My cat has a deep, infected hip wound. Should I see a vet now?

Hello I can't tell from the picture how deep that wound is but it does look infected and there's underlying tissue and possibly muscle exposed. I recommend takinh your cat to see a veterinarian as she could be licking at the site when you're not watching and causing further infection. It may need to be closed or the vet may decide it should stay open (with some infected wounds closing can cause an abscess to form) and put her on antibiotics and pain medication. She might also need an E collar to prevent her from licking the area further.

I'm not sure what articles you are reading, but a wound like this should never be left alone! If a bone or tendon is showing, that is a deep wound that requires stitches to close. In addition, Jack will need antibiotics to prevent an infection, and pain medications as this will be quite painful for him. Please do not give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given. I would take him into a vet immediately. Best of luck.

It appears that the muscle layer is exposed in this wound, meaning that there could be some deeper trauma in the area. Often these wounds can result in deep abscesses if not treated. It would be best to bring him to a vet for wound cleaning, flushing, and exploration. If sutures are needed, wounds are most successfully treated within the first 6-8 hours. Poor guy!

Oh no, poor Fred! This wound will need to be cleaned and if it's deep, it will need sutures to close it. He needs to see a vet immediately for this. Please take him into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website.

You can bathe the area with some salty water, one tablespoon of water per cup of hot water then leave it to cool down. Once lukewarm just gently clean the area using some cotton wool. You can clean it a few times until you don’t take her to see your vet. Also encourage her to eat today, offering some tasty food such as tuna in water. If she does eat her usual food, just stick to her normal diet. Keep her indoors.

Ouch, poor Eddie! Unfortunately, it's impossible to fully assess this wound's severity from a picture alone. The wound itself looks fairly large and appears to be covered in a hair-crusted scab. The challenge likes in how deep the wound goes under the scab, and if it penetrates into the tooth roots, jaw, or salivary glands. To answer your question, yes, Eddie does need veterinary attention. Since he's afraid of people, it's likely that he will need to be sedated in order for your veterinarian to examine this wound. Your vet will need to determine the depth of the wound, and at a minimum, will need to clip the hair around the wound and clean it with an antiseptic cleanser. I fully expect that they'll prescribe an antibiotic or give a long-acting antibiotic injection, as it's likely that this wound is also infected. Try to get to the vet as soon as you can - preferably within the next day. Until your vet appointment, be sure to put an e-collar (cone) on Eddie to prevent him from scratching at this area, as that will make matters worse. Best of luck and I hope that he heals quickly!

Poor kitty! Since this wound looks rather deep and he is limping, I would definitely recommend having him seen by a veterinarian - it looks like he will probably need an antibiotic and possibly an anti-inflammatory or other pain medication, in order to treat the injury and help it heal.