What are fight wound infections?
Cats sometimes fight, whether it is outside the home with neighborhood cats, or inside the home with other resident cats. Fight wounds often result in infections that can become serious if left untreated. Fight wounds are more common in male cats than in female cats and are particularly common in intact (unneutered) males.
How serious are fight wound infections?
A cat’s sharp canine teeth can easily puncture the skin, leaving small, deep wounds in the skin. These punctures quickly seal over, trapping bacteria under the skin where they can readily multiply. The infection may go unnoticed for several days until swelling and pain at the puncture site develop. At this point, the cat will often develop a fever.
If the skin surrounding the wound is loose, a pocket of pus will develop, forming an abscess. If the skin is not loose (e.g., on the tail or lower leg), the infection spreads through the tissues and causes cellulitis (a tissue infection) that spreads through the surrounding area. In rare cases, a penetrating bite wound will cause septic arthritis (infection of the joint), osteomyelitis (infection of the bone), or pyothorax (pus in the chest cavity).
What should I do if my cat is bitten?
If you know your cat has been in a fight, notify your veterinarian immediately. It can sometimes be difficult to know the extent of the injuries, particularly if the wounds are in areas with a lot of fur. Puncture wounds can close over quickly and can easily be missed, especially in the first few days after a bite.
You may be able to feel heat and swelling around the bite, and your cat will be uncomfortable when the area is touched. The most common sites of bites are on the head, forelimbs, or at the base of the tail. If the leg was bitten, it is usually painful, and your cat may limp.
Some cats may become lethargic and have a fever. Many cats will excessively groom the injured area. If several days have passed since the fight, an abscess will usually form, requiring more involved medical treatment.
How are fight wounds treated?
Cleaning and draining the wound: If an abscess is present, your veterinarian will drain and flush the area by removing the scabs over the bite wounds or by lancing (cutting) the skin over the abscess. If cellulitis is present, drainage is not possible. Your cat may need to be sedated or anesthetized so the area can be safely cleaned and treated.
Antibiotics and pain control: Your veterinarian will prescribe antibiotics to treat the bacterial infection, such as ampicillin (Ampi-Tab®), amoxicillin-clavulanate (Clavamox®, Clavaseptin®), or cefovecin (Convenia®). Pain medication will also likely be prescribed. If antibiotic tablets are prescribed, it is important to give all medication exactly as directed.
Surgical care: For large abscesses, your veterinarian may recommend debridement, a technique in which all affected tissues are removed, including any inflamed tissues that have walled off the abscess from the rest of the body. The clean wound may then be closed with sutures, and a temporary surgical drain may be placed to allow fluid and discharge to escape.
How do I care for the wound after treatment?
If your veterinarian has drained the abscess, the wound may be left open to allow for drainage. It is advisable to clean the wound twice a day for two to three days to keep it open, using cotton balls, gauze, or a washcloth and warm water. If a skin cleanser or surgical soap is necessary, your veterinarian will prescribe it.
- Only use products that are recommended by your veterinarian.
- Never use disinfectants containing phenols, as these are toxic to cats.
- Never use hydrogen peroxide for cleaning a drained abscess, since this will delay healing and can worsen the problem.
If your veterinarian has placed a drain, you will need to clean the drainage holes twice a day for two to five days, or until the drain is removed. Once the tissues have completely healed, which usually takes about two weeks, any remaining sutures will be removed.
What should I do if the wound is not healing properly?
If your cat's wound is left untreated, there is a danger that the abscess will burst and only partially drain before healing begins, leaving small pockets of pus behind, causing ongoing infection. With appropriate treatment, most abscesses should heal within five to seven days. The swelling associated with cellulitis may take longer. However, infection can recur if you do not complete the course of prescribed antibiotics or if you do not maintain adequate drainage of the wound.
If you believe the wound is not healing normally, ask your veterinarian to re-examine it. If the wound does not heal within a few days of treatment, your veterinarian may recommend testing to see if there is an underlying cause. Certain viruses, such as feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV), suppress the immune system and may complicate recovery. Blood tests can diagnose these viral infections.
A persistent draining wound may indicate that foreign material (e.g., a broken tooth, claw, or soil) is present in the wound and may require surgical exploration. Alternatively, it may indicate the presence of an unusual infectious agent, in which case, your veterinarian may need to take samples for bacterial culture and sensitivity testing.
Why does my cat keep getting abscesses in the same place?
If your cat repeatedly gets abscesses in the same place, it may reflect inadequate treatment, in which the abscess never completely resolves. Alternatively, it may reflect your cat's typical position in a fight: a cat that runs away will tend to be bitten on the tail base, whereas an aggressor will tend to be bitten on the head or forelimbs.
What other risks are associated with fight wounds from cats?
Bite wounds transmit some important feline infections, most notably feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV). Blood tests should be performed after any bite wounds to diagnose these infections. Depending on your location, rabies may be a risk if your cat is bitten by an unknown cat or other animal. It is essential to ensure your cat’s rabies vaccine is up-to-date, even if they are primarily an indoor cat.
