My cat has a deep wound on his side, muscle showing. Why is he calm?

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!

Poor Claws! I don't think you should let that heal without treatment and should take him to a vet. Your vet can clean the wound and then suture it so it heals properly. He will also need an antibiotic to prevent infection.

The first step in wound treatment is to get the hair out of the way. You will need to use clippers to clip a wide area around the wound - you can't use scissors or a razor, you have to use the buzzing type of clippers. The next step is disinfection. I recommend using a first aid chlorhexidine scrub to gently rub into the wound, and wash copiously with clean water. You only need to do this once. The third step is to prevent Gio from licking the wound. Licking spreads bacteria and decreases the rate of healing. You will have to buy an e-collar or cone for her to wear since cats are very flexible and a bandage will not be able to stay in place on this area of her body. You can apply Neosporin ointment twice a day, making sure she doesn't lick it off. If you follow these steps, small wounds will often heal on their own. If the wound has already been infected, or continues to swell, oozes a creamy discharge, or he has a rectal temperature above 103 (normal is 100-102.5), Gio will need prescription antibiotics to allow the wound to heal.

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.

Please trim the fur so you can keep an eye on the wound and so the fur doesn't get stuck in it. Clean the area with hydrogen peroxide. I can't tell from the photo but if there is dirt in it you can flush the area with warm water. I wouldn't put anything topical on it if Truffles is licking the area. Using a restraint collar will stop the licking and then you could apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it, not deep into the wound. Keeping the area open and draining for a few days will prevent an abscess, a puss pocket under the skin. If Truffles stops eating or the area is very red and painful then he will need a veterinary exam and antibiotics. These wounds are not usually sutured as that traps in the infection. Cat wounds usually heal quickly when they are clean and open to the air. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Truffles.

This is a draining abscess. Please clean the area with a warm damp cloth until the discharge is gone. Then you can apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it. If he’s not neutered I recommend getting him fixed so he doesn’t get into fights. If he’s sick then he probably has a fever from the infection and should have a veterinary exam and antibiotics. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Jasu.

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.