I'm quite worried about my cat. He has a wound on his cheek. I. Sent see it very well because of my vision problems but I'm close inspection it doesn't appear deep. It's not bleeding, doesn't look like it's bled either, just looks red. There's hardly any hair where the wound is. How do I clean it? Do I need to make a vets appointment? I think it may have been my other cat. Recently I don't know if it's fighting or rough playing but they will chase each other about the house and it usually ends when one of them seeks refuge on top of the door. They do tend to argue over who hits in the basket at the very top of the cat tree. Not often, but it does happen. Sorry for this ramble. They've never had any scratch or injury and I'm trying not to panic.
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Cat Wound
- Thread starter Cat345
- Start Date
Yes you need to make a vet appointment. He likely needs antibiotics so it doesn't become infected as he scratches it while healing. Cat claws are filthy and he will scratch the wound. Are your cats both neutered? If they are fighting neutering them will help.
Until you can get him into the vet, you can take a chamomile tea bag (grocery store variety which are mostly German - NOT English, which is a no-no, and make it has no additives), brew it in water, cool the liquid and dab it on the wound multiple times a day. The tea has both soothing and healing properties.
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Not long ago I discovered a wound on my guy (behind his head, on his neck) where his hair was missing, some skin was torn off and pink/red flesh was exposed. It wasn't deep or bleeding but it was shocking, scary and frustrating because I never figured out how it actually happened.
I cleaned and disinfected it and was amazed at how fast it healed.
Promptly cleaning and disinfecting the wound is important and there are a few different methods for which you can find detailed instructions online.
Here are the basics and some tips:
First flush the wound with a decent (large) volume of a cleaning solution. Pre-prepared (store-bought) sterile saline solution is the best, but you can also make your own by boiling water and adding 1/2 teaspoon salt to one cup boiled water. Bottled water and tap water is less ideal because water will draw more moisture out of the skin than a saline solution, but it will also work for cleaning purposes and studies show it doesn't lead to a higher rate of infection.
I warmed the cleaning solution just a little (not hot, not cold) and used a combination of squeezing a clean sponge and then cotton balls over the wound to flush it and keep my guy as comfortable and least scared as possible (he hates water). It's OK to rub the wound if you need to, but use a few clean cotton balls, one stroke per ball (instead of rubbing it back and forth) until the area is free of debris (and hopefully bacteria too, since that is the goal). You can also use a syringe to flush the area clean.
Next you want to use a diluted disinfectant. I'm lucky that I live with a nurse and she always has chlorhexidine surgical scrub on hand. You can also get it at the drug store or Walmart usually called something like "Antiseptic/Antimicrobial Skin Cleanser". Hibiclens is a popular brand and the 4% chlorhexidine solution is the right dilution. This is the good stuff because it gets a little foamy to make it easy to see how/where it is being applied, it's perfectly safe, doesn't sting and keeps working after you use it. A 3% hydrogen peroxide solution is also popular but is less ideal because it can sometimes cause damage to healthy tissue which will then take longer to heal.
I use a few clean cotton balls to apply the disinfectant, lightly stroking the area with the cotton ball. You can also use q-tips.
Applying an antibiotic ointment is not a necessity unless you are directed to by a vet. Also, you may hear that Neosporin is "generally" safe for cats and there is no doubt that some people use it, but that does NOT mean it is always safe and like most (all?) "people medication" should be avoided. And never use any kind of ointment with painkiller, as those painkillers are poison if ingested.
I'd still be concerned that I didn't know how the wound happened, but unfortunately, wounds like the one you discovered are a kind-of-common cat thing. Knowing how to deal with them promptly is important to prevent infection.
If it is more than just a surface wound or if you are still concerned and especially if it gets any worse you should take him to a vet. However, with a good cleaning, disinfectant and an attentive owner paying attention to it, you might be cautiously surprised by how fast it gets better.
I cleaned and disinfected it and was amazed at how fast it healed.
Promptly cleaning and disinfecting the wound is important and there are a few different methods for which you can find detailed instructions online.
Here are the basics and some tips:
First flush the wound with a decent (large) volume of a cleaning solution. Pre-prepared (store-bought) sterile saline solution is the best, but you can also make your own by boiling water and adding 1/2 teaspoon salt to one cup boiled water. Bottled water and tap water is less ideal because water will draw more moisture out of the skin than a saline solution, but it will also work for cleaning purposes and studies show it doesn't lead to a higher rate of infection.
I warmed the cleaning solution just a little (not hot, not cold) and used a combination of squeezing a clean sponge and then cotton balls over the wound to flush it and keep my guy as comfortable and least scared as possible (he hates water). It's OK to rub the wound if you need to, but use a few clean cotton balls, one stroke per ball (instead of rubbing it back and forth) until the area is free of debris (and hopefully bacteria too, since that is the goal). You can also use a syringe to flush the area clean.
