My cat has a small raw wound on her leg. Can I treat it at home?

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.

I'm sorry you lost your job recently! If the cut on Princess isn't deep or long, and it has stopped bleeding, then there is not need to see a vet just yet. I would gently clean it with an antiseptic soap and warm water, and put an Ecollar on her to prevent her from licking it. You can get one from the vet's office, or a pet store. Monitor the cut, and if it starts looking red, swollen, warm to the touch, and/or is discharging pus, then it is infected and Princess will need to see the vet. I also wouldn't put any antibiotic ointment on it. Although quite safe on superficial wounds, cats groom and ingest most of the topical ointment you apply and therefore should be used only under direct veterinary supervision and if there are no other appropriate options. Many human ointments contain multiple other ingredients which are not necessarily safe to be swallowed.

That could be ok but it is best to repost your question and attach a picture of it to have a complete and reliable advice from us. As you suspected, this presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). Disinfection can be done at home with diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths (twice daily as long as needed). Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching. all the pus must be removed and the wound must be flushed. 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. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

The best things that you can do include cleaning the wound with an antiseptic soap (such as chlorhexidine or betadine) and keeping an e-collar (cone) on your cat to prevent any skin damage from scratching. If you do not have an e-collar at home, this link provides some tips to make one at home: http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html. Your vet will be able to evaluate the extent of the wound and start antibiotics. I hope that all goes well!

If you can't treat her at home because she won't let you then you will need to get her to a vet for treatment. They may have to sedate her to provide treatment. If you want to try at home, you can soak the foot in warm Epsom salt water for 5 minutes 3 times a day (if she will let you). This should draw out the infection. The other option is to use this wound spray. She won't like the spray noise, so you can douse a cotton ball with the solution and then wipe it on the wound. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-cat-wound-and-skin-hydrogel ) If she is licking the foot you will need to get her a cone to wear. No matter what you put on this to treat it, if she continues to lick, it won't heal. Remember, the cone must be long enough to go past the end of her nose or she will still be able to lick the foot. You can buy these at your local Petco or other large pet shop. Also, keep her indoors until healed. Hope this helps.

Great question! I would gently clean Tit with warm water and antiseptic soap. To keep him from licking at it, you can put an Ecollar on him. You can get one at a pet store or make one at home. Keep the wound clean and dry, and monitor it for signs of infection. If you see redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, or pus, then it is infected and Boy will need to see the vet for antibiotics to treat it. I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Cats are miraculous healers. The leg could just be sore. I would worry about an abscess forming from the bite. Abscesses required opening them up and antibiotics. The only thing you can do is clean the wounds twice daily with warm water and a mild soap and warm compress the wounds after each cleaning for the next 3-5 days. I wish you the best!