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New to the site, Puncture wounds

post #1 of 12
1/30/11 at 9:28am
Thread Starter 
My cat has only been vaccinated for rabies once when he was a kitten. 5ish years later, he now has one big puncture wound in his armpit area. Should I be worried for rabies/any other disease? or can we just watch for infection and if it doesn't heal properly, then run to the vet?
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post #2 of 12
1/30/11 at 9:38am
No, he needs to go to the vet. Bite wounds frequently abscess (and abscesses aren't always visible on the surface), and this can be a problem. He may need antibiotics at a minimum.

And yes, you need to be worried about FIV and FeLV. The problem is that they take a few weeks to "incubate" into a viral load that can be detected, so if he was just recently bitten, neither would be detectable yet (most likely). FIV isn't a near-term problem if you have other cats - but it's a burden on the immune system, and if he's got FIV it's responsible to keep him inside-only so he doesn't run the risk of infecting other cats. FeLV is a problem if you have other cats, as it is easily transmissible (via saliva - FIV generally requires a deep tissue bite wound to pass it on). It is also irresponsible to let him back outside if he's got FeLV.

Vibes it's "just" a bite wound.
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post #3 of 12
1/30/11 at 9:38am
Welcome to TCS! I'm sorry that your cat has been injured. I believe anyone here would advise you to get you cat to the vet very quickly before it becomes infected etc. If you think he/she will fight getting into a cat carrier, please take precaution to wrap the cat tightly in a bath towel so kitty doesn't scratch/bite you.
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post #4 of 12
1/30/11 at 9:40am
First off, welcome to the forums!

Is your cat indoors only or does he go outside too?
He could have gotten the big puncture wound from different things besides a bite or scratch from another animal but it can still lead to an infection like you said.

I would run to the vet as soon as possible to make sure it doesn't turn into something worse. It seems like he could use a checkup anyway. Waiting it out would just cause you to worry, and if you take him to see the vet sooner rather than later, they could suggest you ways to help him heal faster (like how to keep the wound clean, or give you some ointment, etc.)

Good luck!
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post #5 of 12
1/30/11 at 10:15am
Welcome to TCS!

I would clean it today with some warm water and watch it. Call the vet's office first thing tomorrow and get him in ASAP to have it looked at. Puncture wounds are nothing to wait about as they frequently become abscessed without proper attention.
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post #6 of 12
1/30/11 at 10:57am
I would worry about a puncture wound in the armpit, as there are glands in that area that could easily become infected, and if they do, the infection spreads quickly to other areas in the body. Those wounds can actually be deadly. If it was a puncture wound in another area, I might just clean it, then watch it very closely and get them to a vet if it changes at all or doesn't appear to heal quickly. The only reason I might wait for any wound is that I've seen enough injuries to my pets over the years to know precisely what I'm looking for, but most people don't know the signs.
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post #7 of 12
1/30/11 at 11:14am
You didn't say how your cat got this puncture wound. Do you know? is it from the bite of another animal? If so, is the animal known to you, or was it something your cat got outside?

If your cat is going outside, then you are playing Russian roulette with his life by not having him vaccinated for rabies, as well as several other life terminating diseases.

Hope he's fine. I'd take him to the vet tomorrow and get him taken care of.

And, if you do let him out, and want him to be around for a few more years, you may want to reconsider. Maybe you live in a wonderful rural environment where vehicles hitting him aren't much of a threat (but still are, after all). However there are many other dangers to cats outside - like other animals (with or without diseases) who will hurt or kill him, falls from high places (I lost a cat this way), poisons (probably not meant for him, but still), and malicious people (children or not).

Again, I hope he's just fine. Please let us know. We care.

Robin
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post #8 of 12
1/30/11 at 11:30am
Get him to the vet - puncture wounds of any animal, including humans, are dangrous as debris gets driven deep into tissue. So many places on the body have no natural drainage and cannot be flushed without the proper equipment and an abcess that also cannot drain properly will likely form. This is other diseases aside as they have been mentioned. Hate puncture wounds on animals and on me.
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post #9 of 12
1/30/11 at 6:16pm
It's serious, you need to get him to the vet.
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post #10 of 12
1/30/11 at 6:42pm
He'll AT LEAST need a rabies booster (this is for public health reasons, not just for his sake), and if he goes outside he really should have the other shots, too. He may need antibiotics if it gets infected, just keep it as clean as you can until you can get him to the vet, to minimize the chances of an infection.
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post #11 of 12
1/31/11 at 3:13am
Rabies is nothing to fool around with. If I had to choose one shot that all my cats would get, it would be that. It is a law in our state.

Please, please have him vaccinated.

I hope your kitty gets well and stays out of fights. Keeping him indoors solves the problem.
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post #12 of 12
1/31/11 at 6:45am
Welcome to TCS. You didn't supply too much information, does your cat go outside?? And it hasnt had vaccinations for years?? This sounds like a possible abcess and needs immediate attention from a vet. If you let your cat outside, you are risking your cat to be exposed to serious deadly viruses from stray cats, parasites, getting hit by a car, etc. I am always trying to convince people to keep their cats indoors only. It sounds like your cat needs antibiotics or more to treat this puncture wound. Hope you can get this taken care of today
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