How to Treat an Abcess in a Cat

You hear your outdoor cat screaming in anger and the next thing you see is a ball of fur whirling about your yard. Days after the catfight is over, your pet begins limping and you notice a warm, red lump (called an abscess) surrounding a wound on your cats body. Caused by trapped bacteria in a pocket of pus under the cats skin, the abscess normally ruptures over time to release the inflammation. Cat owners can accelerate the healing process by applying warm water compresses to the closed wound. Home treatment for cat abscesses depends on whether the abscess remains closed or whether it ruptures.

Instructions

Ruptured Abscesses

1

Squirt some of the personal lubricant on top of the wound.

2

Clip the hair from around the abscessed area. Some of the hair will stick to the lubricant.

3

Place several of the gauze squares lightly on top of the abscess and gently pick up the lubricant with the attached hairs. Continue doing this step until all of the lubricant and hair is gone.

4

Bathe the open wound with warm saline or hydrogen peroxide diluted with 50 percent water, allowing the pus to drain away. Continue this step twice daily, removing any scabs that form, until the pus is gone and the wound is no longer inflamed.

Closed Abscesses

5

Take your cat to the veterinarian where the abscess can be opened and cleaned surgically.

6

Bathe the wound and clean any veterinary drainage tubing according to your vets instructions.

7

Administer any systemic antibiotics prescribed by your veterinarian for the entire length of the prescription.

8

Return your animal to the veterinarian for any necessary follow-up visits.