How to Treat an Abscess on a Cat
Cats develop abscesses when bacteria penetrate deep tissue and establish infection, creating pus-filled pockets of pus that create pressure within their surroundings and eventually rupture, leading to pressure erosion of surrounding tissues and abscesses.
Once your veterinarian drains an abscess, your cat will require special care at home to ensure the wound heals correctly. Keep them safely confined in an easily-cleanable room and offer food, fresh water and comforting blankets nearby.
Clean the Wound
If an abscess is discovered, your veterinarian will drain it by lancing and flushing (if located on the surface of the skin) or cutting open to allow pus to drain freely from it. A drain may need to remain for some time depending on its size, location and severity of infection; instructions will also be provided on how best to care for and treat the wound, while antibiotics will be given in order to clear away bacteria causing it.
An abscess can have serious repercussions for both cats and humans alike, including pyothorax, septic arthritis or tissue necrosis. An untreated abscess will also be very uncomfortable for your feline friend; its pus may burst spontaneously releasing foul-smelling pus contaminated with blood from infected tissue around its site of origin.
Your cat’s abscess will resemble a sore on its surface and surrounding area will become inflamed, being firm to touch and possibly hot to the touch. Additionally, an unpleasant-smelling liquid filled with thick layers of inflammation cells oozes out from it which forms pus that often drains out as the abscess grows larger causing it to rupture and release bacteria-laden fluid.
Clean a cat’s wound with iodine, salt water or your vet-prescribed wound and skin cleaner to keep the infection under control. For wounds with drains, keep them clear twice daily by wiping with cloth soaked in either iodine or salt water and cotton wool so as to not reinfect it with bacteria. And always remember to rinse well afterwards!
If your cat has a drain, an Elizabethan collar may be prescribed in order to keep them from licking the wound and disturbing its contents (drainage/pus). Antibiotics may also be prescribed depending on which bacteria caused its abscess; healing will likely take some time but should improve as more pus drains out from underneath their abscess and drains out from under its cover.
Remove the Scabs
Fearsome little creatures, cats are capable of leaping several feet into the air to hunt birds or insects or landing safely after falling off high perches. Even so, cats who spend too much time outdoors can sustain scratches, scrapes or bites from other animals (often cats). When these wounds seal off and trap bacteria underneath, an abscess develops underneath.
Abscesses in cats typically appear as pus-filled boils or lumps, though they may also develop on gums of teeth or within bone (such as in legs or jaws). They form when an infection becomes severe enough that its effect cannot be contained by the body’s immune system.
When your cat develops an abscess, it’s essential that they remain calm and contained so that the wound doesn’t worsen. Furthermore, keeping the area around the wound clean will make drainage of pus easier; using a cloth saturated in warm water to wipe over it should do just the trick – do this two or three times each day until there is no longer visible pus.
Once the pus has been drained away, your vet may prescribe antibiotics to address the underlying infection; depending on what bacteria are present, this could include either oral or injectable treatments. They may also recommend pain medication to ease any discomfort for your cat.
Your cat should have their wound checked daily for signs of inflammation or irritation, including signs such as pus or a scab forming, which could indicate infection or irritation. If an abscess site is too painful to touch directly, use the rubber drain given by your vet as this will allow pus to drain through without touching directly the abscess site directly.
Once an abscess is drained and treated, most cases should recover within one to three weeks, although larger ones may take longer. To help your cat avoid future abscesses, ensure they receive up-to-date vaccinations and keep their claws and teeth trimmed regularly; additionally consider neutering them so as to decrease chances of fighting between other cats which often leads to scratch and bite injuries.
Warm Compresses
An abscess can form when bacteria invade deep tissues and break out at the surface, creating an excruciatingly painful localized wound covered in foul-smelling pus that must be cared for properly so it doesn’t spread further throughout your cat’s body. Care for this wound must also ensure it won’t recur elsewhere on its journey of infection.
Do not attempt to pop or lance an abscess at home as this may result in significant pain and injury. Instead, consult your veterinarian who will perform this procedure under sedation in order to reduce pressure on nerves, blood vessels, and bones around the abscess. They may also drain any pocket of pus by surgically piercing it with needle or making small incisions under sedation, draining with needle insertion under sedation, then flushing out wound with sterile saline before flushing wound with sterile saline solution and remove scab.
If the abscess ruptures on its own, your cat should begin feeling better almost instantly once the vet opens and drains it. Pus will drain from its opening before discharging through an opening in its sidewalls to cause an unpleasant odor and swelling around its perimeters. Once cleaned up and dried properly, your cat can resume eating and drinking normally; though you should keep its site sanitary for at least two days post-surgery.
Vets typically insert a drainage tube into an abscess to keep it open and drain any fluid build-up out. They will often also put on a collar around your cat to prevent her from chewing or scratching at it, and prescribe antibiotics either orally or topically to treat their symptoms.
To avoid further abscesses, it’s best to confine your cat in an easily cleanable room that contains food, water and kitty litter while she recovers from this wound. Monitor her progress carefully by checking on it two or three times each day to make sure her condition hasn’t worsened and she’s eating and drinking normally; you may also wish to consider neutering him since male cats are more prone to fighting which leads to abscesses; neutering him will reduce these odds significantly.
Antibiotics
Bitten by cats who venture outside, bites and scratches are an everyday part of life for cats who venture outdoors. In fact, this practice is part of their hunter-prey instincts. When one animal bites another animal and causes an infection through teeth or claws, bacteria carried by teeth or claws of attacking animal can enter their skin through bite marks, leading to abscesses under their neck or front legs, tail or rump area and can often result in soft painful lumps under the skin, foul-smelling drainage from wound site, loss of appetite etc.
If a cat’s abscess is causing discomfort or is draining foul-smelling pus, owners should bring their pet immediately to a veterinarian. Most likely, the vet will sedate or anesthetize them so the treatment process can go more smoothly; once drained, once cleaned up and any scabs removed they’ll also give antibiotics to combat any possible bacterial infections that led to its development.
An abscess is most often resolved on its own within 48 hours when pressure from its surrounding tissue exceeds what the body can bear, forcing out fluid that had been trapped inside an abscess and freeing inflammatory cells that had been trapped there. A sample of foul-smelling pus will then be sent off to be tested by lab technicians so as to determine which antibiotic would work best against infection.
After receiving treatment from their vet for an abscess, they will likely recommend keeping your cat indoors until it heals. They may even suggest wearing an Elizabethan collar to keep your cat from chewing any drainage tubes placed into their wound. Drains usually remain in for seven days before needing to be removed – to speed up healing processes ensure your cat has access to food, water, and a litter box during this time.
