How long to keep a bandage on my cat's wound? Should I let it breathe?

If just a small amount of blood seeped through the bandage it is probably still ok. If the bandage is becoming saturated with blood or the area of blood on the bandage is spreading, you should call your vet to see if they want to re-examine the area. I would not recommend changing it yourself unless your vet showed you how to change the bandage. The wound may need to be treated differently if it is actively bleeding. I would follow your vet's instructions and leave the bandage on as long as recommended as most wounds do require a bandage and not "airing out" initially. Best of luck to you and Patzo.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I agree, the abscess appears to be very open, which in a way is a good thing. This allows the wound to drain openly, so Lilly doesn’t get an accumulation of infected fluid under the skin (an abscess) again. I think the answer to your question about having her seen sooner depends on how the wound has changed since your veterinarian last saw it. Each veterinarian manages these wounds a little differently. If how it looks now is similar to how it looked at your last veterinary visit, and Lilly is otherwise acting healthy at home, she may not have to be evaluated sooner than her next appointment. If, however, the wound had changed dramatically (is more open, has a different colored fluid exuding from it, has a foul odor) then I recommend Lilly be seen sooner. The only bandage I would recommend would have to be placed by a veterinarian under light sedation, and this is called a “tie-over bandage”. These protect the wound from becoming increasingly more contaminated, and allow for relatively simple bandage changes while the skin in the wound heals. I hope this is helpful! If you have any further questions, please feel free to enter into a consultation with me; I would be happy to assist your further.

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!

Ouch! That looks like a large bit of skin was taken. It if is larger than 2-3 inches in size, I would have your vet suture it with a drain to keep it from getting infected. If it's smaller than that, keeping the area clean and dry and keeping Leroy from licking it is best to prevent infection. Signs of an infection starting include oozing or debris, swelling, pain, or heat/swelling around the area, which needs to be treated with antibiotics from your vet.

Ouch! In some cases where wounds are on areas that can't be closed by suturing or are constantly being agitated, keeping the wound covered to prevent increasing infection/debris from entering the wound may be needed. I've seen success with using manuka honey for treating large infected wounds and increasing healing, (usually with bandage changes every 12-24 hours) as well as using hydrocolloid bandages that protect the area by acting as a sort of skin barrier, allowing the wound to breathe but continue to heal/allow for new tissue growth underneath without allowing debris into it. There is also progress being made with using fish-skin bandages to create another fake skin barrier and allow healing underneath. If you're not currently, I'd recommend speaking with a veterinary dermatologist who can better instruct you in these procedures and monitor progress over time.

Without seeing Sweetie's wound in person, I can't legally say if it's safe to use this pet wound liquid sealer. If the wound isn't long or deep, then it would be fine to let it breathe. Definitely put a cone on Sweetie to keep her from licking at it, and monitor it 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 for antibiotics. If the wound is long and/or deep, then my recommendation is to take her into a vet now for stitches.

Hello. I would not try to dress the wound yourself. Some products can be very dangerous to cats, and due to excessive grooming they often eat products. I would recommend firstly to get an e-collar to prevent her from licking. Cats licking at a wound would prevent and delay healing. Also, if it has been 2 months and not healing, then I would be worried about infection, especially if she has been licking as cat's mouths contain very nasty bacteria. I would suggest having it seen by a vet. You can try the e-collar first for a couple days if Luda isn't bothered by the wound, and if it is healing you can leave the e-collar on for 10 days to allow it to heal completely. If it isn't healing then have it seen by a vet. Don't apply any bandages or products to it, you are risking causing much more harm, and not helping at all.