We are presently living in a society that is leaving us no choice but to stay safely inside our homes. But your pet cat might sneak outside the house for some exploring. But be careful! Your pet cat can bring home abscesses from their outside adventures!
Abscesses are nasty little things. They are even more difficult to treat at home. But with correct information and a bit of help from your nearby veterinarian, you can ensure that your pet cat makes a full recovery from an abscess!
Cat abscess treatment at home
- What is an abscess?
Abscess are pus-filled pockets of the skin of your pet cat that is caused due to an injury. It can be due to a reaction from scratch marks or bites your pet cat got from other animals during a fight.
If your pet cat loves the outdoors and often gets into fights with other animals, they are more likely to get an abscess. But even a cat who likes to stay indoors can get an abscess from structures like the fence or sticks. As an owner, you can prevent abscesses with precautionary measures but sometimes they are just inevitable and you have to deal with them.
- Can abscess be dangerous?
Yes, they can be dangerous if they are left untreated for too long. Abscesses are formed due to bacteria entering your cat's wound. The chance of bacteria getting in a cat's wound is higher if they got in a fight with a wild animal, for example, a street cat. The bite of a street cat can transfer this abscess creating bacteria in your cat's wounds.
The next part becomes a bit gory. The bacteria gets stuck under the skin as the wound gets healed. This causes an infection which eventually leads to a pus-filled abscess. If this abscess bursts out, it expels infected pus which can lead to making the wound even more contagious.
If you leave an abscess on its own, this infection can extend from just being on the skin to being internal. If the infection spreads to your cat's organs there might be serious repercussions to the cat's health. Hence when dealing with abscesses veterinarians advise immediate action and treatment for avoiding the worst-case scenario.
- Recognizing an abscess.
If an abscess forms on a human body it's easily recognized just by its clear appearance on the skin. Unfortunately, this is not the case with your pet cat as an abscess might easily get buried under the thick fur. Unless your pet cat is a Sphynx, of course. But if not, then you need to look out for the symptoms of an abscess in your pet cat to detect whether your cat has it.
- Your cat will not be as active as they normally are.
- Check for your cat's temperature. If It's high they might have an abscess. Fever is a symptom of having an abscess.
- If your cat flinches away when you touch a particular place on them, immediately check that place. It can be an abscess.
- If your cat is paying too much attention to a place on its body, there might be an abscess there.
- If your catwalks with a limp it might have an abscess on one of its legs. ● If you feel there's swelling on your cat while petting them, check that area immediately. It can be an abscess.
- If any area on your cat has sticky or missing fur, check it.
- If you notice blood or pus on your cat, immediately check for an abscess. Pus smells bad so it should be easy to detect.
- If you find an open wound on your cat, it might be an abscess that has already burst open.
If even two of the above symptoms are present you should immediately take your cat to a veterinarian for a checkup. Abscess left untreated can be dangerous for your pet cat in the future.
- How to manage an abscess at home?
It's very possible that you might not get an appointment with a veterinarian immediately. In the gap of time that you have between your visit, there are remedial tips you can use to treat and manage your cat's abscess at home itself. This will ensure that your cat feels comfortable while they wait for the veterinarian and also make sure that the infection from the abscess does not spread.
- If the abscess is visible to you then make sure to trim away as much fur away from the area as you can. This will make it easy for you to view the abscess clearly and also make it easier for you to clean and disinfect the abscess. Use a pair of scissors to cut away from your cat's hair. Make sure that your cat doesn't move around while you're cutting the fur to avoid any accidental injuries.
- Now that you have the abscess clear in sight, you will also notice that it is swollen. To reduce this swelling take a clean towel that is soaked in warm water and press it onto the injured area. Keep it pressed for a minute or two on it. Do this at least a few times a day to reduce the swelling.
- It is likely that the affected area will be unclean. It may even have pus or blood oozing out. In such a case it is vital you first clean the area before doing anything else. Proper cleaning of the abscess will also prevent any spread of infection. Do not use a normal human disinfectant to clean the wound as it will irritate your cat. Instead, use a skincare wash that is specifically made for animals. Make sure that the product you use is veterinarian-approved.
Until your visit to a veterinarian follow these steps to manage and treat the abscess of your pet cat. Remember that these tips are just temporary and not meant as the permanent solution for the abscess. For proper treatment, you need to go visit a veterinarian.
- Aftercare for your cat after veterinarian visit
The treatment for the abscess does not end at the veterinarian's office. After your cat comes back home from the veterinarian clinic, a few caretaking measures for your pet cat can make sure they heal properly from the abscess.
- Make sure to give your cat the full prescription of medicines your veterinarian has given you. Do not stop the prescription in between even if your cat's health seems normal.
- Keep your cat in a room where they can't escape outside or get any injuries. You don't want your cat to irritate the treated wound.
- To make the confinement comfortable for your cat, make sure they are provided anything they need. This includes (1) food and fresh water; (2) litter box; (2) warm blankets and cat-bed; (4) toys to keep them occupied.
- It's possible your veterinarian might leave the wound open so that it can drain. In such a case make sure to clean the wound thoroughly twice a day for the number of days your veterinarian has recommended.
- Time is taken to recover from an abscess
It will normally take a week for your cat to fully heal from an abscess. It might take longer if your veterinarian placed the wound on the drain. And if your cat had to be operated upon to treat an abscess, it can take two weeks to fully recover.
Cats are adventurous creatures who love to venture outdoors. An abscess is a normal part of owning a pet cat and something a cat owner has to know how to manage and treat. Knowing how to deal with an abscess can not only ease the pain of your pet cat but also make your veterinarian's job easier to treat it when you take your pet cat to them
We hope we have helped you prepare for any future abscesses your cat might get!
