How to Recognize and Treat Abscesses in Cats
Cats can be very friendly creatures to us, but are often not so cordial with other felines, or other animals in the wild world outside the house. Cats commonly get into fights with other animals, which results in them getting wounds which fester with bacteria, otherwise known as abscesses. Recognizing and treating abcesses is vital, as if they go untreated, they can be deadly. Read on to learn how to recognize and treat abscesses in cats.
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Things You'll Need
- Gauze
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Small scalpel blade
- Clippers
- 20 gauge needles and syringe
- Penicilin
- Thermometer
Instructions
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Be aware of what an abscess looks like. They are often lumps which appear on the cat which are filled with thick, white, purulent (infected) fluid. If your cat isn't feeling right, or is limping, or feels hot to the touch, or has temperature of over 102.6 degrees F, these can accompany the absesses. Clip the hair around the suspected area and look for bite marks.
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For suspected areas, wash the skin with perixide. Squeeze gently and see if puss comes out. If it doesn't, poke the area with a syringe hooked up to a 20 gauge needle. Try to pull fluid out. If you get red reddish fluid that looks like diluted blood, you probably have a hematoma, a blood bleed that is best left alone. If no fluid comes out, gently lance the area with tip of a scalpel blade. If fluid coming out is thick, purulent, white and stinky, make a second hole in the abcess and drain it out. If you can, and if you can safely do it (without damaging vital body parts), flush the first hole with peroxide and see if it drains out the other hole. This will cause pain in the cat, but needs to be done if there is an abscess.
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Give cat Penicilin as antibiotic with, if possible to get, clindamycin. You need to give antibiotics to treat abscesses. If cat has not been vaccinated against rabies in the last three months, give a booster (you need to do this through a vet, most probably). Continue clindamycin (by mouth) for at least seven days.
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Tips & Warnings
Abscesses need to be treated. They may break on their own and drain but some don't, and spread bacteria to other areas.
If in doubt about any procedures and diagnostics, see a veterinarian first--and fast.
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Comments
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Hydrogen peroxide kills living tissue, I wouldn't recommend injecting it into your cat although using it to clean the outside is okay. I also wouldn't recommend the part about "flush[ing] the hole" with hydrogen peroxide because of my previously stated reason and because you could make the infection worse or rupture the abscess inside the cat, cause septicemia, and kill your cat.
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Great cat owner advice.
