My cat's benign cyst burst. Does she need surgery for the open wound?

The cyst was actually an abscess or pocket of puss from a cat scratch or bite. I'm glad it is draining as it will heal quickly now that the infection is coming out. I would massage all of the infected material out of the wound then clean the area with hydrogen peroxide. Then apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it. Keep it clean and treated daily and this should heal in a few days to a week. Since it's draining a veterinary visit shouldn't be needed unless it fills again and Salem stops eating due to a fever. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Salem.

You can apply a warm and damp washcloth to the area, which will help the area continue to drain. Gently trim back Hocus's fur, and clean the area with antiseptic soap. I would not put any antibiotic cream on it. Although quite safe on superficial wounds, cats groom and ingest most of the topical ointment you apply and therefore should be used only under direct veterinary supervision and if there are no other appropriate options. Many human ointments contain multiple other ingredients which are not necessarily safe to be swallowed. I would keep an Ecollar on Hocus to keep her from licking at it, and keep her indoors if she is allowed outside. Monitor the hole for signs of infection, which include redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, and pus. Should you see any of those signs, I would take her into the vet as she will need antibiotics to treat the infection.

Hi there and thanks for posting! If you cat has a lump or mass that has appeared to have ruptured, I would visit your veterinarian right away. The mass may need to be removed or treated with antibiotics. Your veterinarian may also take a sample of the mass to determine what it is and if it needs to be removed. I hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello. This is a cat bite abscess that has ruptured. There is really nothing you need to do until the appointment. Kelly probably feels a whole lot better now that the infection has drained out of the abscess. When you see the vet, antibiotics will be prescribed & Kelly will heal soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It sounds like he had an abscess from an injury, probably an altercation with another cat. A veterinarian would likely not suture it anyway to avoid trapping any contaminants and causing another abscess. It looks pretty clean with healthy granulation tissue forming. The antibiotics, even intermittent have probably helped keep further infection at bay. Keep an eye on it, if he will let you, clean it gently with a damp clean washcloth and keep any debris or infected material cleaned out. It should heal from the outside of the wound to the inside, gradually shrinking and closing over the open area. As long as he continues to eat and drink and behave normally, and and the wound continues to look clean with pink and healthy tissue, he should do fine. He needs to eat, going without eating for more than a few days will cause liver problems in cats which would require a vet visit to be treated.

Yes this is ok. You will now need to watch whether it heals. It is likely a sebaceous cyst that got impacted, collected lots of sebaceous secretions and when there was no more room, it opened up like an abscess. If the hole shows no intention of healing at all within the next two or three days, I would have a vet look at it. Sometimes these cysts need to be removed in order for the defect to heal.

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.