Does burst abscess need bet treatment?

[SofaSurfette]

My cat has been missing for a couple of days and thankfully turned up this evening. He seems absolutely fine and wolfed down the food I gave him, but has a burst abscess on the side of his face. It's left a bit of a hole and his fur around it was quite wet. DH has bathed it with some sterile water we had, and amazingly kitty doesn't seem to be in any discomfort. Is a trip to the vets tomorrow warranted? We could really do without the expense just now if it's not absolutely necessary, but of course if the cat needs a vet visit then that is what we will do! I know abscesses can be serious but I'm wondering whether that still applies when they've burst.

Vet treatment, not bet!! Argh!

I really would sorry. I wouldn't leave it.

Yes, I think your cat will need antibiotics. It's probably from a bite from another cat and they can be very nasty. Your poor puss, he must have been in a fight

We’ve always taken our cat to the vets to get abscesses checked out (she gets into a lot of fights & the vet thinks it’s from being bitten by another cat) as often they can get infected. Our vet prescribes our cat antibiotics and anti inflammatory medication. We were even in the vets with her the night before our wedding. I understand it’s expensive but I feel it’s better to get it treated now than it get worse. Maybe you can ask your vet if you can email a picture of it in and see what they think? X

My cat had an abscess behind his ear I hadn't noticed it but he wasn't his usual self well he burst it by scratching his ear was horrendous was everywhere I just kept cleaning it with cooled boiled salt water and he was fine but there wasn't a big hole there so I think your cat might need to see a vet for that but once an abscess is burst if everything is out of it then that's it gone well that's what vet told me at his booster appointment when I told him .

Thanks all, I thought so! I'll ring the vets in the morning.

We found one on our cat on a Saturday, about the size of a large grape, not burst, we phone the OOH vet and they said OK to leave it if it's not hot, not bothering her etc. By Sunday morning it had burst so we cleaned it with cooled boiled water, kept her in and planned to take her to the vet on Monday but when we looked in the morning it had started healing really well, clean, dry, no odour. So we just kept a close eye on it and it cleared by itself.

I discovered one in my girls face. I took her to the emergency vet only because she's previously been very ill and I did want her to get systemically unwell. Good job I did as she'd punctured her eyeball.