My outdoor cat has a deep wound and ticks. Does she need a vet?

Hi and thank you for your post. If it is oozing with mucoid discharge (pus), and is a large enough cut, it is infected I will likely need to be flushed out by your veterinarian and stitched up. Tibbz will need to be on antibiotics as well. I would take Tibbz into your veterinarian as soon as possible to have this taken care of. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I would recommend a vet visit for Tammy, given the location of this wound she will likely need some anabiotic's to prevent infection. Depending on if it appears to be a bite wound when the vet examined her they may recommend pestering her rabies vaccine as well. Good luck and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

That looks like a bad bite and needs to be seen by a vet right away. Cats that go outside are more likely to get into fights with other cats, and these wounds can easily become infected. Your vet can clean and drain the wound, and provide antibiotics, pain meds and other treatments as needed.

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.

This looks like is may be a bite wound abscess that ruptured. Ideally, it should be addressed by your veterinarian. Surgery may be indicated to clean and flush the wound. Antibiotics and pain medication may also be indicated. Place an e-collar (cone) on him to prevent licking until he sees the doctor. You may need to confine him indoors until he is healed.

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!

Yes. I would recommend to take her to the vet. The doctor will likely put her on antibiotics to try to clean up the infection. You also need to make sure that she is not licking at the area as this can make it worse. She should wear an Elizabethan collar at all times and be kept indoors completely until the wound is completely healed. I hope she feels better quickly and please feel free to post any additional questions.