Neighborhood cat has a sore spot and missing hair. Does he need a vet?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Ringo has a wound on his neck. Based on your picture, it does look like he might have a skin infection of some kind, even possibly from a ruptured abscess. Does he go outside? I would recommend having him evaluated by his regular veterinarian to have area clipped, cleaned, and assessed to determine what may be going on, and what treatment (antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, or possible surgical repair) may be needed to resolve it. If he goes outside and the wound may have come from an unknown animal, I would also recommend his rabies vaccine be boostered as well. Good luck!

It sounds like Boots has an abscess from the bite wound. He needs to be examined by a vet for treatment. The abscess may need to be cleaned and flushed and then your vet can prescribe an antibiotic to treat the infection.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Judging from the picture, this could be a ruptured abscess or secondary to self trauma from him scratching at the area. I would recommend having him examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate treatment recommendations can be made. He will need the hair clipped from around the wound and the wound cleaned. I would also recommend an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is very hard to tell from the photo what is going on. It is uncommon for cats to get general wounds just by rubbing up against something or scratching themselves - usually a wound is due to direct trauma like a bite from another cat. If he goes outdoors this could very well be the case. This wound may turn into an infection (abscess). At this stage I would just monitor the wound. Do not put anything on it. If you notice any of these things then you need to get him to your vet ASAP. * swelling around the wound * discharge coming from the wound * wound is hot to the touch * Casey stops eating/drinking or becomes lethargic * vomiting or diarrhea Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Tombo and for providing a picture, it's very helpful. I suspect that she has an abscess. Typically outdoor cats fight with other cats, and cat bites frequently lead to abscesses. I do think you should take her into the vet to get this treated. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be due to ringworm. This could also be just a focal skin bacterial infection, among other possibilities. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and treat accordingly. Ringworm can be transmitted to humans so just in case this is what is going with him, wear gloves when handling this lesion. Good luck and best wishes!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear about Gabana. It looks infected. There may be some underlying dental problems but that would require a veterinarian exam. There isn't anything over the counter that you could apply that would resolve this issue. It looks fairly widespread and topical antibiotic cream will be unlikely to resolve this issue. Plus it could be fungal or some other process that a vet would need to assess. I'm sorry but as soon as you are able it would be best to get him in. It will likely cost less when you address the problem sooner than later too. Good luck and thanks again for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.