My cat has a ruptured abscess from a fight. Is it an emergency?

Unfortunately, an abscess cannot be treated at home, Shivers has to see a vet for it. If it's ruptured, it needs to be flushed sterilely to prevent further infection from entering the area, and she needs antibiotics to treat the infection which are available by prescription only from the vet. She does have to see a vet as soon as possible for this, and it truly cannot wait until next week. I would see if a family member can take her to the vet this week since you are only home this week from school.

If Felix got out, he may have gotten into a fight with another cat, gotten bitten, and it turned into an abscess. It sounds like the abscess has burst, but if it's painful, he does need to see a vet. I would take him into one first thing in the morning.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Cruze. I recommend seeking emergency veterinary care for him this weekend. The infection will only spread and be harder and more expensive to treat, the more time goes by. The veterinarian may recommend surgery to help the wound be flushed out and heal. He will likely need antibiotics and pain medications as well. In the meantime, do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to cats. I hope this information helps!

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!

It looks like it may be healing. If it isn't big, full of pus, painful to him, he's eating, and isn't lethargic, you can wait until Monday to have him seen. Otherwise, take him into a vet immediately.

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!

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!