My cat's wound reopened, skin is blue after antibiotics. What now?

Poor Lilly! If she was missing all day, she could have done something to cause the wound to open up more. When a cat has a wound and is on medication, it's best to keep her confined to allow her to heal correctly. I see she has stitches, and cats with stitches need to be kept quiet so the area can heal properly. I would keep her indoors while this wound is healing to prevent her from opening it up more, as well as disappearing and potentially missing times when she needs to take her medications. Set up a litter box inside for her along with food and water. Once the wound is fully healed and her stitches are removed, she can start going back outside. I hope this helps!

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.

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.

Please trim the fur so you can keep an eye on the wound and so the fur doesn't get stuck in it. Clean the area with hydrogen peroxide. I can't tell from the photo but if there is dirt in it you can flush the area with warm water. I wouldn't put anything topical on it if Truffles is licking the area. Using a restraint collar will stop the licking and then you could apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it, not deep into the wound. Keeping the area open and draining for a few days will prevent an abscess, a puss pocket under the skin. If Truffles stops eating or the area is very red and painful then he will need a veterinary exam and antibiotics. These wounds are not usually sutured as that traps in the infection. Cat wounds usually heal quickly when they are clean and open to the air. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Truffles.

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!

From the picture I can only say this may be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria or fungal). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics or antifungal meds (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. More investigations like sampling and bacterial swabs would be needed to determine the underlying cause more specifically. In my experience I have seen large wounds like this one from Poxvirus infection (but usually other wounds are present as well). I would suggest to handle this wound always with gloves (you are doing it anyway as I can see from the pic). Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

I am sorry to hear the Pickles (cute name by the way) has a bite wound. Clavamox is usually a great antibiotic for bite wounds. Unfortunately, the liquid antibiotics are usually only good for about 2 weeks once that are mixed into a liquid. So if it has been longer than that then they probably won't work very well. Also, make sure the she cannot scratch the wound. If you have to, try putting a small baby t-shirt on her (if the wound is in a place that it would help cover it up) or place a cone collar on her if it is closer to her head or if she is grooming/licking the wound. Also, I would recommend to contact your veterinarian for an exam in case she needs additional care or antibiotics. I hope sweet Pickles heals up really soon!