My cat's hard lump burst and is draining. Is she in pain or sick?

Hello. Kipsico was bitten probably by another cat, developed an abscess & it has now blown open. If she will let you clean this with warm water & a skin antiseptic like Hibiclens ( available at any pharmacy ), she will be fine until you can have her seen by your vet tomorrow. She will need antibiotics & possibly need to wear a cone to keep her from licking the area, but these things usually heal quite nicely. Make sure you keep her up to date on all her vaccinations, especially leukemia, as this virus is spread through cat bites. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thanks for posting! If you cat has a lump or mass that has appeared to have ruptured, I would visit your veterinarian right away. The mass may need to be removed or treated with antibiotics. Your veterinarian may also take a sample of the mass to determine what it is and if it needs to be removed. I hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. That does appear to be a burst abscess. Without examining her it's impossible to know for sure, however it resembles and has acted like an abscess. Ideally she would be seen by a vet, they would flush it out with warm (not hot) salt water (1 teaspoon in 1 cup of water- your vet would use sterile saline) and then likely get antibiotics and pain meds. An E-collar also prevents Littlecloud from licking and introducing more bacteria into the wound. If you cannot go to a vet, I recommend flushing it/cleaning it with salt water. Do not use any topical creams, just leave it open to drain. Clean it twice a day with the salt water, and try to prevent Littlecloud from licking at it or chewing at it. The main pain has now gone since the abscess has burst (the pressure is relieved) . Do not give any human pain medications as these are often very toxic to cats. Best of luck with Littlecloud!

This is an abscess and the white substance is puss. These are often caused by something under the skin that gets infected. It could be a thorn or from a bite. It's best if a vet examines this and explores the wound, because if the cause of the infection is not removed, then the infection will never clear. Sometimes these infections have potential to cause infections elsewhere, or can get worse, so a vet may need to prescribe medication to prevent this. For now, keep the area clean by flushing with water twice a day. I hope that helps and Mittens gets better soon.

The cyst was actually an abscess or pocket of puss from a cat scratch or bite. I'm glad it is draining as it will heal quickly now that the infection is coming out. I would massage all of the infected material out of the wound then clean the area with hydrogen peroxide. Then apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it. Keep it clean and treated daily and this should heal in a few days to a week. Since it's draining a veterinary visit shouldn't be needed unless it fills again and Salem stops eating due to a fever. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Salem.

Hi, the medications should help fighting the infection and therefore there should not be any need to clean or drain the abscess as it burst on his own. For the time being, you just need to wash the area with salty water if you notice any discharge. If not, just monitor and make sure that swelling does not reoccurr. If you notice that the area is swollen or the discharge is not any better in the next couple of days then I would recommend to take him back to your vet to be reassessed. You should also have him rechecked if he is not eating or appears to be lethargic as this could mean he is running a temperature. Hope this helps and best wishes for a speedy recovery !

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. There are not any pain medications that you can give at home to Noodles I am afraid. However, if the abscess has burst and is discharging, it is a relief. As the puss comes out, the pressure goes down and abscess becomes less painful. You need to make sure that he is not trying to scratch the face as that could be painful. Your vet will be able to give him injections of antibiotics and pain relief.