How to Clean a Cat Wound
As felines can often scratch themselves to scratch itches or engage in cat fights, when injuries do arise they require immediate cleaning to be properly cared for by their owners. Here’s some useful advice from Dr. Jane on cleaning wounds on cats:
At first, cleanse the wound using antiseptics such as povidone-iodine or saline solution (made by adding one teaspoon of salt to boiling water) before thoroughly rinsing with water.
Stop the bleeding
At first sight of an injury to your cat’s skin, their body will take steps to repair damage and fight infections. Unfortunately, however, sometimes this doesn’t go smoothly and wounds become worse than when they started. To prevent this from happening it’s essential that immediate action are taken – contact your veterinarian for advice as every type of wound needs its own specific approach.
Your next priority should be stopping any bleeding from the wound. For small cuts, this may simply require applying pressure with cloth or gauze pad. If necessary, disinfect with antiseptic solutions such as povidone-iodine or chlorhexidine diacetate; home antiseptics like rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide may damage tissue further, potentially becoming harmful if consumed by your cat.
Finally, to protect the wound from further contamination and prevent your cat from licking it further and leading to infection, bandage should be changed as advised by your veterinarian daily or when there is excess discharge from the wound. In certain instances, they may even recommend wearing a collar around their neck as an effective deterrent against this behavior.
Dependent upon the severity of the wound, you may need to clean it with mild antiseptic solution and warm water two or three times each day, in order to remove crusted discharge and keep its edges clear. Always consult your vet first when using soaps, shampoos, tea tree oil, rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide on open wounds – these could actually delay their healing process and increase infection risks. Infection poses serious threats when dealing with wounds; bring your cat in immediately if they experience pain or discomfort, fever or pus-like discharge – they will prescribe treatment which could include antibiotics as needed by their vet based on what type of solution best fits their specific circumstances – this could prevent further delays to their healing.
Disinfect the wound
Home remedies to disinfect cat wounds at home include Povidone-iodine and chlorhexidine diacetate antiseptics available from most animal supply stores, which should be diluted with water before being applied directly onto their wound. It’s also essential that when wiping or wiping down wounds you use clean cotton balls or pads so you don’t introduce bacteria back into the wound site.
Hydrogen peroxide should only be used as an emergency measure; continued usage will destroy cells necessary for wound healing and should never replace traditional washing with soap and water, or when instructed by your vet (they’ll likely provide special surgical soap for use on any cat wounds).
Flush the wound out using clean gauze or cotton balls soaked with antiseptic solution to ensure no bacteria are introduced back into it. Begin from the center and work your way outward to prevent reincorporation of bacteria into it; repeat this process several times until it reaches an acceptable state for disinfecting.
Once a wound is cleaned and bandaged properly, it should remain covered with an antiseptic dressing until healing occurs. If it’s located somewhere likely to get dirty – for instance a paw that comes into contact with litter box litter or at the base of their tail – an Elizabethan collar (commonly known as an e-collar) could prevent your cat from licking at their wound and infecting it further.
Periodically check wounds to make sure they do not become infected, or worsen at any time, so if an infection or worsening appear bring your cat in for treatment immediately. Also if they seem strangely or suddenly change their behavior don’t hesitate to bring them into see their veterinarian – an infection may need antibiotics and/or pain relievers administered from time to time by a licensed veterinarian to manage pain levels effectively.
Prevent your cat from licking the wound
There is nothing more stressful than witnessing your cat become injured and suffering a bleeding wound. Cats may sustain these injuries through fighting with other cats, accidentally getting their nails caught on something or scratching an itch; or from simply scratching themselves to relieve irritation. No matter the size or location of a cut or claw wound it’s important that it receives prompt medical treatment so bacteria won’t enter and cause infection.
As soon as your cat is hurt, remain calm. This will allow you to think clearly and act swiftly. If your pet becomes distressed or scared they may bite or scratch themselves more often causing their wound to worsen; to protect their safety it would be wise to cover their body securely with towels or blankets in order to stop this behavior from occurring.
Once the bleeding has subsided, it’s important to disinfect and cleanse the wound. Make sure you flush it in order to flush away contaminants or any grit lodged within it and assess how serious the injury is. You can use an antibacterial wash, saline solution, or create your own homemade solution by mixing salt into water syringe (the type used to administer medication).
At minimum, it’s ideal to clean cat wounds twice daily with saline solution – as opposed to soap, shampoo, tea tree oil, herbal remedies or rubbing alcohol which may damage and prompt early closure of wounds. A bandage may help prevent your cat from licking it; just make sure it fits snugly or she might reach into it and get at her wound while wearing it!
Bitter tasting products such as Chew Guard, cayenne pepper or Tabasco have proven successful at deterring cats from licking wounds; but before trying any such method on your cat it is wise to consult a veterinarian first. As an alternative you could also place a cone over their head to prevent accessing their wound – however this could hinder daily tasks like eating or using their litter box and should remain on until healing has taken place.
Keep it clean
Even if your cat doesn’t get into a fight with another feline, it could still get bites or scratches while playing outside or wrestling with toys. By following proper first aid procedures and restraining it with towels or another person holding it securely, these wounds should heal on their own without worsening over time. Wiggling cats may complicate treatment by licking or scratching at them further inflicting more injuries on yourself and worsening wounds further.
Assess the wound to determine its type. Is it just a minor scratch or something deeper like puncture wound? If it is puncture wound you must visit a veterinarian immediately for treatment; cats can sometimes develop an infection from bite wounds if not immediately treated; symptoms of infection could range from mild to severe – look out for foul-smelling odor, pus or raised bumps near the wound as indicators of infection.
Next step in treating wounds should be cleansing them. Either use commercial wound cleanser designed specifically for animals, or create your own solution; in general sterile saline found in first aid kits is an ideal substance to use for this.
Saline solution can be purchased at most pharmacies or made at home using boiling water and 1 teaspoon of salt. A syringe is the ideal tool to dispense this liquid onto wounds – simply squeeze and squirt until the area looks clear!
Once your wound has been thoroughly rinsed and disinfected, dry it with a clean cloth – such as a towel – but if necessary use gauze swabs soaked in your chosen cleaning solution instead.
If you use a wound spray containing an antimicrobial agent called benzalkonium chloride, this will prevent bacteria from growing in the wound and slow healing time or cause infection. Avoid other soaps, shampoos, tea tree oil products or herbal remedies on or near the wound as these could do further damage by further slowing healing time or becoming infected.
