My cat's face is swollen and draining. How can I stop infection?

She is a cutie! This could be from an insect/spider bite that has cause a local infection/abscess which is why is has started to swell. This could potentially be a cancerous mass that has caused an inflammatory reaction as well. Since it has recently become swollen, I would strongly recommend for your vet to take a look at it. Your vet will be able to aspirate the mass or swelling if needed. They can even take X-rays if needed if they are concerned about sinus or honey involvement. They will also be able to start her on some antibiotics and an anti-inflammatory if needed. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear Arpy is having facial swelling. Swelling like you are describing can be due to a variety of reasons, including infection (such as an abscess), a problem with a tooth, a growth, or an allergic reaction, among others. I would recommend having him evaluated by a veterinarian, as medications (such as an antibiotic or an anti-inflammatory) or even a dental procedure may be necessary to help resolve it. Good luck!

Facial swelling can be caused by an allergic reaction to something such as an insect sting or spider bite, an abscess from an injury, or even an abscessed tooth (unlikely in such a young cat). I would encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. Depending on what the diagnosis is will determine what medications are recommended. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

It sounds like Tom has a nasty abscess which is a deep pocket of infection. Unfortunately, without proper medication and wound treatment, this may not resolve or it can cause significant tissue damage. Tom really needs to get to a veterinarian for care and prescription antibiotics. In the meantime while you try to plan for the visit, keep the area open and draining by gently massaging the fluid out of it if you can. This can be painful, so stop if Tim gets too agitated because he may bite.

I am so very sorry to hear about your kitty! It does appear, unfortunately, that your kitty could have an infection going on in the foot here, as the area looks swollen with purulent discharge coming from the area. Unfortunately when we have an area like this, a topical treatment is usually not going to suffice and oral or injectable antibiotics is often needed. We can see infections as a result of overgrown or ingrown toenails, wounds, foreign bodies (like a piece of splinter or grass seed) entering the skin, and sometimes we can also get fungal infections. Without seeing your kitty in person it is very hard to determine. I know you say you cannot afford a vet, but I think you will have to figure out a way to get your kitty in to see the vet. They can look more closely at the toe and the nail to try to determine the cause. They may be able to do this just by looking and feeling the area, they may want to test the discharge to check for bacteria or fungus They may need to flush the wound to be sure there isn't any object lodged there. I would recommend calling the vet's office and letting them know your situation. They may have a program called Care Credit that you can apply for to help pay your vet bills with monthly payments, or they may have another program set up similar to this. If they do not, they may be able to refer you to a low cost clinic in your area. Some Humane Society's or animal shelters have lower cost services for those in need. It is best to let your vet know up front of your financial situation so that they can choose the most stream-lined and cost effective options for you from the start.

Poor Molly has developed an infection around her mouth. Quite often such lesions are caused by bacteria, but it could be fungal. It looks quite swollen so I would take her to the vet. They will likely give her an antibiotic and get you to wash the area and apply a medicated cream to it.

I can't tell from the photo if it is swollen. If you think it is, I recommend to have her examined by the veterinarian because it could indicate the beginning of an infection or tooth root abscess. There's not much you can do in that area because Misty will lick off any topical treatments. She should wear an elizabethan collar at all times so she cannot rub the area. If the lesion is not swollen, you can monitor it for a few days. If the area is not healing or is getting worse, I recommend to have Misty examined by the veterinarian. A lesion like this could signify ringworm (which humans can get) or allergies. I hope this helps.