Next you want to use a diluted disinfectant. I'm lucky that I live with a nurse and she always has chlorhexidine surgical scrub on hand. You can also get it at the drug store or Walmart usually called something like "Antiseptic/Antimicrobial Skin Cleanser". Hibiclens is a popular brand and the 4% chlorhexidine solution is the right dilution. This is the good stuff because it gets a little foamy to make it easy to see how/where it is being applied, it's perfectly safe, doesn't sting and keeps working after you use it. A 3% hydrogen peroxide solution is also popular but is less ideal because it can sometimes cause damage to healthy tissue which will then take longer to heal.
I use a few clean cotton balls to apply the disinfectant, lightly stroking the area with the cotton ball. You can also use q-tips.
Applying an antibiotic ointment is not a necessity unless you are directed to by a vet. Also, you may hear that Neosporin is "generally" safe for cats and there is no doubt that some people use it, but that does NOT mean it is always safe and like most (all?) "people medication" should be avoided. And never use any kind of ointment with painkiller, as those painkillers are poison if ingested.
I'd still be concerned that I didn't know how the wound happened, but unfortunately, wounds like the one you discovered are a kind-of-common cat thing. Knowing how to deal with them promptly is important to prevent infection.
If it is more than just a surface wound or if you are still concerned and especially if it gets any worse you should take him to a vet. However, with a good cleaning, disinfectant and an attentive owner paying attention to it, you might be cautiously surprised by how fast it gets better.
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Iodine (Betadine) diluted to the color of weak tea is also a safe disinfectant for scrapes and scratches.
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Hard to tell much without even seeing the wound but if it doesn't look bad like you said, I wouldn't go to a vet right now. I would first try an antiseptic ointment safe for cats. Like this one:
You could also use an antiseptic solution safe for cats. Call a vet clinic and ask them what is safe.
Could the wound be fungus? Just in case it's possible, put on gloves to put these on or do it with a piece of cotton. (Antiseptic is also given by vets for fungus so you can follow these suggestions.)
Cats and dogs get wounds. There isn't much to do, just antiseptic something and trying to get them not scratch it much. If it looks like it's getting worse, or you see no improvement, then it's vet time. At least in my household.
You could also use an antiseptic solution safe for cats. Call a vet clinic and ask them what is safe.
Could the wound be fungus? Just in case it's possible, put on gloves to put these on or do it with a piece of cotton. (Antiseptic is also given by vets for fungus so you can follow these suggestions.)
Cats and dogs get wounds. There isn't much to do, just antiseptic something and trying to get them not scratch it much. If it looks like it's getting worse, or you see no improvement, then it's vet time. At least in my household.
My cat had several wounds over time. Not once she got prescribed antibiotics. Developing antibiotic resistance is real. Antibiotics isn't easy on kidneys either. For a scratch or simple wound, they always first try ointments and an antiseptic.
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- #8
Thank you all for your advice. I did notice them fighting and wonder if it could've been that but I guess I'll never know. I'm just keeping a close eye on them. His brother keeps trying to lick the wound, should I stop him? It seems to be healing already, thankfully.
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- #9
It's better if they don't lick yes. Heals faster without licking.
Yes I agree. I do believe that is common knowledge. If it happens a lot you either need to switch around antibiotics to avoid resistance or see if they heal on their own if they aren't bad. But ignoring it and hoping for no infection is also not a good idea. I don't know the owner and I don't know how well he/she will monitor the wound or if they know the signs of infection. So being proactive, I absolutely recommend the average person take the cat to the vet to assess the wound and determine from a medical stand point if the cat needs antibiotics or not. That is my advice. They also received good advice from others as well. Hopefully they will decide what is best and look out for infection (heat, discharge, odor, redness, swelling).
I hear you. This is what makes online advice difficult, isn't it. I actually had the exact same thing in mind with my first comment. Unfortunately in my experience a few doctors including vets are a bit too generous with antibiotics. Pretty sure they are afraid if they don't prescribe antibiotics AND then an infection occurs, it will be their fault. The first vet clinic I ever went to was like this. The smallest wound of any kind and they would prescribe some real medicine even if it wasn't antibiotics. The current two clinics I go to are more "First try this oil but if it gets worse or if it doesn't heal in X week, come back" which I appreciate.
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A girlfriend from many years back had an indoor/outdoor cat. He got an oval shaped, raised "wound" on his side. The hair fell out in the area but wasn't bleeding. It turned out to be ringworm, a fungal infection. At the time, the vet gave a topical ointment that was applied a couple times a day. These days, they probably just prescribe and oral medication but I don't know that for sure. Just a guess.
Of course, I have no idea if your cat had ringworm or other fungal infection. Just sounds like a possibility. Vet check may be in order.
Of course, I have no idea if your cat had ringworm or other fungal infection. Just sounds like a possibility. Vet check may be in order.
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- #14
