Hello, I currently have a vet appointment but am not able to get in for another week so I am wondering if anyone would know what these would be, he's had them for over a week but don't seem to bother him at all. Throughout the week they seem to have gotten bigger and so far I have found about a dozen on him all in different areas.
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5 Year old cat with sores all over
- Thread starter Nikki98
- Start Date
I'd call those hot spots in my non medical opinion. Basically something is irritating your cat enough that it scratched to the point skin was broken and bacteria got in. Could be a flea allergy or other allergy. Could be stress. Could be any number of things. Your cats coat doesn't look long but mats can cause similar problems too.
Without knowing what caused the hot spot the best you can do is try to sooth the spots until you see the vet. If your cat tolerates it, a cool cloth or ice pack wrapped in a towel might help calm the spots. I would do also lightly clean the spots with a clean cloth dipped in some water with betadine (maybe a teaspoon of betadine to a cup of water, very diluted), something to clean the spot and help prevent more serious infection. Not hydrogen peroxide because that stunts healing and that is not the ideal here, Id stay away from antibiotics ointments too because those are easily injested. A cat shirt (a baby onsie cut down or a commercial cat shirt for spayed cat) could help or putting on a cone to reduce the amount of additional agitation to the spots would be helpful too.
Without knowing what caused the hot spot the best you can do is try to sooth the spots until you see the vet. If your cat tolerates it, a cool cloth or ice pack wrapped in a towel might help calm the spots. I would do also lightly clean the spots with a clean cloth dipped in some water with betadine (maybe a teaspoon of betadine to a cup of water, very diluted), something to clean the spot and help prevent more serious infection. Not hydrogen peroxide because that stunts healing and that is not the ideal here, Id stay away from antibiotics ointments too because those are easily injested. A cat shirt (a baby onsie cut down or a commercial cat shirt for spayed cat) could help or putting on a cone to reduce the amount of additional agitation to the spots would be helpful too.
Here is a quote I took from
Mamanyt1953
on another thread about hot spots:
"Chamomile tea is GREAT for stuff like that. It is extremely soothing, as well as being antibacterial and antifungal. DO use the commercial tea bags, as those are all German chamomile, medicinally active and safe for cats. The English variety is useless and toxic to cats. ALL COMMERCIAL chamomile tea bags are German, BTW, so just grab a box at the grocery store, brew a cup, and chill before using. It can also be used internally for anxiety."
Mamanyt1953
on another thread about hot spots:"Chamomile tea is GREAT for stuff like that. It is extremely soothing, as well as being antibacterial and antifungal. DO use the commercial tea bags, as those are all German chamomile, medicinally active and safe for cats. The English variety is useless and toxic to cats. ALL COMMERCIAL chamomile tea bags are German, BTW, so just grab a box at the grocery store, brew a cup, and chill before using. It can also be used internally for anxiety."
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-In my personal experience with 13 cats-
I would strongly advise *against* the use of ice on broken skin, as mentioned by Kieka. This could be uncomfortable for the cat and cause ice burn. While matted fur can cause sore spots, this problem is very unlikely to effect short haired cats such as yours and doesn’t seem to be the case judging by the images provided. It is clear that some kind of skin irritation is present, as it is not confined to one area we can assume it is not an impact injury. What we can be certain of is your cat is over grooming these areas which is heightening the redness and contributing to the hair loss. This is suggestive of the cats irritation and would suggest itchiness. There doesn’t seem to be any sites of infection (pus), bruising or swelling so my first thought would be to rule out an allergy. Is your cat exposed to dust? Has there been a dietary change? Are you using lactose free milk (preferable as cats are lactose intolerant and aren’t supposed to consume dairy). What bowls do you feed your cat with? Plastic allergies are common in cats so a ceramic bowl (washed daily) would be ideal.
Secondly, little black specks are visible in the images you have provided. This would support a potential allergy to fleas. As well as suitable and regular flea treatment Sudocrem antiseptic healing cream is suitable for cats and will protect the area from further external irritation from dust etc. Other appropriate nappy rash creams are available and will provide a mild and waterproof cover to soothe the existing irritation. You should focus on household flea products at the moment because your cats skin is currently broken, please don’t put chemicals on your cat until the skin has cleared up. Flea treatment allergy is also a possibility. I’d also avoid combining your cat until the skin has cleared up.
It could be a case of cat eczema or acne. I have an 11-year-old male cat with both. If this is the case, trimming the fur to give you clean access to the sites will allow you to bathe the skin twice daily with a very diluted salt water solution. 2 teaspoons of salt to 300ml of boiling water (the water is only sterile if boiled, 300ml is a standard cup) applied with a cotton pad once the water is cool to touch. Followed by Sudocrem to soothe and protect.
In the less likely event your cat has an allergy to wash powder (bed sheets, clothing), please assign your cat their own bed or use mildly scented wash products. Even a bed throw would benefit them.
Stay safe,
Best wishes,
Antonia.
