My cat has a chin bump after a scratch. Is it infected? Treat at home?

This is likely a small bug bite or an inflammatory reaction to some type of trauma (puncture, scratch, abrasion) to the skin. You can try cleaning it with a small amount of Betadine diluted 50:50with warm water, letting it air dry, and then applying a thin layer of Neosporin to the area twice a day to see if this can start to heal over the next few days.. Also an e-collar purchased from your local pet store can be placed on Simba to prevent her from scratching this area and causing more irritation as well as delaying the healing process. If this doesn't help then its best to see your vet to have this area investigated closely and in person. The vet may also want to shave the hair around it to get a better view and prescribe topical pet friendly antibiotics to help this heal. Best wishes with your kitty Simba and I hope this wound resolves soon. Take care.

This looks like a small, localized spot of infection, sometimes referred to as a hot spot. If the infection is contained to this one area you can try to treat it at home with some topical antibiotic ointment (like Neosporin). If this does not take care of the problem, or if there are other areas like this on her skin, I would recommend having her checked out by your vet so a systemic antibiotic can be given.

Hi there, and thanks for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It looks like Sophia is likely developing an abscess, which is a focal internal infection - the timing makes sense if she was in a fight 3 days ago.. If so, a topical product such as Neosporin won't help - she would need systemic antibiotics, either given orally or as an injection. I recommend having her seen by your vet so she gets the appropriate treatment. In the meantime, keep the area clean by gently washing it twice daily with soapy water. You can use a gentle dish soap such as Dawn. Hope this helps.

This looks like an infected scratch or bite. I would clean it with hydrogen peroxide twice daily and you can apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it. This should improve daily and should be healed in a week or so. If this isn’t healing then please have it examined. He may need oral antibiotics to fight the infection. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Mars.

Hi and thanks for your question this morning. From the picture, it looks like a puncture wound or bite wound that has become infected although it could be other skin issues like a fungal infection, parasitic infection, or a bad bacterial infection. Keep the area clean with a mild cleansing cloth a few times daily or 3% hydrogen peroxide on the wound until you can take Snowie into your veterinarian- snowie may need to have fungal or bacterial culture done on the wound and may need to be on antibiotics or another medication for a while. I hope she has a speedy recovery!

The area on Leah definitely looks pretty angry and infected. Here's what I would recommend doing. You can either go to the vet and let them take care of this for you, or you can try the following first on your own if he'll let you: -Clip the hair on and around the affected lesion -Scrub the lesion with dilute betadine or chlorhexidine solution repeatedly to disinfect the region. Do not use peroxide as it will delay the healing process -Obtain topical ointments such as triple antibiotic and something with a steroid to help address the itchiness and inflammation -Obtain an e-collar (Cone) to help prevent any additional self-inflicted trauma that Shadow will try to cause -If matters do not seem to be heading in the right direction within the next couple days, seek veterinary attention. If at any time things are worsening, do not hesitate to go sooner. Hope this helps. And while I can't be sure, I don't think you need to fear that Shadow is going to die! It looks like a simple skin infection. Hope this puts you a little bit at ease!

That is an odd bump on Moteur. I think a warm compress twice daily is a good idea. It may be something like a minor infection or perhaps a fluid filled cyst. Make sure to protect it from Moteur scratching at it (make him wear an elizabethan collar if you need to). Given that its so close to his eye, I would be hesitant to try to apply any ointment as I fear he would move and end up getting something in the eye. If that lesion starts to swell, look inflamed, ruptures, or is still there in a month, then I think you should have him examined by his veterinarian. Although it does not look like it is connected to his actual eye, monitor that as well for redness, squinting or excessive tearing. I hope this helps and hopefully that goes away quickly! Please feel free to post any additional questions.