My senior cat has a foul-smelling spot. When should I see a new vet?

Oh my. Poor girl. I am so sorry but this appears to be a severe infection and you are correct in that this needs more than topicals. In fact this may be a resistant bacteria in need of culturing through your vet. It looks like the skin could be badly infected due to several possibilities here: resistant skin infection, mites, skin cancer. I highly recommend taking Smoky in to your vet right away to start with some skin testing to help determine the underlying cause, so that we know how best to move forward with her. Until you can get her in it is best to just clean the areas with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water, then rinse with sterile saline from your local pharmacy. Ensure that none of the Betadine gets in her eyes however, so use a cloth and use extreme care. I do hope that you are able to get Smoky's skin back to normal and get her some relief soon. Best of luck and take care.

Ouch! That definitely should be seen by your vet. They will need to take a sample, generally a fine-needle aspirate, to help determine what the growth is and if it needs to be removed, drained, or treated. If your kitty doesn't like going to the vet, you can call ahead to see if they can prescribe a sedative to give at home before bringing her in which can help make things less stressful (and easier for your vet to get a sample of the growth). Some veterinarians also provide home services, so if you feel kitty would be calmer at home, a housecall vet may be a good alternative.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Judging from the photo, it looks like a wound or a mass that has opened up and is potentially infected. I would recommend having him seen by a vet for further testing so that the most appropriate treatment can be recommended. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

Hello and thank you for your question. That spot on Floyd could be several things including a wound, allergies, skin mites, bacterial infection or ringworm (which humans can get). From the photo, that doesn't look like a puncture wound but if you find one or if there is a potential this is a fight wound, I recommend to have him examined within 24 hours. Bite wounds often become infected. If treated with antibiotics early, abscesses are less likely to form. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for pets, this can help improve the skin health. You can wash the lesion once a day with a medicated wipe for cats (not his whole body, just the lesion) if he will allow you. Don't get bitten. Just so you know, cat bites almost always get infected and could land you in the hospital. Also protect the area from trauma by having your kitty wear an elizabethan collar at all times. If the lesion does not start improving within a week or if it is getting worse, have him examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello. That looks like a moist and sticky bacterial infection, but a proper diagnosis would come from a hands on examination with your veterinarian. It would be best to have him looked at ASAP, but in the meantime....the main goal is to clean the area and try to keep it dry. You can use some dish soap and water to gently clean the area, then wipe excess soap away and dry it . Do not rub or scrub the tissue very hard as it is probably uncomfortable. Your veterinarian will need to prescribe the appropriate antibiotic to eliminate the infection. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear about Gabana. It looks infected. There may be some underlying dental problems but that would require a veterinarian exam. There isn't anything over the counter that you could apply that would resolve this issue. It looks fairly widespread and topical antibiotic cream will be unlikely to resolve this issue. Plus it could be fungal or some other process that a vet would need to assess. I'm sorry but as soon as you are able it would be best to get him in. It will likely cost less when you address the problem sooner than later too. Good luck and thanks again for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. This looks like a very severe infection. The topical washes that you are using may be irritating the area more as they are not formulated for feline skin. This kitty really needs to see a veterinarian to be examined and treated. At minimum, she needs a prescription antibiotic. Your vet may want to do a urinalysis or an X-ray . Please try to have her seen ASAP.