Cat fight wound: Popped abscess is open. How to treat at home?

In this case a picture would be really helpful to understand the extension of the damage and offer you the best treatment options. Antibiotics are likely to be needed, but 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/scratching (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!

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!

typically an abscess forms after the scab traps the bacteria under the skin. Salt water will likely burn and betadine can be caustic. You are better to wash it with mild soap and water and keep Neosporin on the area just minimize the licking. If you notice swelling then you will need to see a vet for medicaiton

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!

Agree that Mochi may greatly benefit from antibiotics. Infections related to fighting are common and these can become more severe the longer they are present (though the body will try to heal itself). have Mochi wear an elizabethan collar at all times to protect the wound. Keep the wound clean and dry. Keep Mochi inside. Here is a link about abscesses: https://www.petcoach.co/article/abscesses-a-common-skin-condition-in-cats/ You may look into financing through Care Credit or Scratch Pay. You may call the local humane society to ask if they offer/know of any low cost solutions. Moving forward, keep Mochi indoors and I recommend to have her spayed as there are many health and behavioral benefits to the procedure. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Poor Brother, that's a nasty looking abscess. The best thing you can do until his appointment is to fit an e collar or cone on him so he doesnt scratch the wound. If he'll let you, you can use a dilute wound cleanser from the drug store like diluted povidone or chlorhexidine to clean any discharge. Hopefully he's already protected with antibiotics.

Hello. If you have or can purchase a skin antiseptic, one with either 2% chlorhexidine or 1% povidine iodine, then you can gently clean this 2 times daily. Antibiotics would hasten healing, & if the wound is not looking better by early next week, I would consider a veterinary visit. But by keeping this clean, it will heal, & yes, this has the look of a typical cat bite abscess, so he did get into an argument with another cat. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.