My cat has a deep hole on its head with pus. What should I do now?

Poor Goose! This looks like an infection. if there's a chance he could have been bitten by another cat, this could be the cause. Cat bites usually get infected. I recommend to have Goose examined by the veterinarian for antibiotics and appropriate treatment. If this is an abscess, it may need to be lanced. You will also need to protect the area from scratching and Goose may need to wear an elizabethan collar at all times. Keep him inside and safe until it is completely healing which should be in 2 weeks. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Place an e-collar (cone) on him to prevent rubbing or pawing. Apply a warm compress for 5-10 minutes several times daily to promote drainage. Keep the area as clean and as dry as possible. Monitor for lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite or fever. He will likely need antibiotics. Your vet may explore the wound to rule out foreign body or deeper abscess.

Poor Ninja. This sounds like she has an abscess (pus filled pocket just underneath the skin) that has ruptured. These are caused by trauma to the skin. I would not attempt to treat this at home because honestly most cats won't tolerate you flushing this out with an antiseptic, and you cannot get her on antibiotics without a prescription through the vet. Perhaps you can convince your folks that Ninja is in need of medical care to properly treat this before it gets any worse, which could potentially require further, more expensive treatment. These are relatively easy to treat if done quickly and Ninja could be on her way to a potentially full recovery within a week's time (on average). If you cannot get her in to the vet until Monday, then you can attempt to flush the wound with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water using a syringe or Pediatric bulb syringe. I hope that your folks can see the need for Ninja to see a vet, and she gets the care she needs soon. Best of luck!

That could be ok but it is best to repost your question and attach a picture of it to have a complete and reliable advice from us. As you suspected, this presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). Disinfection can be done at home with diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths (twice daily as long as needed). Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching. all the pus must be removed and the wound must be flushed. 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. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Ouch, poor Cheese! Since he got into a fight, this wound looks most like a puncture wound, which is typically from the other animal's canine tooth. Bite wounds (or even bad scratches) typically get infected and can form abscesses, which are pus-filled pockets under the skin. Bite wounds are typically worse under the surface than they initially appear from the outside. The yellowish-white piece of tissue that you mentioned looks like a piece of dead skin or fatty tissue that's protruding from the wound and is not a concern. That said, I can see a significant amount of inflammation and irritation around the puncture wound itself. If you haven't already taken Cheese to a vet, you should definitely do so. After your vet examines him, they'll be able to get a better sense of the severity of this wound. Some wounds require surgery to remove the dead tissue under the skin, but others simply require a course of antibiotics. Either way, it's better to start treatment sooner rather than later. I hope that Cheese is on the mend soon!

Unfortunately no, there isn't a cream you can put on it to heal. He has to see a vet for systemic antibiotics to treat it. Since he's an outdoor kitty who roams, he can be given a long acting antibiotic shot so he doesn't need to receive medication on a daily basis. Please trap him and bring him into a vet today.

Hello, It appears that Jacoby may have a local infection, or abscess. This is an accumulation of pus that is generally treated with surgical drainage of the wound and a course of antibiotics. These are rarely life threatening, but the treatment may become more timely and complicated as the infection spreads. I also don't like to make infections on the head wait as they are so close to important facial structures. I would recommend trying to get him into a vet today rather than waiting as it will likely make treatment easier on the both of you. If your vet confirms an abscess, they will likely recommend a short anesthetic procedure to open the infection, and often drains are needed to be placed for the first few days to keep the wound from closing too soon and becoming re-infected. Antibiotic courses generally range from 1-2 weeks and often are available in both liquid and pill forms to make dosing easier. I hope this is helpful for you and Jacoby! If you have any follow up questions, please feel free to reach out to us. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!