On Christmas eve we noticed that our cats face was a little swollen and I thought she may have just got something in her eye. Then on Christmas we noticed that she had a cut on her cheek by her whiskers and it looked like it was closed. The side of her face was still swollen so we decided to clean it every once in awhile with warm water and a cotton ball. Then suddenly today we noticed that it had gotten much worse and the wound started leaking blood and pus and the swelling has gotten worse and has started moving into her eye and I'm concerned that the pressure from the abcess is going to damage her eye. We are taking her to the vet first thing in th morning but does anyone know anything that we might be able to do for her tonight?? She is persian indoor cat. We have no idea how she got this cut and it is hard to pinpoint exactly how big/wide the wound is. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for your help.....
2006-12-26 18:16:49 · 13 answers · asked by Cara 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
Our siamese recently had an huge absess on his hip ... when it opened up and drained (on it's own before I had a chance to get him to the vet) it left a hole about the size of a pencil ... it was reallly gross, and surprisingly iit ended up healing on it's own (no stitches or antibiotics were necessary) and you can't even tell it was ever there.
I've always heard it's not good to cover an absess, that it needs to drain (you want the infection/pus out) ... I kept our siamese confined in a smaller area (crate or bathroom works well) so that it was easier to control and clean up ... you can make the area comfy w/ your cat's favorite bed and maybe some of your clothing (w/ you scent on it to keep it feeling more comforted). Make sure it has lots of water available (as well as food and other comfort items).
2006-12-26 18:25:50 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
This is a complicated question. I am an MD, not a vet, but the bottom line is that there is very little you can do other than to make sure the cat gets fluid. An abscess needs to be completely drained, as in making an incision and cleaning it out with surgical instruments and irrigating it with sterile saline. If the bacterium that caused the abscess has spread elsewhere through the cat's bloodstream it could have caused an infection somewhere else, or caused infection of the blood (bacteremia). There is also the question of why the cat got an abscess in the first place. A foreign body like a splinter would cause this in a normal animal, but if there is no obvious cause, the cat could have had some other disease that has harmed his immune system. If you are serious about saving this cat and he does not get better on his own now that you have drained the abscess, you need professional counsel from a licensed veterinarian. Sorry. Dr. Bob
2016-05-23 09:53:25 · answer #2 · answered by Mary 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Keep a bottle of betadine iodine on hand. Mix with warm water to the color of weak tea. Fill a syringe with solution and "flush out" the wound. I have an oral syringe I use for this. It can be messy depending on the severity of the abscess. Repeat this couple times a day. When the icky stuff clears up, inject some triple antibiotic ointment in the wound. It will close up eventually. Keeping the wound open and flushed out is the best solution when an abscess ruptures. There is need for an oral antibiotic as well. The vet will provide that for you tomorrow. I'm sure your kitty will be fine with proper treatment. Sounds like she had a tooth to go bad in her mouth. It happens to kitties just like to people. If that is the case, you may have to wait for the infection to clear up before the tooth may be pulled. Good luck.
2006-12-26 20:45:38 · answer #3 · answered by uprootfromNC 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually, it is good that the swollen part had "burst" so to speak and is seeping pus out... that means there will be less pus getting into the cat's bloodstream. But he would need antibiotics, so you still need to get him to the vet tomorrow. For now, keep cleaning his face with hydrogen peroxide. Don't allow kitty to lick the pus.. ewww... that's full of bacteria. Don't attempt to cover the wound either... it has to be "aired" and the pus needs to keep seeping out. So far, you're doing a good job taking care of the injury.
Oh, you need to find out how the cat sustained this injury too - cat fight or something else? Take appropriate steps to prevent recurrence in future and all that... you sound like good pet guardians, am sure you know the protocol.
2006-12-26 18:56:43 · answer #4 · answered by Phoebhart 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
GOOD LUCK
My cat had an absess but it was not on the face. I was going to take him to the vet also, but that night I applied pressure to help it drain and a core shot out and flew across the room and the puss came draining out... so fast.. I was grabbing paper towels.
Most of the advice already written is exactly what you are suppose to do.. vet or not... you have gotten excellent help.
GOOD LUCK AGAIN.. my prayers with you and kitty cat
2006-12-26 21:08:27 · answer #5 · answered by H.O.T. Dog 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do not wait. Take her to an emergency vet as soon as possible! You can try to gently squeeze the pus out and apply hydrogen peroxide, but I doubt she will tolerate it. If there is that much swelling and an abcess, the infection is very serious and you do not want it getting into her blood, which can be fatal. You are also correct in that too much occular pressure on the eye can cause injury to the eye and you certainly do not want the infection spreading there.
2006-12-26 18:28:58 · answer #6 · answered by shasser2 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
my cat boots had an abscess on her jaw the size of a golf ball
it broke before i could get her to the vet. when i got her there the vet gave her a shot and shaved the matted fur and muck from around it all i had to do was bathe it daily with plain warm water
until it hardened that was 6 months ago and now you cant even see where it was and it did not affect boots it looked terrible at the time boots is a black and white female cat , hope your kitty
gets well soon so just bathe it with warm water
2006-12-27 00:27:43 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am not a vet, so perhaps I am wrong, but what I would do is put some disinfectant (betadine) or antibiotic ointment (Fucidin) on the wound, avoiding the eye though. Good luck to your kitty.
2006-12-26 18:21:07 · answer #8 · answered by cpinatsi 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Clean with mild salt water solution, pat dry and apply Polysporin or Neosporin over affected area (careful not to get it into her eye). The vet will take care of the rest, try not to worry :-)
2006-12-26 18:25:31 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
A warm compress will help,keep it clean.The vet will do the rest Good Luck,
2006-12-26 19:14:50 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