My feral cat has a skin lesion. How can I get him vet care if I can't pick him up?

Hello! Poor Yoda! Looks like as if he may have fleas, and an allergy to the flea bites. Or, possibly mange (skin mites). Can you phone your vet and tell them what is happening? Tell them you aren't able to pick him up. Ask if there is a safe over the counter flea medication that you can try. If not, you may need to catch him and take him in to see the vet. Even if he is feral, they will likely be able to help, just let them know he is not used to being handled. Best of luck with Yoda!

These lesions can be caused by a few different things, including fleas, mange, lice, infections (bacterial or yeast), ringworm, allergies, among others. They can also be self-induced trauma from itching. If you can't catch her, it will be very difficult to treat. If you can catch her, you can try either a topical flea preventative or flea collar like Seresto, or a medicated shampoo that is anti-fungal and anti-bacterial like Dechra MalAcetic Ultra Shampoo. But I really think this needs to be seen by a vet as the yellow coloring may indicate bacterial infection and she may benefit from antibiotics.

This lesion is very severe and requires antibiotics and proper wound care. The area surrounding the area affected must be clipped and disinfected appropriately and antibiotics (topical or systemic) are required.

I am sorry to hear about your kitty. Unfortunately from these photos it does not appear that at home care is going to be appropriate anymore. I am concerned based on the picture that some of the tissue/skin around the wound could be devitalized/dying. He likely needs systemic antibiotics and wound care by a professional at this point. I would recommend looking at this site for info on ideas on affording veterinary care: https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/having-trouble-affording-veterinary-care . There may be a low cost clinic in your area associated with a human society or shelter that may be more affordable.

I am so sorry to hear about Fritz. It is an unusual presentation for sure, as we commonly see abscesses around this area in cats but it is unusual to see them symmetrical (if that is what you are describing), we would also worry about an infection in the root of the tooth, lymph nodes, or salivary glands. Unfortunately your cat require veterinary care, this is not something you can treat at home. You will have to figure out a way to get him into a vet. This may involve finding a clinic that is lower cost- some humane societies or animal protective leagues have lower cost clinics available. Some clinics work with companies such as Care Credit to allow you to charge your bill and pay in monthly installments, and there are some funds for cases where pets need care and owners cannot afford it, or some people even pawn belongings or borrow from friends or family in these cases. You can read this article for more ideas on how to afford veterinary care: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951489 . I would also recommend keeping him indoors until this clears up as with these wounds he would be predisposed to getting fly strike/maggots.

If you are able to handle the cat you can try using this wound gel topically every day until it is healed. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-cat-wound-and-skin-hydrogel ) Honestly, antibiotics (either oral or injectable) may be needed to get this to clear up so if the wound gel does not work then you need to get him to a vet for an exam.

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. An abscess may be present and this may need to be lanced and flushed. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any scratching (if any). 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!