Kitten nose wound reopened, looks bigger. Should I call the vet?

Hello. Depending on the size and depth of the wound, it will either just need time to heal on it's own (if it is not full thickness through the skin, and not too big. This will take a couple weeks. Just leaving the cone on, or getting a bigger size will help with this. Otherwise you can have the wound closed surgically. If you have a vet look at the wound they will tell you if surgical intervention is needed or not. Feel free to send pictures through a "consultation" and we can give you a better idea as well.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I’m sorry to hear Jamie isn’t doing well. I would be concerned due to the swelling that there may be an infection (abscess) or other underlying issue that would need to be addressed. I would recommend she be evaluated by her regular veterinarian to determine the underlying cause of her swelling, have any necessary testing done (X-rays, needle aspirate), and start any treatment that she may need (antibiotics, anti-inflammatories). Good luck!

Certainly a buster collar would avoid further scratching and an antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) will avoid any risk of infection. Even though a picture of the wound would help to determine the most appropriate underlying treatment more specifically, I think in this case a vet check up would be ideal. 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!

It sounds like Mibaowa may have scratched at her nose, causing the scab to come off. It does need to heal, or it could get infected from her continually scratching at it. I would put an Ecollar on her, which will prevent her from scratching at it, and will allow it to heal. You can get an Ecollar from a pet store or your vet.

Ouch! You definitely want to keep Baby from injuring her nose any further. Make her wear an elizabethan collar at all times and try to prevent her from rubbing her nose against furniture or carpets. Don’t apply anything as you may accidentally block her nostrils and cause her to have a hard time breathing. Definitely take her into the veterinarian. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Gijs. If the wound is just minor trauma, it should begin healing within 48 hours. If it continues to look smaller, then I would not worry about it. However, if it is not resolving or certainly if it spreads, she will need to see her veterinarian. Ringworm is a fungal infection that is common in kittens. It can start in the nose. It is diagnosed by plucking hairs and performing a fungal culture. I hope this information helps!

I am so sorry to hear that you are experiencing these issues with Waffles. Thank you for providing a picture of the wound. I would start by placing an e-collar on her straight away so she can't bite or lick the wound. This will cause further tissue trauma and may introduce infection. Cat bites are very likely to form an abcess. Which is an accumulation of Bacteria and dead and dying white blood cells. This forms puss and accumulates when wounds close over infection, under the skin, until it bursts. It sounds to me from what you are describing hay Waffles had an abscess which has not re-opened. Due this high likelihood for an abcess, as well as the fact that the would is currently open and bleeding, I would advise taking Waffles to the veterinarian soon. The vet will clean the wound by flushing it with saline. The vet may need to place a surgical drain in order to prevent pus building up and an abcess forming. The vet can also prescribe more medications such a as antibiotics, pain relief, and anti-inflammatories to make Waffles comfortable and help the healing process. I hope this information was helpful and that Waffles heals well.