How To Treat Fight Wounds On A Cat
This article was co-authored by Lauren Baker, DVM, PhD. Dr. Baker is a Veterinarian and PhD candidate in Comparative Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Baker received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Wisconsin in 2016, and went on to pursue a PhD through her work in the Comparative Orthopaedic Research Laboratory. This article has been viewed 51,748 times.
Cats sometimes get into a fight when they come across new cats or want to establish dominance. When cats fight, they use their teeth, which can lead to bite wounds. When a cat bites another cat, their teeth transmits bacteria to the wound. These bites heal over quickly, which causes the bacteria to get trapped under the skin. This can lead to infections and abscesses.XResearch source To treat fight wounds, take you cat to the vet as soon as possible, get it antibiotics, and have any abscesses drained.
An Introduction To Minor Cat Wounds
Posted by Argos, , last updated October 1st 2020.
Minor cat wounds can be suffered by both active and quiet cats: including cuts, tears, scrapes, bites and punctures. You may know exactly how the wound happened, if you saw them standing on a piece of broken glass, or your cat may simply have returned through the cat flap with an injury of unknown origin. Basic first aid principles can be followed, whatever the cause.
Hard To Heal Wounds: Dealing With The Problematic Wound
Louise O’Dwyer Thursday, July 2, 2015
Wounds are encountered on a daily basis when working within veterinary practice, with the vast majority going on to heal without any issue. Some wounds however, may have issues in healing and these can pose a challenge for clinicians. There are numerous reasons for wounds not to heal these can include patient factors, such as underlying disease, aetiology, and poor nutrition, but also surgical factors, such as haemotoma formation and infection. This article looks at the underlying causes of delayed wound healing and what action can be taken in terms of both prevention, and treatment.
Don’t Miss: Terramycin Eye Ointment For Sore Eyes
Are There Any Other Possible Problems Associated With Fight Wound Infections
Bite wounds are the main route of transmission of some important feline infections, most notably, feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus . Blood tests should be performed after any bite wounds to diagnose these infections.
My Male Cat Has Been Neutered Why Does He Still Fight
Unneutered male cats are very territorial they will defend an area around their home but continually try to expand the borders of their territory. The desire for more territory and the need to keep intruders out of their existing territory means that they are constantly fighting with other cats. In contrast, neutered male cats defend a smaller area of territory around their home. If another cat invades this territory, he will defend it by fighting. The frequency of fighting will depend on the number of cats in the neighborhood and particularly the presence of unneutered male cats. Female cats will also defend their territory by fighting with other cats.
Read Also: Cats Belly Buttons
How To Treat Cat Wounds
If you have a pet cat you will have surely encountered a situation where you have had to cure an injury on your feline friend. Whether your cat housebound or one which roams freely and gets up to mischief, at some point it is likely to hurt itself.
In the case of minor wounds you will be able to cure your pet at home by following a few tips and having access to a first aid kit. In OneHowTo we show you how to treat cat wounds.
A cat’s wound may be the result of fighting, scratches from its street escapades, from playing, etc. Whatever the reason, the first thing we must assess is whether your cat has a superficial wound or whether it is severe.
If you believe it to be serious, deep and bloody, you must visit a veterinary clinic immediately, there is no need to run the unnecessary risk of infection. An injury which has not been tended to properly can lead to a bacterial infection and complications in the cat’s health. Following the first 12 or 24 hours after the injury, the first symptoms of an infection will become apparent.
If on the other hand, your cat’s injury is small and shallow, you can treat cat wounds at home. For this we must first clean the injury. For proper hygiene, we must remove attached soil in that area and ensure that there are no impurities.
If you notice that the wound is infected, and that your cat is feverish, weak and has no appetite, you should bring it to the vet, as it may require antibiotics.
Home Remedies For Cats With Scrapes And Scratches
By: Shanna Freeman& Dr. H. Ellen Whiteley | Updated: Mar 31, 2021
Although they’re more common in outdoor cats, even your indoor cat may suffer the occasional scrape or scratch — especially if he or she plays rough, has a “spat” or gets into an out-and-out fight with another member of your furry family. The most common cause of abrasions in cats is, well, other cats.
If you discover that things have gotten out of hand, make sure that you find all of the wounds. Your cat’s fur can sometimes hide serious scrapes, so ruffle through it to be sure that you don’t miss anything. If there are just minor scratches, clean them up with soap and water just as you would your own. Don’t try to keep the cat from licking the scrape, either. Keep an eye on it, but the abrasion should heal up fine on its own.
