Scratch getting worse

caroline

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Hi

So my cat was playing with her two kittens and must have got swiped, because I came home one day and she had a little nick halfway between her eye and ear. It wasn't bleeding or anything, so I left it be.

I think she must be over-cleaning it or something because now it's grown. It's still small, but it's twice as big as the original cut, and is all red. What can I do to keep her from making it worse? Also, can any ointments I have around the house be safely used on cats?

Thanks!
 

xocats

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If it were me, I would have my vet look at it right away....it could be infected.
Is she still nursing her kittens?
 
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caroline

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It doesn't look infected, it just looks like the skin is raw because she keeps picking the scab or something. I will take her to the vet if I notice it getting much bigger, or looking infected.

Ideally though, I'd like to find a way to stop her from making it worse so it can heal!

The kittens are 10 weeks old, so they eat dry food but sometimes like to try their luck at nursing on mom anyway. She'll push them away after a couple of seconds, but I think they probably steal a few drops of milk!
 

xocats

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Mommy kitty needs to be spayed immediately unless you are a breeder.
I would take her for that and get her checked at the same time.
 
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caroline

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I can't spay her until she has her first vaccinations, which I can't do until the kittens stop nursing. And I can't separate them, as I live in a 1 bdrm apartment!

She is a stray I am fostering, that's how she got pregnant. She is kept indoors at all times.

Can we talk about her scratch now?
 

plebayo

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Take her to the vet.

The kittens at 10 weeks should be done nursing. The mom can have vaccines, and she can be spayed all on the same day. While she's there they can look at her scratch.

You asked for advice, we're telling you. Go to the vet. For all you know she has an abscess.
 

dawnofsierra

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I strongly advise having this scratch examined by her Vet promptly. It could become severely infected very quickly. Great job noticing that it's not healing properly. Please do take her in to be seen and please let us know how it goes.
 

zissou'smom

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Her kitten scratched her? Wow, the hazards of being a mommy cat. Must be like babies pulling on our hair!

I would always be careful putting anything on a cat, because if you notice most topical things for humans say "for topical use only, do not ingest" and it's really hard if not impossible to make sure a cat doesn't lick itself right there.

I'm also puzzled over how you would keep her from worrying it since it's on her face/neck, so there's no way to put an e-collar on her or anything like that.

Are you sure her kittens didn't swipe her again? And are you sure it isn't infected? Reason it might be is because you said it didn't bleed much, which is with humans or cats an indication that maybe all the icky stuff didn't get rinsed out by the blood the way it should when we have an open wound.

Does the org. you are fostering her for have a vet you could call?

Bless you for taking her in, that must be quite chaotic with the little kittens in a smaller apartment (like mine, too!)
 
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caroline

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Here is an update:

I kept monitoring it and it kept looking just like a scab that had been picked. It stayed the same for a couple of days, and yesterday I noticed the scab had come off and the skin underneath had healed. So, she has a tiny, tiny bit left, but obviously she isn't picking it anymore, so I'm going to let it be.

Other good news is that she has been adopted, so she can get vaccinated and spayed now! Someone suggested bringing her into the vet and spaying / vaccinating on the same day, but our vet will not allow that. There has to be a 3 week wait between those two procedures.
 
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caroline

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Also, it didn't bleed much because she probably got it hours before I saw it (I would have been at work.) I just meant to specify that when I came home, she wasn't bleeding.

It would also be highly unlikely for something to be trapped in there the way you are thinking. The scratch was literally .2 mm thick. After she bothered it, it was maybe 1mm in diameter (perhaps a kitten did swipe at it, I don't know!). There was no redness or swelling in the surrounding skin to indicate infection, and she didn't mind having it touched.

In any event, it seems to have taken care of itself.
 

sar

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Just a little advice regarding the scratched area! Although the scab has lifted and everything appears to be healed, it is important to keep an eye on it as abcesses can form even after the outer layers are 'back to normal'.
 
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