My senior cat has a sudden, worsening problem, no vet money. Options?

It looks like a burst abscess but it could also be an ulcerated tumor, i strongly advise taking her to the vet today in order to get it checked and treated, she will need an antibiotic injection at the very least in order to heal from this.

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.

Without seeing the eyes myself it is hard to say what the problem could be. She is 15 years old so there are many diseases of the eyes that could be happening. You can try this ophthalmic gel in the eyes once to twice a day to see if it helps but really, she should see a vet. I understand times are hard but you can't let her suffer. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-antimicrobial-pet-ophthalmic-gel There are some low cost clinics in your area. I think you should try to get her in for an exam. Also, there are some organizations that can help with veterinary costs. https://www.mdspca.org/veterinary-care/wellness-clinic/ https://bmorehumane.org/adopt/surrender-2/financial-issues-veterinary-costs-food-etc/

This appears to either be a very severe wound with infection and dead tissue (the black areas) or a tumor. Without veterinary care, I think it is unlikely that this will heal or be cured on its own. At the very least, this type of wound needs to be cleaned up, and the cat needs to be on systemic (oral or injectable) antibiotics, as well as appropriate pain medications. However, it is likely that (if this is just a bad wound), it will need surgery to remove the dead tissue and help with healing. If this kitty isn't able to eat and you cannot afford veterinary care, then I would strongly urge you to surrender him for humane euthanasia rather than let him suffer.

Poor cat! There are no photos attached so I can't see what this wounds look like but I can say that if there is pus, it's infected. This cannot be treated at home, he has to see a vet as soon as possible. If you can't afford a vet, I can give you some financial resources that may help help you. Your other choice is to take him into the local SPCA. They can treat him and find him a home. Best of luck. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. I'd also see if you can borrow money from family and friends. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/

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.

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.