Stray cat has infected head wound with pus. Can I treat it at home?

This looks like some sort of wound either from a cut such as against a fence or even from another animal. It does look infected so if he would allow you to clean it off with warm water and a little mild soap that might help. Ideally he would be given antibiotics to help this heal. However that could be very difficult with stray cats. Do not give any pain medications meant for people as they are very toxic to cats.

Poor kitty! It sounds like he has a badly infected wound. The smelly discharge is a sign of a severe bacterial infection, so I'm afraid that he really needs antibiotics to treat the problem. You could try and catch him to take him to the vet if you want to, or call your local animal control officer to see if they could trap him and make sure that he gets the care he needs.

I recommend cleaning the area with a warm damp cloth to remove the discharge. Then you can apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it. Actually, now that it’s draining the infection his fever should break and this should heal quickly. It’s important to keep it clean and for the wound to stay open so the infection doesn’t stay under the skin. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Smudge.

Antibiotics in the US aren't available over the counter, and cats are picky with their food so they are unlikely to eat food that is treated with medications. You can get a live animal trap and leave food in there to try to capture the kitty so it can get proper treatment.

It sounds like he had an abscess from an injury, probably an altercation with another cat. A veterinarian would likely not suture it anyway to avoid trapping any contaminants and causing another abscess. It looks pretty clean with healthy granulation tissue forming. The antibiotics, even intermittent have probably helped keep further infection at bay. Keep an eye on it, if he will let you, clean it gently with a damp clean washcloth and keep any debris or infected material cleaned out. It should heal from the outside of the wound to the inside, gradually shrinking and closing over the open area. As long as he continues to eat and drink and behave normally, and and the wound continues to look clean with pink and healthy tissue, he should do fine. He needs to eat, going without eating for more than a few days will cause liver problems in cats which would require a vet visit to be treated.

That could be ok but it is best to repost your question and attach a picture of it to have a complete and reliable advice from us. As you suspected, this presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). Disinfection can be done at home with diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths (twice daily as long as needed). Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching. all the pus must be removed and the wound must be flushed. 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. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Ouch, poor Eddie! Unfortunately, it's impossible to fully assess this wound's severity from a picture alone. The wound itself looks fairly large and appears to be covered in a hair-crusted scab. The challenge likes in how deep the wound goes under the scab, and if it penetrates into the tooth roots, jaw, or salivary glands. To answer your question, yes, Eddie does need veterinary attention. Since he's afraid of people, it's likely that he will need to be sedated in order for your veterinarian to examine this wound. Your vet will need to determine the depth of the wound, and at a minimum, will need to clip the hair around the wound and clean it with an antiseptic cleanser. I fully expect that they'll prescribe an antibiotic or give a long-acting antibiotic injection, as it's likely that this wound is also infected. Try to get to the vet as soon as you can - preferably within the next day. Until your vet appointment, be sure to put an e-collar (cone) on Eddie to prevent him from scratching at this area, as that will make matters worse. Best of luck and I hope that he heals quickly!