My cat's abscess won't heal, vet says end of life. Second opinion?

I am sorry to hear about your kitty. Unfortunately from these photos it does not appear that at home care is going to be appropriate anymore. I am concerned based on the picture that some of the tissue/skin around the wound could be devitalized/dying. He likely needs systemic antibiotics and wound care by a professional at this point. I would recommend looking at this site for info on ideas on affording veterinary care: https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/having-trouble-affording-veterinary-care . There may be a low cost clinic in your area associated with a human society or shelter that may be more affordable.

Oh my. Poor kitty. It seems this area needs to be cultured to see what kind of antibiotic will rid this infection for sure, or at the very least another class of antibiotic (i.e. fluoroquinolone) should be tried here. I would also not cover this for the future, to give it a chance to breathe an heal well. The area should also be investigated while Mickey is sedated to ensure there is no foreign body material underneath the skin that could be a source of chronic infection. If there is foreign material there, then it needs to be removed first in order for it to heal well. I hope this helps and best wishes with your kitty Mickey moving forward! Take care. : )

I am so sorry to hear about Fritz. It is an unusual presentation for sure, as we commonly see abscesses around this area in cats but it is unusual to see them symmetrical (if that is what you are describing), we would also worry about an infection in the root of the tooth, lymph nodes, or salivary glands. Unfortunately your cat require veterinary care, this is not something you can treat at home. You will have to figure out a way to get him into a vet. This may involve finding a clinic that is lower cost- some humane societies or animal protective leagues have lower cost clinics available. Some clinics work with companies such as Care Credit to allow you to charge your bill and pay in monthly installments, and there are some funds for cases where pets need care and owners cannot afford it, or some people even pawn belongings or borrow from friends or family in these cases. You can read this article for more ideas on how to afford veterinary care: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951489 . I would also recommend keeping him indoors until this clears up as with these wounds he would be predisposed to getting fly strike/maggots.

I'm sorry Peekie has an abscess. I presume it is draining from your description. Unfortunately, it is very diffcult to get abscesses to heal without thorough flushing and oral (or injectable) antibiotics, so I would have Peekie evaluated by your veterinarian, so you can make sure it isn't a tumor and get appropriate treatment. I have attached an article below that may be helpful. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=361 Please let me know if that was helpful and if there is anything else we can help you with. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Sorry to hear about Misha's persistent issue! I would definitely advise that you have Misha seen by a vet. If this is truly an abscess, it may require a course of antibiotics to fully clear - otherwise it will likely continue to wax and wane as you've observed, and could become even worse if the infection is allowed to remain. It's also possible that Misha's issue is not a straightforward abscess - she could have another issue such as a cyst or tumor/mass, or even a foreign body (such as a thorn) that could be leading to a secondary infection. Your vet will be able to help determine what specifically is going on with Misha, and from your description I suspect your vet will likely put her on a course of antibiotics to help her heal. Hope this helps!

Poor Abbott! It sounds like he had a pretty nasty infection with draining tracts! I'm so sorry that this happened to him! Unfortunately, the infection may have infiltrated the bone at this point, making it even more difficult to treat. Amputation is definitely an option, and most cats do great following the procedure (they are not very concerned with looks)! Abbott will have to be placed under general anesthesia, and the surgery itself typically does not take more than hour. He will likely need to be hospitalized for a few days following the procedure, but will go home shortly with an E-collar to prevent him from damaging the sutures. His mobility will likely be just fine, most cats continue living absolutely normal lives following an amputation. One of the concerns would be to keep him from getting overweight throughout the rest of his life, as he will have three legs to support himself. I hope this helps!

This appears to either be a very severe wound with infection and dead tissue (the black areas) or a tumor. Without veterinary care, I think it is unlikely that this will heal or be cured on its own. At the very least, this type of wound needs to be cleaned up, and the cat needs to be on systemic (oral or injectable) antibiotics, as well as appropriate pain medications. However, it is likely that (if this is just a bad wound), it will need surgery to remove the dead tissue and help with healing. If this kitty isn't able to eat and you cannot afford veterinary care, then I would strongly urge you to surrender him for humane euthanasia rather than let him suffer.