I would strongly advise *against* the use of ice on broken skin, as mentioned by Kieka. This could be uncomfortable for the cat and cause ice burn. While matted fur can cause sore spots, this problem is very unlikely to effect short haired cats such as yours and doesn’t seem to be the case judging by the images provided. It is clear that some kind of skin irritation is present, as it is not confined to one area we can assume it is not an impact injury. What we can be certain of is your cat is over grooming these areas which is heightening the redness and contributing to the hair loss. This is suggestive of the cats irritation and would suggest itchiness. There doesn’t seem to be any sites of infection (pus), bruising or swelling so my first thought would be to rule out an allergy. Is your cat exposed to dust? Has there been a dietary change? Are you using lactose free milk (preferable as cats are lactose intolerant and aren’t supposed to consume dairy). What bowls do you feed your cat with? Plastic allergies are common in cats so a ceramic bowl (washed daily) would be ideal.
Secondly, little black specks are visible in the images you have provided. This would support a potential allergy to fleas. As well as suitable and regular flea treatment Sudocrem antiseptic healing cream is suitable for cats and will protect the area from further external irritation from dust etc. Other appropriate nappy rash creams are available and will provide a mild and waterproof cover to soothe the existing irritation. You should focus on household flea products at the moment because your cats skin is currently broken, please don’t put chemicals on your cat until the skin has cleared up. Flea treatment allergy is also a possibility. I’d also avoid combining your cat until the skin has cleared up.
It could be a case of cat eczema or acne. I have an 11-year-old male cat with both. If this is the case, trimming the fur to give you clean access to the sites will allow you to bathe the skin twice daily with a very diluted salt water solution. 2 teaspoons of salt to 300ml of boiling water (the water is only sterile if boiled, 300ml is a standard cup) applied with a cotton pad once the water is cool to touch. Followed by Sudocrem to soothe and protect.
In the less likely event your cat has an allergy to wash powder (bed sheets, clothing), please assign your cat their own bed or use mildly scented wash products. Even a bed throw would benefit them.
Stay safe,
Best wishes,
Antonia.
To clarify, ice wrapped in a towel to create a cool pack. Not ice directly on skin. A cool pack can help reduce swelling and itching even on broken skin. It works fairly quickly and is a common remedy. I use it on myself when my own eczema flares or for insect bites. As long as you wrap the ice in a towel to provide insulation there is no risk of ice burns and it is not uncomfortable.
I also would not use sudocrem as it can be toxic since it has zinc oxide. Cats can lick a small amount without harm, but with the number of spots it would have to be applied very thinly and watch for licking. Maybe if you partnered with a cone or shirt to prevent licking the spots. I am generally against putting anything chemical that could cause reactions without knowing what the root cause is. Trying things as home treatment can sometimes make it worse or cause unintended side effects. If you do try anything at home make sure to watch for reactions.
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Cold therapy is generally only advised for new local swelling and inflammation within a 24-48 hour period. My worry would be that an ice pack could chap or burn the sores and make them stick to the fabric. As we can agree, it’s certainly better to seek veterinary advice. I’d personally be more inclined to use a small amount of Sudocrem on a cat (or even a baby/child) than ice for this kind of skin surface wound, to provide a protective layer and offer antiseptic. If it was an inflammatory issue such as a broken bone/joint pain I’d perhaps consider a well wrapped ice pack if I thought there were no other means of pain relief, as a temporary measure. A cone would definitely be favourable to stop over grooming but I’m not sure how accessible they’ll be during a lockdown (if the OP is in a quarantined area) in the given timescale.
I share
Kieka
's concerns about using Sudocrem. I've frequently used it in equine wound care, but toxicity isn't an issue because of their size (and because horses don't groom themselves so much). I'd be worried about toxicity with cats, especially with so many hotspots to treat.
My dog currently has a hotspot (of unknown origin) on her paw and has been overgrooming it for a while. My vet told us to bathe the affected area with saline/salted water a few times a day, and to use a cone to keep her from fussing at it. This would be my advice to N Nikki98 whilst waiting for the vet appointment.
Depending on where the sores are, a onesie or cat shirt might be more appropriate than a cone in this case. Amazon have a wide selection of cones and bodysuits/onesies for cats, so that would be my approach.
Alternatively, it might be worth calling the veterinary practice and asking if you could pick up a cone or post-surgical suit for your cat. I know my vets have a variety of options available, and it should be possible to pay over the phone to minimise contact if that's a concern.
Kieka
's concerns about using Sudocrem. I've frequently used it in equine wound care, but toxicity isn't an issue because of their size (and because horses don't groom themselves so much). I'd be worried about toxicity with cats, especially with so many hotspots to treat.My dog currently has a hotspot (of unknown origin) on her paw and has been overgrooming it for a while. My vet told us to bathe the affected area with saline/salted water a few times a day, and to use a cone to keep her from fussing at it. This would be my advice to N Nikki98 whilst waiting for the vet appointment.
Depending on where the sores are, a onesie or cat shirt might be more appropriate than a cone in this case. Amazon have a wide selection of cones and bodysuits/onesies for cats, so that would be my approach.
Alternatively, it might be worth calling the veterinary practice and asking if you could pick up a cone or post-surgical suit for your cat. I know my vets have a variety of options available, and it should be possible to pay over the phone to minimise contact if that's a concern.
I agree with not using Sudocrem. I was advised by my vet to only use it in areas that the cat cannot reach and then a very small amount do that it is absorbed quickly.
It's best if you check with your vet before using any over the counter product on your cat. Waht may be safe for one cat could kill another due to underlying conditions. Good luck and I hope your boy gets some relief soon.
How is your cat doing?
