Need kitty help -- weekend injury!

[Minnie_me]

Our kitty is an indoor/outdoor girl. Friday, DD noticed an injury by kitty's ear, almost like a puncture wound. There was no swelling, no bleeding -- all looked well. I told DD we'd keep an eye on it. Yesterday it looked the same. We went to a party at 4:00 last night, and returned around midnight to find that the wound was absolutely disgusting! Kitty slept with me, and she was itching at it during the night - ewww.

Our vet doesn't have Sunday hours. There is an emergency clinic about 35 minutes away, but I don't know how to tell if this is an "emergency" or not. I"m a teacher, about to go 12 weeks without a paycheck, so I don't really want to waste the money running her to an expensive after-hours place, if I can take her after school tomorrow and have the same result.

Any advice?

 

[golfgal]

Do you have lethal spiders, snakes, etc. about? Could it be something like that. I would try putting some antibiotic ointment on it-assuming that it is safe for cats-I don't know.

 

[amid chaos]

Sounds like she got into a fight and has an abcess. this is going to sound really disgusting but i would take warm compresses to it and try to get the pus out has much as you can. it will be tinged with blood. I have successfully done this once with no vet care needed, and believe me it was vomit inducing, but i have also done the vet and drain route. she needs antibiotics and probably a drain.

 

[englishteacha]

No real advice here, just hugs to your kitty. Can you call the "Kitty Urgent care" place and ask their opinion?

Will kitty let you clean it? Maybe it's a bug bite?

 

[kirbydog48]

I would clean it and put antibiotic ointment on it...it should be fine for cats. Poor kitty!

 

[Minnie_me]

THanks for the speedy replies! I will try to warm compress, even though just imagining it is making me queasy - LOL!

 

[MickeyMouseGal]

It sounds like an abscess. They often look like a small puncture wound at first, and then they fester and drain pus a few days later. It's not an emergency, but she does need to have it cleaned and be put on antibiotics and pain medication.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

The problem is that a serious local infection can potentially turn into a septicemia, ie systemic infection, without systemic antibiotics (and that can be fatal). Since you don't know what happened to the ear, there's no way to know, or even guess, what germ is involved. Local antibiotic cream is great, but won't do much to prevent a septicemia.

I don't know what you mean by

the wound was absolutely disgusting

but obviously, whatever is in there is growing exponentially.

I empathize with the money issue, but it sounds like your cat should be seen and treated professionally.

 

[monsterkitty]

Do you have a PetSmart nearby that has a Banfield vet? Their costs are about the same as our regular vet. While we love our regualr vet, we have no qualms about taking the fur kids to Banfield if needed.