My stray cat has a head wound. Is it a scar, burn, or infection?

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.

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 Panther! That looks like a pretty nasty bite wound. The yellowish discharge indicates that the wound is infected, so I would recommend taking him to the vet for an exam - he will likely need prescription antibiotics to treat the infection. In the meantime, I would use a warm washcloth to keep the area clean and wipe away the drainage as often as needed to help keep him comfortable.

It looks as if this may be a scar or a localized area of hair loss. I agree that it does not look infected. As long as it does not change or bother your cat I would not be worried about it. Cleaning it and using a topical antibiotic ointment is a great idea. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. That is wonderful of you to try to help care for this stray cat! Wounds can be challenging to manage, especially if a cat will not tolerate you trying to clean it. It is possible that the wound will heal over time on its own with scar tissue. However, there is also a chance that the skin is too damaged or will become so infected with bacteria that it will not heal. I recommend monitoring the area frequently and bringing the cat back to the veterinarian if the skin appears to be becoming black or nonviable, or you notice excessive abnormal discharge that is yellow/thick. I hope this is helpful - and best of luck!

Poor kitty! It sounds like he has a badly infected wound. The smelly discharge is a sign of a severe bacterial infection, so I'm afraid that he really needs antibiotics to treat the problem. You could try and catch him to take him to the vet if you want to, or call your local animal control officer to see if they could trap him and make sure that he gets the care he needs.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This presentation could be due to a trauma (bite wound, or a burn) or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking (if any). 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!