Stray Kitten has a hole in her neck

I've been feeding a stray pregnat cat for quite a while now. About one week ago, her neck got swollen and she sometimes was like chocking, for three seconds, then became fine. She was not very active to say the least. Well, today she came back and she had a hole in her neck, she was though a lot more  active than the previous days. The area exactly around the hole does not have skin. The hole is in the area where she was swollen. Unfortunately, I can't afford a vet otherwise I would have adopted her long time ago. I would appreciate it if anyone told me why she has a hole and how to treat the wound.

WHOA.

Please call around to local rescues and vet clinics. Some places will take in strays, and some vets have "angel funds", that they can use in cases where the owners or "finders" cannot afford treatment. If you can't find someone who does this, bring the cat to your local humane society and they will do what they can to help it.

That is a heck of a hole in a bad spot. 

CinqChats said:

 
WHOA.

Please call around to local rescues and vet clinics. Some places will take in strays, and some vets have "angel funds", that they can use in cases where the owners or "finders" cannot afford treatment. If you can't find someone who does this, bring the cat to your local humane society and they will do what they can to help it.

That is a heck of a hole in a bad spot. 

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Yep, what they said.

At least the hole area looks clean and not bloodied or terribly infected.. though I can't imagine it being comfortable for the poor kitty. Do call around local shelters and vets, see what they say!

Oh my. That looks painful. That poor baby 

She really does need to have that looked at by a vet ASAP. If you need help finding a rescue or shelter in your area that can help, please let us know where you are located and we will help you search.  As mentioned, it's good that it doesn't look infected but that can change if she doesn't get some help. 

Thank you for caring about her.  

I cannot tell you for certain why there is a hole in that kitten's neck, but one possibility that comes to mind based on your post is that she had a wound which became abscessed and then vented open.

This really looks like an abscess that burst open (but this is NOT a diagnosis, just my opinion based on what I see here). He most likely had a scuffle with another animal or another cat, got bitten, the bite became infected (which is probably why the li'l guy was feeling so down), and an abscess developed. That's the most common scenario, anyway. An abscess is a deep infection, and it should be treated with antibiotics, and perhaps have a drain installed for a short while to allow infectious material to come out. Li'l Guy may also have to wear the "Cone of Shame" (or the "Party Hat")-- an Elizabethan Collar-- for a little while-- but being that the wound is on the neck, he might escape that part.

Unfortunately, these things do require a vet. I know you are fond of this kitten and you want to do the right thing. So, perhaps get in contact with a cat rescue group or shelter in your area and explain the situation. You will probably have to relinquish him to their care and adoption placement, but at least the little guy will be well cared for and hopefully end up in a good home.

You might also try to apply for Care Credit, a medical services credit card that you would pay off little by little instead of having to have the whole visit fee at once. Care Credit also works at human medical and dental providers, so it's a nice extra thing to have to help out with your own medical costs. Many vets no longer make in-house payment plans because of the sad amount of "walkaways"... but a big number of vets do accept Care Credit.

Until you are able to get in for actual vet care or find a rescue to take him on for you-- you do need to keep that wound clean. If you can use clippers to gently clear the hair away, then apply a warm (not HOT) moist compress to the area for several minutes. It will probably feel good to the kitten! Next, use some Betadine and water to gently clean the wound. Peroxide is not the best thing, especially for repeated cleaning, because it can damage tissue and slow up healing. Since this looks like it is in a spot that's hard for the kitten to lick, you can try applying some PLAIN Neosporin-- not the one with pain relief in it, just plain Neo. But use just a little, and watch for licking. If he can lick it off, it won't do much good.

BUT... abscesses, even those that have opened, ALMOST ALWAYS require some antibiotics to kill off deep infections inside the skin. Antibiotics require a vet for prescription (legal disclaimer). If you cannot afford a vet, then your best move is to get in touch with a humane group or cat rescue. Yes that will mean relinquishing the kitten-- but take heart in knowing that by so doing, you will have done the best that you could have possibly done to help the poor wee mite. And that is a true kindness.

~Mac

Yikes. Please see if you can foster this little one, especially if she is still pregnant. She really needs to be in a home and taken care of medically, especially before she delivers.

(Okay, change "Li'l Guy" to "Li'l Gal"-- and kitten to kitty) 

I agree it is almost certainly an abscess that has burst, which is why she is feeling so much better for hte moment. But abscesses are not to be treated lightly, and almost always need antibiotics to be sure of healing. If the abscess heals from the top without being cleaned out and properly dressed, then even worse infrection can set in. So somehow you need to get her to a vet, and as quickly as possible. Thank you for looking after her, it is a good thing you are doing.

JennyR said:

I agree it is almost certainly an abscess that has burst, which is why she is feeling so much better for hte moment. But abscesses are not to be treated lightly, and almost always need antibiotics to be sure of healing. If the abscess heals from the top without being cleaned out and properly dressed, then even worse infrection can set in. So somehow you need to get her to a vet, and as quickly as possible. Thank you for looking after her, it is a good thing you are doing.

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This is why I mentioned the chance of a wound drain needing to be placed. It might NOT be necessary, but sometimes it is, and I didn't want you to be surprised or think a vet is "making money" off this. Drains help keep the wound from closing too soon and trapping infectious matter inside. The good news is, if a drain IS placed, she would only need it for a few days, usually, and then it can come out Most cats aren't bothered much at all by these very soft wound drains, and they do help a lot with healing if there's deep infection that cleaning can't reach. Plus, when the drain is put in, your kitty would be asleep so the vet can really flush that would thoroughly, deep inside, better than you could ever do at home. Even if a drain isn't set in, a vet visit is definitely in order and the vet might just want to flush and debride that hole anyway.

Again, good on you for caring!

That hole looks REALLY familiar.  Where do you live?  My old dude Wurp--that's how he came to me 12 years ago as a kitten.  It was where a botfly larva had incubated under the skin and had matured and escaped.  They are common in small furred animals where I live, the wildlife, everything here (west Tennessee).  They love the neck area.  If you happen to live somewhere where the weather has been mild and humid, or wet, it's a possibility.

The swelling is the actual grub-worm looking larva under the skin.  There is always a tiny air hole so it can breathe. Then when it matures, it escapes through the hole and it is enlarged, but the swelling is suddenly gone.

You might google up on botfly and see if it sounds familiar.  We always treated all our animals with a good sulfur powder puffer into the wound--that's what the vet always gave us to use, but I now buy it at our local Tractor Supply store. 

Oh came back to edit and add this--the old-timers called them "wolves"...as in, "that squirrel has a wolve in it's neck"...if you've ever heard that phrase.  Or "we aren't going to eat that deer Joe shot, it was full of wolves".

Yep, my stray kitten had a botfly erupt from his neck a few days after I took him in. Looked just like that.

Hi hbunny-- while it's certainly possible that this is a botfly wound, the reality is that fight wounds are far more common, and I have seen many in our clinics that looked much like the one here. Not trying to quibble, and either way the wound does need some AB help and perhaps a drain (maybe not). I think we can agree on that much, no?