My kitten has a wound and hair patch above its lip. What happened?

I am very sorry that Kitty has his sore near her lip. Thank you for proving pictures, it is difficult to know precisely what caused this lesion it may have been a cat scratch, a traumatic puncture from for example a fence, or possible a primary skin like feline acne, or allergic disease. At this stage it appears to be slightly crusted and inflamed and I would suggest a trip to the veterinarian. The vet will most likely clean the wound and debris any necrotic material. The vet may also send home pain relief, anti inflammatory medications and / or antibiotics. The vet will also be able examine the area and reach a diagnosis. Best of luck to you both and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This looks to be a little sore on the lip that was caused by some sort of puncture wound, scratch, etc. I would monitor it for now and perhaps use a daily water additive or oral rinse that you can get from your local pet store. If it has not resolved or worsened after 7-10 days, then its best to take Arlo to your local vet to get this checked out to make sure there isn't something underneath the skin that got stuck and can't come out (foreign body) that has caused this. Also the vet can do a complete oral exam as well to ensure the gums and mouth look ok. I hope that your fur baby gets this to heal well soon and that it is just a sore. Best wishes and take care! : )

The picture doesn't look like a very serious wound to me. I would continue to watch it. If it starts bleeding, if the swelling gets larger, if there is a creamy yellow/white/green discharge, or if Venus is not eating well, she may need to see a vet for treatment.

It's good that the area has stopped bleeding. I would keep an eye on it for now. I would gently clean the wound with warm water and antiseptic soap. Keep the wound clean and dry, and monitor it for signs of infection. If you see redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, or pus, then it is infected and Nick will need to see the vet for antibiotics to treat it. I hope this helps!

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). It may heal on its own, even though it will take few days. Disinfection may be done at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths twice daily. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. If the wound will not heal/or at least improve in 5 days, a check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. 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!

Hi, Thank you for reaching out with your question! The lesion in the photos appears to just affect the skin, so if it is from rough play with your other cat, it at least doesn’t appear to cut deeper into layers below the skin. I assume this is the only lesion on Sinbad. Therefore, given the lesion is superficial and solitary, you could certainly keep a close eye on it for any changes. If the lesion is actually deeper than the skin (like a puncture or full laceration), then you should definitely have a veterinarian thoroughly clean the wound. If you notice it changing shape, size, color, or produce any discharge, they I wouldn’t hestitate to take him to the vet. In the meantime, I would make sure the area is clean and dry. A regular washcloth with warm water (an antiseptic like betadine or chlorhexidine could be used if needed) should be sufficient to clean the area and provide warm compress. Your veterinarian can perform a physical exam and possibly some diagnostic related to the skin (skin scrape, biopsy, etc) if indicated.

Poor Izzy! Most likely she has caused that wound herself from scratching. I would make sure she is on a flea preventive such as Frontline, Advantage or Revolution as that would be a good reason for why she is so itchy. Allergies would be another possibility but less likely given that she is still a kitten. Cats typically heal very quickly but if the wound is not getting better on I would take her to the vet as she may need antibiotics. Good luck!