Is my cat's lower jaw wound from scratching or something else?

Hello. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is very hard to tell from the photo what is going on. It is uncommon for cats to get general wounds just by rubbing up against something or scratching themselves - usually a wound is due to direct trauma like a bite from another cat. If he goes outdoors this could very well be the case. This wound may turn into an infection (abscess). At this stage I would just monitor the wound. Do not put anything on it. If you notice any of these things then you need to get him to your vet ASAP. * swelling around the wound * discharge coming from the wound * wound is hot to the touch * Casey stops eating/drinking or becomes lethargic * vomiting or diarrhea Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Judging from the picture, this could be a ruptured abscess or secondary to self trauma from him scratching at the area. I would recommend having him examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate treatment recommendations can be made. He will need the hair clipped from around the wound and the wound cleaned. I would also recommend an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

From the picture I can only say this may be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria or fungal). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics or antifungal meds (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. More investigations like sampling and bacterial swabs would be needed to determine the underlying cause more specifically. In my experience I have seen large wounds like this one from Poxvirus infection (but usually other wounds are present as well). I would suggest to handle this wound always with gloves (you are doing it anyway as I can see from the pic). Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. 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.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It appears Precious may have sustained an abscess, probably from a fight with another cat. The abscess ruptured, & Precious has been licking the area to keep it clean. Her sandpaper tongue can actually cause more trauma to the area. You can clean the area with a little warm water & a disinfectant such as Betadine, & you may need to put an elizabethean collar on her to stop the licking. These type wounds do not always need antibiotics, but it would not be a bad idea to let your vet have a look at it just to make sure . Hope she well very soon.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly an infection. However, this is a somewhat common location for a tumor in cats as well. I still think that a focal infection or traumatic lesion is more likely. You can use a topical medication like Douxo 3% PS pads which you may find online. You can apply this to the affected area twice daily for 2 weeks. If this does not resolve or appears to be progressing, have Lovey evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a great day!

This is an open and infected skin wound. It may be the result of trauma (cat fight) or self inflicted from scratching ( fleas or ear mites). A hands on exam by a veterinarian can help you to determine the cause and also prescribe an antibiotic and assess the wound. If your cat does appear to have fleas or ear mites, that can also be treated. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Lilly! Is the wound right by his penis? If so that is a very hard location to bandage without covering his penis. The skin around the wound is very swollen and red. i am concerned about an abscess or a warble/cuterebra, which is a fly larvae under the skin. I recommend that you take him to the Vet Monday to have the area evaluated and to start antibiotics. Otherwise he needs an E-collar or cone to prevent licking. Good luck!