Cat wound - anything I can use on him?

[Sunshineandrainbow]

Cat has a wound on face. Hasn't ever had fight marks on him so not sure what it is from.

He doesn't like it but today I have used some salt water on cotton wool. Is there anything else I could use?

I will see how it is over the weekend and then maybe have to go to the vets?

I would use salt water to clean the wound then leave it alone. It may or may not need a vet visit, I find they usually do, but not always.

If you think it was the result of a cat fight there could be other wounds you can't see due to fur. In the armpit is always a good hidden one!

Take him to the vet. He may need antibiotics if infected.

I think sooner rather than later if it's potentially a vet case.

I took my cat with a little fight wound right after the fight and he needed stitches - mainly because it was on his paw pad, though. But the vet said thank goodness we brought him straight away because it's much easier to deal with fresh wounds than old wounds.

How deep is the wound?

How deep is the wound?

My cats have come home with multiple wounds over the years and I’ve never once taken them to the vet - we just clean them with hibiscrub and keep an eye.

I think the whole “vets! Now!” thing is well-intentioned but most cats don’t need vet care for minor injuries, you can manage them at home quite easily.

How's it going, OP? My cats are constantly getting into scrapes with the neighbourhood bully and I've decided to woman up about it and treat anything a bit more superficial myself. I still have a big bottle o'Loxicom (it's a painkiller and anti-inflammatory) and the vet taught me how to wash a wound with warm salt water or hibiscrub and expel pus, if needed. Vet also said, which surprised me, that they don't always treat abscesses with antibiotics these days, if it can drain out naturally and the cat's on painkillers.

Thanks everyone.

We didn't go to the vets as its not irritating him at all and seem superficial. I had even bought a new cat carrier as I struggled to get him into the other one.

I bought some Leucillin from pets at home and traumatised him trying to dab it on. Seems to have scabbed now so hopefully all good.

Fab news! I always keep Hibiscrub in the house as well as cotton balls and leftover Metacam, ProKolin and a few other first aid bits - it must have saved me a fortune over the years.

Thanks that's a great help.
I bought hibiscrub to wash in after work during covid! I will dig it out.

I rember the vet selling me 20ml of it for £8.00 years ago for a rabbit. Didn't think of it for the cat wound! So you dilute it?

Lugol’s iodine.

We use it on humans and cats. A very effective antiseptic.

@Sunshineandrainbow yep, just dilute it and apply with gauze or a cotton pad - the instructions are all on the bottle - it’s treated all manner of wounds over the years 🤣