My stray cat's neck wound won't close after two months. What to do?

I really cannot give you an answer on this. Did the vet have a sensitivity test performed on the bacteria to find out what the best antibiotic would be best to treat it? This is not a common bacteria we see here in the U.S. in cats. This is thought to be an opportunistic bacteria that only grows if there is a problem with the immune system. Has the cat been tested for feline leukemia or feline AIDS? I guess if he has been holding on for a year already he will probably heal up eventually with the correct treatment if he has no underlying immune deficiency.

That is a pretty large wound! That being said though, it looks like it is healing fine. It does not appear swollen or to have discharge coming from it. The tissue looks healthy. Having it stitched when it first happened which would have allowed it to heal faster. I am not sure how long it's been but a wound that size would take weeks to heal without stitches. If I were you I would keep applying a topical antibiotic cream and just leave it be. Stop using the Betadine. If he is licking it you must stop that behavior by using an Elizabethan collar (cone). As long as he keeps licking it will not heal. If you want it to heal faster you need to take him to a vet to have it stitched. Hope this helps. Best wishes!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. That is wonderful of you to try to help care for this stray cat! Wounds can be challenging to manage, especially if a cat will not tolerate you trying to clean it. It is possible that the wound will heal over time on its own with scar tissue. However, there is also a chance that the skin is too damaged or will become so infected with bacteria that it will not heal. I recommend monitoring the area frequently and bringing the cat back to the veterinarian if the skin appears to be becoming black or nonviable, or you notice excessive abnormal discharge that is yellow/thick. I hope this is helpful - and best of luck!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Judging from the picture, this could be a ruptured abscess or secondary to self trauma from him scratching at the area. I would recommend having him examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate treatment recommendations can be made. He will need the hair clipped from around the wound and the wound cleaned. I would also recommend an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you 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.

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.

Please have this assessed by a vet as soon as possible, this wound is not going to heal itself at this stage and it is possible there is still fragments of glass or other debris in the wound preventing closure. The insect infestation could lead to severe infection also and surgical repair is recommended as soon as possible