Anything that bleeds noticeably needs more attention than a simple scratch. First, stop the bleeding with direct pressure, using a cotton ball or gauze. Trim the hair around the wound, and wash thoroughly with soap and water. Most abrasions heal better in the open air, and your cat would just pull off a bandage anyway. Keep the wound area clean and watch it closely. If the wound won’t stop bleeding with pressure, or there’s a lot of blood, get your cat to the vet immediately.
Hopefully, you’ll never have to deal with a serious cat scrape or scratch, but if it does happen, take it seriously to avoid complications.
Read Also: Clean Cat Pee From Hardwood Floors
How To Heal Cat Wounds
Cats are active, inquisitive creatures. They love to play, explore, hunt, and sometimes tussle. Whether you have an active mouse-finder or quiet couch cat, chances are, your feline friend will suffer some minor injuries at some point in one of his or her nine lives.
So, what can you do about scrapes, cuts, bites, punctures, or other types of cat wounds?
Heres what you need to know about treating and healing your cat.
Wound Care : 7 Natural Ways To Assist Wound Healing
Cuts and scrapes are common wounds most of us experience here and there, but do you know the natural ways to make these wounds heal well and fast? Most minor wounds are harmless and go away after a matter of days, but sometimes they can become infected, which is why its important to promote healing with proper wound care.
A wound can be defined as any damage or break in the surface of the skin. Trauma or skin breakdown are the main causes of wounds, which can be open or closed. Wounds are considered to be acute wounds if they are new. Wounds are considered to be chronic if they last longer than three to four weeks.
If youre wondering how to heal cuts fast on the face and body, youve come to the right place. How does a wound heal faster? With proper initial wound care and continued attention to the wound, including some highly effective natural remedies, healing time can be shortened and unwanted side effects like infections and scarring can often be avoided.
Recommended Reading: Can Cats Have Lemon Pepper Tuna
How To Keep Cat From Licking Stitches Without Cone
If your cats injury requires stitches, it may still try to lick at the sealed wound. Excess licking can cause the stitches to come undone or even burst apart, opening the wound all over again.
An effective way to prevent your cat from fussing with its stitches is to put a cone around its head. Of course, your cat will not have any fun wearing that cone. The cone may impede it from living comfortably in your home.
The good news is that you can skip the cone by training your cat to stop licking the wound. It takes some work, but it will be worth it to see your cat remain healthy. Clicker training works with almost anything you want to teach your pet:
Another, simpler method is to tightly bind the wound so that your cat cannot lick it or bite it at all. Some owners will also dress their cat in a special onesie to prevent it from licking at its wound through the cloth.
What Should I Do If My Cat Or Dog Has A Bite Wound Or Puncture Wound
Contact your vet if you suspect your pet has been bitten. Cats and dogs have lots of bacteria in their mouths and as a result wounds following a bite are more likely to become infected.
Puncture wounds are extremely varied: From small splinters and grass awns that break the skin to stick injuries and gunshot wounds. They almost always get infected, leading to severe problems under the skin even when everything looks fine from the outside so we would advise you consult your vet.
Only bandage a puncture wound if it is in the chest, if it is bleeding profusely, or if theres still an object lodged in the animals body.
Do not wash puncture wounds to the chest or abdomen, seek veterinary advice.
Read Also: How To Use Terramycin For Cats
Is Any Other Medication Required
Most likely your cat will be given a course of antibiotics, especially if the wound is infected or suspected of being contaminated. No topical treatments should be used, unless specifically directed by your veterinarian, as some seemingly harmless chemicals can actually damage tissues and delay wound healing.
Cat Saliva Antibiotic Property Myth
It has been believed that cat saliva and dog saliva contain enzymes that have antibiotic properties in fact, before veterinary care for companion animals became normal, it was common practice to allow cats with injuries to care for themselves by licking their wounds because of their saliva’s supposed antibiotic properties. Most likely, the debriding action of the cat’s scratchy tongue was responsible for healing wounds, not any magical properties in the saliva. According to VCA Hospitals, “It is a misconception that cat’s saliva is somehow antibacterial or will promote healing of a wound.”
The truth is, cat saliva carries nasty bacteria, such as Bartonella henselae, salmonella and other pathogens acquired from flea infestation, eating carrion and rancid or spoiled food.
Read Also: Moving A Litter Box To A New Location
How Long Does It Take For An Abscess To Heal
Healing time all depends on how severe the abscess was in the first place.
- If it is a typical abscess wound, healing with proper treatment takes 5-7 days.
- If your vet placed a drain, healing may take a few days longer.
- If the abscess required surgery, tissues need about two weeks to heal. After that, any stitches will be removed.
If your cats not healing normally, youll want to head back to the vet for another check-up. Recurring infections may be a sign of viruses such as feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus . These illnesses suppress the immune system and may complicate the cats recovery from any infection.
