My cat has a swollen, painful bite wound with pus. What should I do?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You could try to keep it clean but aside from that, I am afraid that he will need veterinary care. Puncture or bite wounds can get infected rather quickly and result in a fever which may be why he is not eating. They can form abscesses that require local treatment and antibiotics. You could perhaps consider taking him to an emergency veterinarian who is open over the weekend. Good luck and have a great day!

Hi there. That wound on Phish could be a big pustule from feline acne or it could also be from a tooth root abscess. I would soak the area with warm water Epsom salt compresses twice daily for the next few days. If he is not improving then he should be evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Often antibiotics are needed in cases of feline acne. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Pussy Cat! I recommend having him rechecked as soon as possible. My worry is that the bite wound is now a closed abscess and needs to be lanced so it can drain. Antibiotics have a hard time penetrating a puss filled pocket. I would not recommend waiting a week. I hope this helps and I wish Pussy Cat a speedy recovery!

It is probably an abscess. You can try soaking the foot in warm epsom salt water for 5 minutes 3 times per day. That may help draw the infection out. Honestly though, most of the time oral antibiotics are also needed to get this to heal up completely. She definitely looks like she does not feel well so if you can eventually get her to a vet that would be really great.

It looks like Izzy has an abscess. In that location it is usually due to a bite from another cat. It is actually good that it burst open. It may heal now if you keep it clean (1:10 dilution of Betadine solution to water) and apply Neosporin ointment to it. However, often times once it seals closed the infection will return. More often that not cats need antibiotics to get these to heal completely. So, my suggestion would be to get her to your vet for an exam and some antibiotics. If you want to try to keep it clean and treat it at home you can try that but if it appears to heal and then comes back she will need to see your vet. Hope this helps. Best wishes!

This is most likely an infection, a parasite under the skin or a cancer. These conditions all need medical care. I recommend to have your kitty examined by the veterinarian for appropriate diagnosis and treatment. She will need antibiotics, the area cleaned, possibly pain medication, possibly antiparasitics and an elizabethan collar. The vet may also recommend additional treatment. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Surgery may be needed to clean the edges and see if the wound can be repaired. Often times, this does require some times for the tissue to declare itself before this is done to see what tissue will be healthy to save. All you can do until it is ready for surgery is keep it clean and stay on antibiotics to prevent an infection. Rechecks should be frequent to determine when surgery would be best. Cats are the best at healing and granulating in new tissue as long as the infection stays under control.