Cat with leg wound

geri1965_2

Got home from work tonight and noticed that Jimmy has what looks like a hole in his leg

He is not poorly in any way, in fact before I noticed it he had his treat and was running around chasing my other cat.

I think it looks like a pellet wound - but could it just be a bite? I realise it's hard to tell without pictures, but could a bite from another cat leave what looks like a round puncture wound?

Murtle

Yes, the teeth can leave a round puncture wound. Warm salt water will help clean it out and keep an eye on it as cats have bacteria on their teeth (or something) that can infect.

(and give him lots of cuddles!)

geri1965_2

Thanks, I would feel much better if I thought it came from a fight and not from someone shooting at him.

He is absolutely as right as rain at the moment, but I am keeping my eye on him just in case.

Murtle

Our neighbours child used to shoot a pellet gun at our cats, till his parents found out...then he stopped...but one of our cats was always the slow one in getting away in scraps and for a while often had the injuries to show. The bites can cause abscesses which will be foul smelling, but when we got wise to him having these wounds, we washed with warm (not hot) salt water and the vet was very impressed by how clean and well healing it was.

Poor puss, pellet guns and cats are horrible :-(

geri1965_2

The thing is, he only goes into ours & the neighbour's back gardens, so unlikely that anyone would have shot at him I'd have thought. Not that I have any idea who lives in the houses of the gardens he goes into.

Murtle

Is it his back leg? If so, he could be the slow one when running away. Our cats wounds were always on his back leg, striking distance of a cat when it was chasing him!

McKneff

Its probably a cat bite, Tinker came home one night with two perfect round holes just above her eye, I bathed it and bathed it
with warm salty water but unfortunately it didnt keep it from getting infected, by next afternoon it was starting to go green so she was straight to the vet, she fought incessantly against one of those collars but it was a necessary evil, it did clear up after a week but we had to bathe is 4 times a day as well as try to get tablets down her neck lol.

See what its like in the morning and then decide.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Yes, cat teeth leave holes. Big holes.

Keep saline flushing it and checking for signs of puffiness, but if it forms an abscess, you WILL notice by the smell soon enough.

Oh, and check other bits, not just the big hole, as there could be other damage you haven't noticed yet.


If in doubt it's off to the vet for him.

geri1965_2

Just went up to try and wash him, but he's asleep in a box under the bed (his safe place!) so didn't have the heart to wake him up. It's on his front leg, so maybe he got cornered by another cat. He came legging it in yesterday at a great speed, but that was because of fireworks, I think. I didn't see him this morning so I have no idea when it happened, but it does look as if it is scabbing over.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I would grit my teeth and keep soaking the scab off, so it doesn't trap the evil gunk inside and send it inwards. Especially when there is such a tiny distance between the skin and the bone on a cat's leg.


You don't want to realise he needs an emergency vet appointment on Saturday night when you could have got him a fairly routine one for tomorrow evening

McKneff

Doesnt matter whether he's asleep, wake him up, each second the germs are multiplying if it is a bite.
Its better for him in the long run.

Jojo's advice is excellent