How To Recognize An Abscess
An abscess can be hard to see in all that fur. Plus, since cats heal so quickly, you may never see a puncture wound in the first place.
Its times like this we wish our feline friends could talk and simply tell us whats wrong and where it hurts.
Fortunately your cat has their own languageand theyll tell you they have an abscess in their own way. Heres a few signs your cat is suffering from an abscess:
- They are more lethargic than usual.
- They are running a fever.
- Your cat is averse to normal petting or brushing activity, especially in a specific location.
- Your cat excessively grooms one particular area.
- Your cat is limping.
- You can feel a swelling on your cats bodyeither firm to the touch or compressible.
- There is an open sore or general swelling on your cats skin.
- The fur at the suspected site of infection is matted or missing.
- There is blood or bad-smelling pus at the suspected site of infection.
Cat bites most commonly occur on the head, forelimbs, or at the base of the tail. If you cant seem to find an abscess, these are good places to start looking.
Any combination of these symptoms can point to an abscess. But as always, its safest to make an appointment with your veterinarian to confirm the cause of your kittys discomfort.
Don’t Miss: What’s The Cat’s Name In The Smurfs
Different Types Of Wounds
The most basic classification of wounds is acute or chronic and open or closed, and then there are many subcategories under these classifications.
- Obesity, which raises the risk of infection after surgery
- Age Older adults generally heal more slowly than younger people
- Heavy alcohol, which can slow healing and increase infection risk
- Smoking, which delays healing and increases the risk for complications such as infection and wounds breaking open
- Stress, which can lead to a lack of sleep, an unhealthy diet and smoking/drinking more, which can slow healing
- Taking certain medications including corticosteroids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and some chemotherapy drugs
Can Vaseline heal cuts? Vaseline, which is just petroleum jelly, is not a proven way to heal wounds or prevent scarring. If anything, it is very clogging to the skin. It can provide moisture, but there are many natural moisturizers like coconut oil that you can use instead .
How To Care For Your Cat After An Operation
Having an operation will be a trauma for your cats body, no matter how bright or bouncy they may look on the outside!
Having an operation will be a trauma for your cats body, no matter how bright or bouncy they may look on the outside!
If your cat has had an operation involving sedation or general anaesthetic, heres how to best take care of them afterwards:
Control their diet
-
After the operation, feed your cat a bland cat meat for the next three meals
-
Tinned supermeat in chicken and fish flavours is higher in protein which helps your cat heal faster. It is easily digestible as their gut motility slows down during the pre-operation starvation and anaesthetic process
-
Avoid tinned jelly and gravy products as these are too rich and may cause diarrhoea.
Fit their protective collar
A Buster collar or Elizabethan collar is a protective veterinary device shaped like a cone it is vital to prevent your cat from biting, licking or scratching at their wounds while theyre healing. Although known informally as the cone of shame, most cats adjust to them very well.
How to look after incision wounds
-
Look for excessive swelling or discharge from the wound
-
Keep the wound clean
-
Reaction to the suture material can cause a small amount of swelling and give your cats wound the appearance of being puckered. This should go away in a day or so
-
Being able to lick or chew at the wound will aggravate the healing and cause further swelling, inflammation and the possibility of infection.
Also Check: Tortoiseshell Calico Cat Personality
Fight Wounds Introduce Bacteria
Cats tend to be very territorial, and they fight using claws and teeth, which carry a lot of bacteria. A cats skin is also thickespecially an outdoor cat. When a cats needle-like claws or teeth go into another cats skin, dirt and bacteria get pushed in along the way. When the cats claw or tooth is pulled back out, the other cats thick skin seals together over the hole and traps the dirt and bacteria under the outermost layer of thick skin.
Your Cat Has Had A Fight But There Aren’t Any Bite Marks
Puncture wounds heal very quickly so there is often nothing to see or feel. The most common sites of bites are on the head, forelimbs or at the base of the tail. If cats have been bitten on a limb, the leg is usually painful and lameness is seen. It may be possible to feel heat and swelling in the area of the bite. Some cats may just be lethargic and have a fever. Many cats will excessively groom the injured area.
You May Like: Do Bells On Collars Damage Cats Hearing
How To Help A Stray Or Outdoor Cat
With an outdoor or stray cat, it isnt always possible to bring the cat indoors for a few days to start the healing process. An outdoor cat might yowl to get outside, he might spray your home, and he might claw up anything within his reach. So how can you help a poor animal even if you cannot afford a trip to the vet? You cannot just ignore the problem and hope the wound heals on its own. The odds of that happening are minimal.