Cat's skin cyst breaking open, but heart murmur prevents vet care?

You can apply a warm and damp washcloth to the area, which will help the area continue to drain. Gently trim back Hocus's fur, and clean the area with antiseptic soap. I would not put any antibiotic cream on it. Although quite safe on superficial wounds, cats groom and ingest most of the topical ointment you apply and therefore should be used only under direct veterinary supervision and if there are no other appropriate options. Many human ointments contain multiple other ingredients which are not necessarily safe to be swallowed. I would keep an Ecollar on Hocus to keep her from licking at it, and keep her indoors if she is allowed outside. Monitor the hole for signs of infection, which include redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, and pus. Should you see any of those signs, I would take her into the vet as she will need antibiotics to treat the infection.

Poor Munchkin! I'm sorry to hear that he's having this problem. Without being able to examine him, or at least see a photo of the area, it's hard to say what this might be and whether it is healing appropriately or not. From your description, it sounds like it could be a ruptured cyst or skin tumor of some kind, or possibly a rather nasty localized infection. It sounds like you have been doing a good job of keeping the area clean. I wouldn't consider this problem to be urgent as long as he is acting normal otherwise, but I would recommend taking Munchkin to your regular vet tomorrow to have this checked. He/she can examine the area to determine if additional treatment is needed, to make sure that it heals without further problems.

I can't tell you for sure without seeing your kitty, but from what you describe I think there is a good chance it will heal on its own without further intervention. It must have been a cyst all along and finally ruptured. Sometimes I go in later and surgically remove these only if they become a recurrent problem that is not well-managed with antibiotics alone.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Oreo. Potentially it could heal, but keep in mind that the cyst will likely grow back because the cyst sac has not been removed. So this could be a continuing problem when it heals, fills up again, and then opens. While the best thing to do is have it removed, you can hold off to see if it fills up again. Clean the area with warm water and antiseptic soap. Keep the wound clean and dry, and monitor it for signs of infection. If you see redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, or pus, then it is infected and she will need to see the vet for antibiotics to treat it. I hope this helps!

The cyst was actually an abscess or pocket of puss from a cat scratch or bite. I'm glad it is draining as it will heal quickly now that the infection is coming out. I would massage all of the infected material out of the wound then clean the area with hydrogen peroxide. Then apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it. Keep it clean and treated daily and this should heal in a few days to a week. Since it's draining a veterinary visit shouldn't be needed unless it fills again and Salem stops eating due to a fever. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Salem.

Whoops is right! It could be that Bailey has a cyst and it opened up internally. I would keep an eye on the area for now, and if the lump starts to appear again, I would have her seen by a vet. If it is a cyst, they can reoccur and it may need to be removed surgically to prevent it from filling back up.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Cezare. Yes, I would keep your appointment. If he does have a cyst, these can reoccur if the sac of the cyst isn't removed. I would have him seen by a vet to see if this really is a cyst and if the sac does need to be removed. Best of luck.