My cat has a bad spider bite wound. Can I treat it at home or vet?

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It looks like the tissue has begun to granulate, which is a good step in the healing process. The "burn" he feels is likely due to the exposed tissue bed which still feels very "raw" With the size of this wound and the type-I usually recommend oral antibiotics as well as a topical healing agent like Manuela honey. For these-you will need to see a veterinarian for a prescription, especially if OTC topicals are no longer helping. You have done well so far, but it looks like this wound may just need a little more help. Clipping the hair around the border of the wound will help keep it from trapping fluid seepage from there as well. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may still be normal after a spider bite. However, something like an abscess or a growth cannot be ruled out just by looking at it. I would recommend you continue the course. However, if this gets worse such as getting larger, I recommend you consider having it sampled to make sure he is not developing anything else. Best of luck!

This wound is very infected and needs extensive wound care as well as antibiotics and pain medication from your veterinarian. Smokey needs to be seen by veterinarian as soon as possible. Keep the area clean and dry and keep her inside until shr is seen by veterinarian. Do not give any human pain medication as it can be extremely toxic to cats.

Ouch. The area does look quite swollen and possibly already infected. Depending on the spider that bit Rocco, he may need antibiotics, steroids and antihistamines to prevent the skin from being necrotic (dying off) and systemic bacteria (bacteria floating in the bloodstream which can be life threatening) from developing. i would suggest cleaning it with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water for tonight if a vet visit is just absolutely not possible. This will help provide some topical antiseptic cleansing of the wound. Take special care not to get any of this in his eyes. Then getting Rocco seen by a vet first thing in the morning to get this area looked at and treated appropriately. However if a vet visit tonight is possible, then getting him seen right away is best, before it gets any worse. I hope everything works out well for your pet Rocco. Best wishes and take care.

You can try an ice pack to see if that helps with the swelling, but ultimately Sparklers needs to see a vet. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/

Yes, it is an excellent course of treatment, you just have to make sure that the wound does not create a big abscess, in that case it will need to be lanced, opened and cleaned under sedation, but as you caught it early this treatment should be more than enough.

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sadly there is nothing else you can do at home besides what has been previously mentioned. If you are very worried, call your local SPCA to see if they offer low cost Veterinary Care. Ideally the abscess needs to be lanced (opened) to allow drainage. We can not recommend that you do this at home. If Bubba doesn't see a Vet the abscess will likely open at some point on it's own. Bite wounds and infections are painful. Sometimes cats feel very sick for a few days before the abscess ruptures because they tend to get a fever. I would just wash the area locally and not give him a full bath. You can see if you can borrow clippers from someone. I hope this helps!