Cat bite abscess drained: Is draining and lethargy normal recovery?

Abscesses can be very painful and usually it takes a few days of treatment to start to feel better. Recovery is normally complete. However as with any infection there is always a chance of developing sepsis, I would monitor him closely and attend the vet if he does not make any further improvements. Also he may still be fairly uncomfortable so it would be worth discussing further pain relief with your vet.

Many times, we have to give medication to sedate or anesthetise the cat in order to drain the abscess. These drugs will make them drowsy and sometimes not feel good for a day or two after it wears off. Hiding under the bed for a day would not concern me at this time. If he is otherwise acting normal, then he's probably just getting over the drugs and traumatic experience. It might take him a couple of days before he feels like going back to his normal routine. If something else seems abnormal with him - like he won't eat, drink or respond normally to you - then there could be something else going on and it would be best to take him back to the vet for a check-up. I hope that helps and Toby gets better soon.

I think the wounds looks really good. I would not be worried about him being sore. That is normal. It is possible for them to have missed something as sometimes an abscess can pop up after the fact although, the Convenia injection should keep the bacteria at bay, but it is possible. I cannot appreciate any other swelling from the photos. I can only see the shaved areas. I suggest you just monitor him for now since he is eating/drinking/etc and if the swelling does not go down or gets larger then he should go back to the vet for a follow-up exam.

If the antibiotic is causing some stomach upset, contact your veterinarian and request a different antibiotic. You can also ask for an injectable antibiotic, such as Convenia, which will bypass his gastrointestinal system. Subcutaneous fluids can be adminstered to maintain hydration. Warm his food slightly or mix in some plain baby food to stimulate his appetite. If he won't eat, you may need to syringe feed him. If there is an abscess from the bite wound, it needs to be lanced and drained. Pain medication may be needed. Do not medicate him with any over the counter medicines. Many can be toxic to cats.

Poor Clementine, it is a lot to go through at her age, however I am confident she can get better. I would not worry about the ointment if the abscess has already scabbed over. You can try cleaning the pus away gently with some cotton wool and lukewarm water, if she allows you to do so. As her sense of smell is probably affected, you need to offer her food that smells quite strong such as tuna in water, or boiled cod, or Hill’s recovery wet food. In particular, this last food is in a pate form, and it can be made a bit more watery by adding some water to aid water intake. You could warm it up slightly in the microwave, and offer it afterwards. Always start small with portions, and if eating increase the portion and offer again in 2 hours. If she is still not eating by this afternoon best to have her checked over as she could benefit from being rehydrated and have her temperature rechecked as it could still be up a bit. Hope she makes some progress soon.

She could be a little lethargic from this antibiotic, i would recommend that you start a new question with a picture of the wound attached, that way i could tell you if it is healing properly or not.

He may have not escaped uninjured. It is possible he was bitten and is developing and infection or abscess. Cat bites can be difficult to spot. Ideally, he should be physically examined by your veterinarian. He may need antibiotics and pain medications.