Should my 6-month-old cat's fresh scratch get stitches or home care?

ALthough stitching is the fastest way to heal wounds (5-7days) as it helps sealing of the edges together in the correct alignment, most small flesh wounds such as this will heal over 3-4weeks if kept clean and infection is avoided. You must monitor closely for any heat, swelling or pain which may indicate infection requiring further treatment

Poor Claws! I don't think you should let that heal without treatment and should take him to a vet. Your vet can clean the wound and then suture it so it heals properly. He will also need an antibiotic to prevent infection.

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). It may heal on its own, even though it will take few days. Disinfection may be done at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths twice daily. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. If the wound will not heal/or at least improve in 5 days, a check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. 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!

It sounds like he had an abscess from an injury, probably an altercation with another cat. A veterinarian would likely not suture it anyway to avoid trapping any contaminants and causing another abscess. It looks pretty clean with healthy granulation tissue forming. The antibiotics, even intermittent have probably helped keep further infection at bay. Keep an eye on it, if he will let you, clean it gently with a damp clean washcloth and keep any debris or infected material cleaned out. It should heal from the outside of the wound to the inside, gradually shrinking and closing over the open area. As long as he continues to eat and drink and behave normally, and and the wound continues to look clean with pink and healthy tissue, he should do fine. He needs to eat, going without eating for more than a few days will cause liver problems in cats which would require a vet visit to be treated.

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!

Hi, Thank you for reaching out with your question! The lesion in the photos appears to just affect the skin, so if it is from rough play with your other cat, it at least doesn’t appear to cut deeper into layers below the skin. I assume this is the only lesion on Sinbad. Therefore, given the lesion is superficial and solitary, you could certainly keep a close eye on it for any changes. If the lesion is actually deeper than the skin (like a puncture or full laceration), then you should definitely have a veterinarian thoroughly clean the wound. If you notice it changing shape, size, color, or produce any discharge, they I wouldn’t hestitate to take him to the vet. In the meantime, I would make sure the area is clean and dry. A regular washcloth with warm water (an antiseptic like betadine or chlorhexidine could be used if needed) should be sufficient to clean the area and provide warm compress. Your veterinarian can perform a physical exam and possibly some diagnostic related to the skin (skin scrape, biopsy, etc) if indicated.

Poor Bond. It’s hard to say for sure based on the photo, but the scratch appears to be fairly superficial. If it is, then just flushing it with sterile eye irrigating solution from your local pharmacy should be enough to keep it from getting infected so that it can heal well. If it any point it looks like it is getting infected (yellow or green discharge) or isn’t healing well (within 4-7 days), then it’s best to get your vet to take a look at the wound for further treatment. No topical ointment should be placed this close to the eye, unless it is a prescription eye ointment from your vet. Hopefully things heal up well! As long as you continue to flush it daily it should heal well. Best wishes and take care.