like a superficial wound, I'd try to treat it at home first. If the wound isn't getting better, or if the cat acts differently (ie goes off food, has a fever, etc) then I'd take it to the vet. Cats are usually good at hiding abcesses, so sometimes they're hard to notice. Just go with your gut feeling. If you're nervous about it, then it's better to take the cat to the vet.

Oh, and one thing to remember about abcesses, they're usually deeper than abrasions (because they form a pocket of pus), so you want them to heal from the inside out. If they scab over after a day, I'd try to soak it with warm salt water or wash with betadine soln. to soften the scab. You don't want it to scab over and trap more infection inside.

ok, that makes sense. Usually when something goes wrong I just grab them up and head for the vet. I think if it's a superficial wound I'll tend to it, but if it is a weepy abscess and the cat is not eating and lethargic I'll get a vet's advice. Thanks again!