Hi all! My young, neutered male cat has an injury that i suspect is from a cat fight (not sure which is the offender). The open wound is wet but not bloody. Aside from the vet, any advice? Can i use human Neosporin antibiotics ointment? Bandage it? See photo. Any advice is much appreciated, thanks!
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
Cat Fight Injury
- Thread starter Cashley36
- Start Date
Neosporin can cause anaphylactic shock in cats, easy enough to find this out online. It's not meant for pets. That isn't to say your vet wouldn't use it - if they did it would be off-label and because they know more than you about medical treatments.
The only thing I can suggest is to clean it gently best as you can, and put an e-collar on for now to keep him from messing with the wound, until you can see the vet.
I know you don't want to hear this but he needs to see the vet. Cat bite or scratches can be filled with bacteria. Being it's an open wound not a slight scratch, you have to assume it's going to get infected sooner or later. Plus I'm sure it's painful to him too. I do hope you reconsider.
The only thing I can suggest is to clean it gently best as you can, and put an e-collar on for now to keep him from messing with the wound, until you can see the vet.
I know you don't want to hear this but he needs to see the vet. Cat bite or scratches can be filled with bacteria. Being it's an open wound not a slight scratch, you have to assume it's going to get infected sooner or later. Plus I'm sure it's painful to him too. I do hope you reconsider.
Hi. Neosporin (without pain meds) has been used by many without repercussions. The fact that it is not bleeding can be good or bad. Bleeding sometimes will help 'flush' contaminants from a wound, but not bleeding can also mean it is merely a 'scraping' of the skin that pulled hair out. Is it an actual wound or not - I cannot tell from the pic.
You can try a home remedy - Buy chamomile tea bags - you can find them in most any grocery store and generally speaking those are Germain - you don't want English or any flavorings or additives. Brew a bag in water, cool the liquid to room temp and then dab some on that area with cotton balls or a soft cloth - 2-3 times a day. Chamomile tea, which is a soothing and healing agent, also has anti-bacterial/anti-fungal properties. It is safe for your cat should he ingest any.
I would not bandage it, but if he bothers it at all you may have to resort to some sort of soft cone (but, that may be in a bad location for that) - many of them are available at local pet stores. For now, keep him inside so you can better monitor him and also to enable healing.
You can try a home remedy - Buy chamomile tea bags - you can find them in most any grocery store and generally speaking those are Germain - you don't want English or any flavorings or additives. Brew a bag in water, cool the liquid to room temp and then dab some on that area with cotton balls or a soft cloth - 2-3 times a day. Chamomile tea, which is a soothing and healing agent, also has anti-bacterial/anti-fungal properties. It is safe for your cat should he ingest any.
I would not bandage it, but if he bothers it at all you may have to resort to some sort of soft cone (but, that may be in a bad location for that) - many of them are available at local pet stores. For now, keep him inside so you can better monitor him and also to enable healing.
With all due respect
FeebysOwner
no human medication should be used unless directed by a vet. Just because some people are lucky not to have their cat have a bad reaction does not mean it's safe to use.
Like humans, some cats can be allergic to certain classes of antibiotics and although rare, can lead to very poor results. Using it without knowing what dosage to use can lead to reactions especially if the cat ingests it. Or it may do no good at all and then the wound winds up having more time to become more infected.
Up to you if you want to take a chance treating without medical advice but personally, I would not. Cats have a rather unique metabolism different than humans and even dogs. Why take a chance of making things worse? Your vet will be best suited to analyze the wound and prescribe the proper treatment.
FeebysOwner
no human medication should be used unless directed by a vet. Just because some people are lucky not to have their cat have a bad reaction does not mean it's safe to use.Like humans, some cats can be allergic to certain classes of antibiotics and although rare, can lead to very poor results. Using it without knowing what dosage to use can lead to reactions especially if the cat ingests it. Or it may do no good at all and then the wound winds up having more time to become more infected.
Up to you if you want to take a chance treating without medical advice but personally, I would not. Cats have a rather unique metabolism different than humans and even dogs. Why take a chance of making things worse? Your vet will be best suited to analyze the wound and prescribe the proper treatment.
Having dealt with many fight wounds. I would go with watch it and wait if you can't get to a vet right away. If your cat has a history of fights and infections, prevention by seeing the vet now. Rocket tends to get into little fights and ends up with scratches a lot. She also is terrified of the vet so with her I wait and see. Link on the other hand gets in less fights but also gets infection easily soon he does see the vet most times. Signs of infection would be redness, leaking fluids and getting puffy. For Rocket I usually pet the spot frequently and will pinch around the wound (within her tolerance) to ensure it doesn't feel red or swollen. She will tolerate light cleaning so before I scabs I'll usually wipe it off.
Regular neosporin (without any pain relief or extra strength) can be tolerated by most cats but you do run the risk of licking which can be bad. Vaseline has less risk for side effects but also doesn't have the antibiotic benefit. But Vaseline is generally recommended even for humans for most wounds assuming the wound has been cleaned because of the risk of a reaction. Either one though I don't typically use on cat wounds since cats skin tends to heal quickly on its own. If the wound shows sign of infection you are better off seeing a vet because it usually needs a good flushing if infection has set in. If you absolutely can't see a vet and it is infected, then I would use neosporin sparingly if it's in a difficult to lick location. But a very thin layer after cleaning it and that only is if I couldn't see a vet to get a pet version.
Regular neosporin (without any pain relief or extra strength) can be tolerated by most cats but you do run the risk of licking which can be bad. Vaseline has less risk for side effects but also doesn't have the antibiotic benefit. But Vaseline is generally recommended even for humans for most wounds assuming the wound has been cleaned because of the risk of a reaction. Either one though I don't typically use on cat wounds since cats skin tends to heal quickly on its own. If the wound shows sign of infection you are better off seeing a vet because it usually needs a good flushing if infection has set in. If you absolutely can't see a vet and it is infected, then I would use neosporin sparingly if it's in a difficult to lick location. But a very thin layer after cleaning it and that only is if I couldn't see a vet to get a pet version.
Totally understood. Cats can be allergic to vet prescribed treatments as well. But, do you personally have any objections to chamomile tea?With all due respect
Most of the folks that come here are looking for some help that might either preclude, precede, or be in addition to vet advice. While it is true that we all should recommend a vet visit. But, once advised by another member of such I find my repeating it is a bit redundant in many cases. We can at least be sensitive to those who need to find other/additional, hopefully temporary, sources of aide. Sometimes, there are things that can at least help until an owner determines they need to see a vet.
No problem with the chamomile tea - I would have said so if I did think it wasn't potentially helpful.
I'm only referring to the use of the Neosporin.
I repeat a lot! Neosporin is ok but just pat with water if it's an open wound. Ask the vet tomorrow or call er to ask about it if unsure. My cat got bit and the vet gave her antibiotics incase infected. It was dried blood. He took off a big chunk.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #9
