My cat's bite or scratch wound is raw and bloody. Why so bad?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Boris. It is best to have him seen by a veterinarian. Cat scratches and bites commonly become infected. If so, antibiotics may be required. In the meantime, place an E-collar or cat suit on him to prevent any further self trauma. I hope this information helps!

Prince may have caused damage to his tail from the itching with the fleas, or some other reason. Whatever the cause was, now that there is a bleeding wound on his tail, I would recommend that you have it treated by a vet as soon as possible. Tip of the tail wounds can be very hard to heal because there is not much blood flow to help with healing. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatories are often needed to help with healing, as well as special bandages to keep the tail protected. Prince may need to wear an e-collar if he is seen licking the tip of his tail, since licking spreads bacteria and decreases the rate of healing. The cost of veterinary care ranges drastically depending on your area and the clinic chosen. You may be able to call different clinics and ask for the cost of an exam, wound treatment, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatories for cats to see what the average cost would be. I have worked in clinics where this treatment could range from $120-300.

The other spot was probably there at the same time but due to the fur covering the small puncture wound you did not see it. These wounds became infected and now that they are open the infection will drain out and they will heal. These are commonly due to cat bites or scratches. I clean them with peroxide and keep the scab off so the discharge can drain. If they are in an area the cat can’t lick I use a thin film of antibacterial ointment on them. Most fight wounds are either on the head or tail like these. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Thor.

From the picture I can only say this may be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria or fungal). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics or antifungal meds (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. More investigations like sampling and bacterial swabs would be needed to determine the underlying cause more specifically. In my experience I have seen large wounds like this one from Poxvirus infection (but usually other wounds are present as well). I would suggest to handle this wound always with gloves (you are doing it anyway as I can see from the pic). Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

I am sorry to hear about Kallu. A photo of the wounds may help us to better answer your question, but I would definitely recommend bringing Kallu to a veterinarian for examination as it sounds like his wounds are serious and may require sutures or bandaging, and most likely will require antibiotics as bite wounds introduce bacteria into the tissue and can become infected.

I would recommend for your kitty to see the veterinarian. Infections tend to heal significantly faster and with less complications with antibiotics. You also will need to make sure he does not lick at the wound as this will make it worse. Have him wear an Elizabethan collar at all times and keep him indoors until it is healed. Typical healing is expected to take 10 to 14 days in most circumstances. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). It may heal on its own, even though it will take few days. Disinfection may be done at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths twice daily. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. If the wound will not heal/or at least improve in 5 days, a check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!