Cat has hole in her face

I have a cat that is about 18 (i have had her 12 years, shelter had her listed as 6 when i got her).  Her health has started to deteriorate over the past few months.  I am certain she has hyperthyroidism.  We have been having huge medical issues so a vet visit is out of the question.  i couldnt pay for a visit if i wanted to.  and after reading for hours, it seems like medicine has mixed results at best.

anyway, i changed her food to a much higher quality and also got her a milk replacement designed for kittens that is high in protein.  that was on a recommendation from a friend.  she improved immediately, loving the milk and new food.  she has a lot more life and energy than last week when it seemed she would die any minute.  

we were cautiously optimistic that she would get better.  then this morning my wife tells me she has a problem with her face.  now there is a big hole in her face.  i have no idea how it got there and it is frightening looking.  she doesnt appear to be in pain, but obviously it is not a good thing.  just wondering if anyone has any ideas as to what this might be from.  i am panicking because like i said i dont have any money to take her to the vet.  i might be able to on friday at the earliest, but not sure if she will make it.  any advice is appreciated.

I know black cats are hard to photograph but are you able to take a clearer picture? And maybe shave the area? It should be shaved not only for a new photo but so you can properly clean the area. (Clean with warm water and very very diluted mild soap. Avoid alcohol and hydrogen peroxide!) My guess so far is that it may be a ruptured abscess, or possibly a tooth root abscess. Is she having trouble eating? I know you said a vet visit isn't possible, but I think it's very much warranted in this case. Any sort of wound can get infected and become a big problem, but wounds near the mouth are much more likely to do so because of all the bacteria in the mouth. I'm quite concerned for your kitty. Ask your local vet if they accept Care Credit and maybe you can get approved for that. It's basically a medical credit card you can use at vets and some human doctors too. You can apply online and they'll approve or decline you right away. It's worth a shot. Good luck!

thanks for the reply.  i thought maybe an abscess, but i thought i would have noticed swelling before.  she is eating and drinking fine.  she doesnt really seem to be in any discomfort.  as for shaving, i cant imagine her letting me do that, but i will give it a try.  i will also look into the care credit.  thanks for the advice

i was going to try to put neosporin on it in the meantime

Maybe before the neosporin, try a warm compress on it to see if you can draw anything out of it.  It looks to me as if there is still some puss or something in there.  I also think it's some sort of abscess.  When our little one had an abscess, after the Vet cleaned it out she had us apply a warm compress several times a day to try to draw out any more infection prior to applying a cream.  (Plus she got an antibiotic)

I agree with CatLadyVetTech with Care Credit. I have one just in case at a limit of $1000! Or maybe you can look at a low-cost clinic in your area? And cats are very good at disguising pain so she might actually be in pain but not show it.

I had a kitty "Sassy" that had almost the identical thing happen to her, it turned out to be a bad tooth.  She would swell under her eye, which was easier to see because of her coloring and then the vet would have to lance it and give antibiotics to her.  The last time it happened it started to swell on a Friday night and broke open like your picture by Saturday morning, so it can happen really fast if that is indeed what is wrong with your kitty.  Vet finally realized it was a tooth, had the tooth pulled and she was fine...lived until 22 yrs old.  Good luck with your kitty.

Just wondering how your kitty is and if you found out anything?