What is this lesion on my outdoor cat's stomach? Should I worry?

This is a nasty wound. I would put Cheeru in the sink or tub and gently flush this wound with cool water until it is clean and all the discharge is removed. Then keep her inside in a small clean room with fresh bedding, food, water and litter. It looks like you may have put iodine solution on it as a disinfectant in the picture, which is fine. She will lick and clean this area so I don't like to apply ointment on it. You can take some hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and clean the area daily if needed. Draining watery, bloody fluid from the area is normal. Give her wet food with added water to make sure she doesn't become dehydrated. Luckily cats usually heal well when the wound is open and draining like this one. Expect this to take a few weeks to heal. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Cheeru.

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.

It is hard to see clearly the extent of this lesion as the photo is a bit blurry. It definitely looks like an infected skin lesion....whether it started as a ruptured abscess, a traumatic wound or other...I cannot say for sure. This should be seen by your veterinarian as soon as possible for proper treatment which should include a prescription antibiotic and wound cleaning. If it needs surgical debrisement, make sure the doctor is aware of the pregnancy. Hopefully it can just be cleaned without any sedation, but medication is going to be needed to treat the infection. There are numerous antibiotics that are safe for pregnant cats.

Even though a picture would help to understand better the underlying cause, this presentation could be due to a trauma (bite wound) and/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. 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 licking/scratching. 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.

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.

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). The area should be shaved first and washed profusely with clean water. Disinfection can be started 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/scratching. Sudocream or zinc oxide cream can be applied on the wound after cleaning and drying it up. Keep him indoors and keep in touch for updates. 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.

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!