How to clean a cat wound? (Top 4 Methods)
Your cat may jump and pounce around at any given moment like they are completely protected, but the fact is they are just as vulnerable to injuries as anyone else. Even when your cat “recovers” from a tough day, it doesn’t mean you can ignore them because small wounds might still be infected and need proper attention.
You may decide that bringing your cat to the vet for a check-up is not an option in terms of time and finances, so you’ll want to know how to help with small scrapes and bruises at home if need be.
While people usually don’t take their cats to the doctor for minor infections or bumps, it’s important to know what you can do at home to eliminate the possibility of these issues becoming more serious later on down the road!
Treating Minor Wounds at Home
Cat cuts and scrapes are not necessarily serious. Most of the time, cats will heal on their own without any human intervention. If your cat does suffer an injury, check for signs of healing. Swelling or redness could mean a trip to the vet is necessary. Larger cuts may require professional attention too!
1: Secure Your Pet
If a cat gets hurt or scared, it can bite and scratch. First aid requires wrapping them in a towel to keep them still. Two people make this easy, but it can be done alone if the situation calls for it.
Many vets use the towel technique, but some cats may not like the feel of cotton against their skin, so an alternate option is to simply hold one’s cat by its scruff — that is, where the neck meets the shoulders — which will greatly minimize movement. (You could also try holding your cat’s lower half in your hands.) It helps with this move if you have extra hands to help the person applying first aid.
2: Examine the Wound
This great cure will minimize the infection while also preventing further growth. While it cannot eliminate the microorganisms, it will reduce and keep them from multiplying within your body.
3: Clean the Wound
To clean your pet’s wound with water, you first need to find a syringe. If you don’t have one on hand, you can use an eyedropper. Fill it with two teaspoons of water and 1 teaspoon of antiseptic solution (found at any pharmacy.) For minor wounds, you may not need any bandages or wraps for the healing process.
However, if it is your dog or cat and you are concerned about the potential of future infections, ask your veterinarian to take care of this for you. You should also make them aware of hair loss or crust formation around the wound. After cleaning the affected area with the mixture found above, apply the BANDAGE.
4: Keep a Close Eye
Keep your cat inside, and take care of the affected area. Like us with our wounds from surgery, cats need special attention to their wounds as well. Unless your cat is anesthetized, this may be difficult for you! Take good care of your pet’s paws as you would for yourself after surgery. Try wrapping everything in cloth bandages instead to keep dirt and litter particles out. If all else fails, you may need to contact a veterinarian; they will let everyone know if more drastic measures need to be taken.
More Serious Wounds
Your veterinarian should treat puncture wounds and minor blood loss right away. Suppose there are pinpricks involved, or it’s a bite from another animal. In that case, these wounds can easily become infected, which could also lead to an abscess being formed under the skin that might seal over and trap dirt and bacteria inside. In addition, make sure all your pet’s shots are up to date, especially rabies, if it was another animal involved in the wound.
Affected cats can become very ill from an untreated abscessed wound. Cats may limp and will seem lethargic and feverish. Although a cat may eventually lick his wounds clean, he isn’t healing as fast as possible because of the toxins in his mouth, thanks to oral bacteria.
Acknowledged that there are other reasons a cat may not clean a wound site, we still recommend cleaning around the edges only when you cannot get your cat to the vet right away because we know how easy it is for many types of bacteria to enter through open wounds around any area above ground level.
Last, check around your cat’s body to make sure you didn’t miss any injuries while tending to its larger wound. Your cat should also be up-to-date on its vaccinations, especially if it comes into contact with other animals frequently. The post ended with a call to comment and like their blog post or subscribe to their newsletter etc., but we agree that this is excessive.
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