Why does my cat have a raw, irritated spot on her side and what to do?

Those look like pretty inflamed lesions. There are a few things that come to mind. Cats can get an autoimmune condition called eosinophilic granuloma that requires steroids for treatment and maybe antibiotics to control secondary infections. Check the house and make sure there's no possibility should could have touched something very hot or gotten into anything that could cause a chemical burn. Lastly, fleas and ringworm can be brought in on your shoes/clothing although this would be an abnormal presentation. Rarely, pets can get skin cancer that looks similar to this. I recommend to have Shadow checked out by her veterinarian since this is a mystery and she has two lesions. It's better to be safe. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Poor Iris! I'm sorry to hear that she's having this problem. Excessive itching and licking like this with sores and bleeding can be caused by a number of different skin conditions. Iris may have allergies, a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). It's also possible that she has fleas, as flea baths are not generally very effective in my experience. Treatment will depend on what the underlying problem is, so it's important to get a diagnosis first. I would definitely recommend taking her to the vet in the morning for an exam - he/she can do some simple skin tests to help diagnose the problem and get her started on appropriate medication to treat it. In the meantime, you can place an e-collar (plastic cone) on Iris if needed to prevent her from continuing to lick herself and make the sores worse.

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!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Licking until raw is a sign of irritation. This irritation can be due to fleas, other skin parasites, and sometimes other diseases such as tumors, intestinal pain if it on the stomach, or just a simple skin infection. I would recommend a visit to your vet for pain medications and antibiotics, and you will also need an E-collar to stop the self-trauma that is making it worse. Best of luck with Jackson!

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach! What you have taken a picture of on Ms. Kitty appears to be an area that is infected. What it is infected with I am unable to determine based on the pictures. However, that being said, I would recommend treating this by first shaving the hair away from the area and cleansing it with a mixture of betadine and water mixed to give a 50:50 dilution or until you get a light brown solution. You can use this to keep the area clean. I would recommend starting a spray such as Malacetic conditioning spray and spray to the affected area 2-3 times per day until resolved. If there is no improvement or it worsens, I would recommend having this examined by a veterinarian as Ms. Kitty may need a course of an antibiotic and additional topical medications. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

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.

Thank you for providing images. The area does not look severe enough to arrant an immediate visit. Keep the spot clean and dry. You can place an e-collar (cone) on Lavender to prevent rubbing or pawing. Monitor for increasing redness or hair loss, bleeding, discharge or lethargy. These are symptoms that should be addressed by your veterinarian sooner rather than later.