has anyone seen a similar abscess wound like this on a cat before? (warning, gross pic attached)

hi all,

after a stressful week of tending to my kitty we went to the vet again, he shaved the hair around his wound - bite wound from a cat fight that turned into abscess - or so I thought. after which he told me that he had never seen an abscess wound quite like this, and this is due to an acid burn(??), as in, someone that poured acid on my cat.

I don't think this is the case.. I know the cat was fighting that day outside and got back home with multiple scratches. besides, an acid burn would have burned the fur right at the same moment. which didn't happened. after the fight he came home with tons of ticks on him and developed high fever, also the arm where he was bitten hurt him, though no sign was visible except the bite marks. the vet gave him antibiotics and we got the fever down. the cat is still not eating or moving or doing anything normal.

anyway, I'm seeking a second opinion, I attached a photo (sorry it's gross) of what the "burn" looks like. I would love to know if you've seen it before and what it is.

thank you

 

I've had cats with some pretty nasty abscesses, and that definitely could be one in which a secondary infection has developed. To me, it looks like several wounds that developed abscesses, or the original spread the infection to other areas. Your cat needs to be well hydrated, so make sure he is drinking, and needs to eat well too. I would imagine he'll need further blood work to make sure the infection is clearing up, did the vet mention pain medication at all? There is nothing much to be done now, the abscess has burst and the infection has hopefully drained, I would watch for returning fevers and make him as comfortable as possible,  the poor guy needs lots of rest and TLC. I've seen many cats recover from wounds as bad as this, but it takes a long time. With my feral male I start him on an antibiotic as soon as I see any signs of an abscess, limping, swelling, etc. and he recovers very well. Know that I'll keep him in my prayers, please keep us posted on how he is doing. 

thank you so much.

that is what I think it is too. a secondary infection. I think the vet was just trying to cover up for not spotting or informing me about the lump/abscess on my cat from the first visit, as he should've had. that's why he invented the acid burn theory.

honestly my cat is 13 and we've never been to the vet in his lifetime. I don't trust this vet, but I have no experience in cat's wounds. no he didn't mention painkillers, also he just pulled out the cat's hair around the wound with force until the cat was hyperventilating from pain. I'm sure there were better ways to get the hair out of the way :'(

what is TLC?

the vet said that the skin on the sore area will fall out, and then we'll have to stitch the remaining skin back together. I'm wondering whether there is a way to rejuvenate the affected skin so it wont fall, or after it does fall, maybe we should wait and let new skin grow on it's own. stitching such a large gap is bound to disfigure the cat I think.

thanks again

Is there another vet you can go to for a second opinion? Maybe even a cat specialist. If it were my cat I would be very unhappy about rough handling (pulling on fur around the wound, why not shave instead) and not providing any pain medication. The defensive coverup - "must have been acid" - also does not inspire confidence in him.

Poor cat. He is in pain. Tempt him with human baby food - chicken or turkey. Warm slightly in microwave so it smells yummy. Make it sloppy with a little water so he gets necessary water. Try Sheba or Fancy Feast Classic turkey and giblets, or tender beef feast - most cats adore them.

But ask around and find a better vet for him.

thank you... yes I will call tomorrow another vet a friend recommended (although this current vet was supposed to be recomended also) I hope she will accept me without a full charge, because the costs are already more than I can afford. 

the good thing this vet did was give him "urgent care" cat food. and that's the only thing he agrees to eat for now. it's designed especially for cats recovering from surgery, etc, & cats that don't eat. it works.

btw

your cat looks just like mine did when healthy