My cat has recurring abscesses. What home remedies are safe?

I'm sorry Peekie has an abscess. I presume it is draining from your description. Unfortunately, it is very diffcult to get abscesses to heal without thorough flushing and oral (or injectable) antibiotics, so I would have Peekie evaluated by your veterinarian, so you can make sure it isn't a tumor and get appropriate treatment. I have attached an article below that may be helpful. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=361 Please let me know if that was helpful and if there is anything else we can help you with. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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!

There is no home treatment for this, he needs oral antibiotics, and the abscess needs to be drained and flushed. Try to find Big Boy's owners so they can take him into the vet. If he doesn't have owners, I would take him in yourself. Best of luck.

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!

I am sorry to hear about your kitty. Unfortunately from these photos it does not appear that at home care is going to be appropriate anymore. I am concerned based on the picture that some of the tissue/skin around the wound could be devitalized/dying. He likely needs systemic antibiotics and wound care by a professional at this point. I would recommend looking at this site for info on ideas on affording veterinary care: https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/having-trouble-affording-veterinary-care . There may be a low cost clinic in your area associated with a human society or shelter that may be more affordable.

It is pointless without finding and treating the underlying cause of the abscess. Abscesses typically heal quickly and with no residual issues as long as the underlying cause is addressed. Also, oral antibiotics are probably needed to completely clear the infection. Based on your description the most likely cause of the abscess is probably an infected tooth root.

Bite wounds are often worse under the surface of the skin than they appear externally. I'm glad to hear that Alfred does not appear to be forming a swollen abscess, but he probably should receive a course of antibiotics from his vet. You can try keeping the open wounds clean with an antiseptic soap (such as Betadine or Chlorhexidine), but avoid putting hydrogen peroxide on the wounds. Be sure to keep Alfred from scratching at the wound and put an e-collar on him if necessary. I hope that all goes well!