My cat has a painful wound for two weeks. Should I go to the vet?

Poor Wranger! Yes, if the wound has been there for a few weeks and has not healed, I would recommend having it checked by a veterinarian. It may be infected, or there may be some other reason it isn't healing that needs to be addressed.

Hi, it looks like Gelato has an infected wound. If you take a close look to the picture you can see there is a yellow tinge to it. It is not going to heal while infected. To start with, you could clean the area with some salty water putting one spoon of salt in a mug of hot water and leaving it to cool down. Once the salty water is luke warm, you can use it on the wound with some cotton wool. It might be that the yellow scab comes off and it leaves an open gap that it oozing some discharge. I also recommend to wear gloves to clean the wound. If possible at all, nest to have it checked over so your vet can clean it for you, and give antibiotics. Hope this helps !

Hello I can't tell from the picture how deep that wound is but it does look infected and there's underlying tissue and possibly muscle exposed. I recommend takinh your cat to see a veterinarian as she could be licking at the site when you're not watching and causing further infection. It may need to be closed or the vet may decide it should stay open (with some infected wounds closing can cause an abscess to form) and put her on antibiotics and pain medication. She might also need an E collar to prevent her from licking the area further.

That is a pretty large wound! That being said though, it looks like it is healing fine. It does not appear swollen or to have discharge coming from it. The tissue looks healthy. Having it stitched when it first happened which would have allowed it to heal faster. I am not sure how long it's been but a wound that size would take weeks to heal without stitches. If I were you I would keep applying a topical antibiotic cream and just leave it be. Stop using the Betadine. If he is licking it you must stop that behavior by using an Elizabethan collar (cone). As long as he keeps licking it will not heal. If you want it to heal faster you need to take him to a vet to have it stitched. Hope this helps. Best wishes!

If it is getting worse with conservative treatment, then it is time to have Pluto physically examined by your veterinarian. The wound may need to be debrided (have dead tissue removed) so that healing can occur. It may need sutures and a drain depen7on severity. Systemic antibiotics may also be needed. Place an e-collar (cone) on him to prevent licking until he sees the doctor. Given current events, you may need to drop him off at the clinic then wait for your veterinarian to call you to discuss exam findings and treatment options.

Poor kitty! Since this wound looks rather deep and he is limping, I would definitely recommend having him seen by a veterinarian - it looks like he will probably need an antibiotic and possibly an anti-inflammatory or other pain medication, in order to treat the injury and help it heal.

I would recommend for your kitty to see the veterinarian. Infections tend to heal significantly faster and with less complications with antibiotics. You also will need to make sure he does not lick at the wound as this will make it worse. Have him wear an Elizabethan collar at all times and keep him indoors until it is healed. Typical healing is expected to take 10 to 14 days in most circumstances. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.