Everyone knows that a cat loves to walk on its own. If the animal has the opportunity to go out, then it examines everything in the way. Usually cats have their own territory and a stranger. They guard their site. This can be a pre-house territory or the whole land where a house with a yard and landings stands. In addition to their site, cats explore neighboring buildings. This feature of the animal’s behavior leads to certain risks to its health. Namely, the cat can get hurt, and the resulting injury can cause the process of decay. There is one peculiarity: it lies in the fact that the process of suppuration, or abscess, often begins in cats. But its appearance in cats or kittens is not 100% excluded.
How is it formed and manifested?
An abscess is a purulent formation under the skin of a pet. This abscess occurs due to infection. An abscess in cats needs to be treated. Visually, the skin is raised and there is a formation under it. The essence of the abscess is that between the muscles of the animal and its skin pus begins to form. It can occur in any part of the body of the animal, if it has a traumatic origin. On the face, an abscess forms in the area of the cheek or eye. This type of inflammation is associated with dental diseases.
Thus, abscesses are divided into 2 types. The first is considered traumatic, as it arose after receiving any injury. And the second type is dental. This type of abscess is a consequence of dental inflammation.
Types
In addition, abscesses can be qualified by the type of illness.
- Cold. By this disease is meant a chronic course of the disease. This abscess is characterized by the fact that it represents numerous deep relapses. Cold can bother the animal for several years.
- Superficial abscess in cats. This type of abscess is located directly under the skin. He breaks through and never causes complications.
- Deep abscess. Often the cause of its formation is a bite. Because of this, a seemingly small but deep wound forms. This tissue gap is filled with pus, which penetrates into the depths. Visually, inflammation is not evident, but a seal is felt. This abscess is more severe than superficial. It also requires more careful treatment.
- Acute abscess in a cat. Treatment is required immediately. Since this type is different in that it progresses rapidly, as a rule, it opens itself.
- Benign abscess in a cat. The inflammatory process takes place with white or yellowish discharge. They are not purulent in nature, have no unpleasant odor. As a rule, this abscess passes quickly.
- Malignant abscess. This type of disease indicates that the animal has a weakened immune system. The inflammatory process spreads to neighboring tissues. If the cat’s mouth is affected, an unpleasant odor is released from the mouth.
Paraanal abscess in cats
Paraanal glands are present in mammals. They are interconnected with the rectum. Located near the anus. Their task is to scare away other animals by isolating an unpleasant odor. The abscess of the paraanal glands in cats, as a rule, after maturation, it uncorks and comes out. But a fistula is formed.
On the animal, this process is severely affected. But in the future, the condition of the pet is stabilized.
Why can a disease occur?
When interacting with other animals, small wounds or bites may appear. In addition, injury may occur due to negligence. Open wounds are direct access to infections. An interesting fact is that the smaller the wound, the more likely the occurrence of an abscess increases. This is explained by the fact that when the wound is open, then foreign trace elements leave the body through blood and pus. But when it is small and deep, for example from the bite of another animal, then on top of a small area of damage is quickly dragged on, and inside begins inflammation. You should know that the claws or teeth of the animal may contain microbes. When ingested, they can lead to inflammation.
Causes of abscess in a cat
Let's look at the reasons why this ailment can occur.
- The animal’s body begins to fight with foreign trace elements that enter the body through the immune system, but due to the lack of the possibility of their escape, the inflammatory process begins.
- The process of suppuration begins due to dental disease. As a rule, teeth are damaged by any hard object. Destruction may also begin in older animals.
- An abscess may occur due to the use of non-sterile instruments during treatment. Intervention in the animal’s body through non-sterile devices can lead to infection. Even a puncture for an injection can become a source of infection.
What symptoms are present in the animal?
Externally, it is difficult to determine the presence of an abscess in an animal, since the wound is small and quickly passes, and internal inflammation is not visible. Therefore, it is possible to suspect that an inflammatory process is taking place in the body of a pet, according to its sluggish state. If the abscess is in the mouth, and the cause of its occurrence is the teeth, then you can notice that the cat is eating on one side or spitting food. May begin to rub on a sore spot on the floor.
Cats differ in that they can tolerate pain. Therefore, if at least some deviation from normal behavior is noticed, then it is necessary to take a closer look at the animal more closely. You should know that an abscess, especially if it passes in the oral cavity, can cause blood poisoning. Also, education can cause immunodeficiency in cats, even after the body recovers.
If the disease progresses, a tumor will become noticeable.
Development
An abscess develops gradually. Everything happens like this:
- An infection gets into the place of damage to the skin.
- There is a slight swelling. It may be accompanied by redness.
- The temperature at the site of the tumor rises. Therefore, it feels to the touch that this place is warm.
- The animal has pain. Therefore, the pet is trying to evade probing.
- With the progression of the disease, the swelling increases and has a red color.
- Through the skin, the inflammatory process that occurs inside is visible.
- You should know that if the abscess does not open on its own or if veterinary care is not provided, then the purulent lesion will pass to other tissues of the body.
Recommendations
If an abscess is found in a cat, how to treat it at home? It is recommended to show the animal to the veterinarian for an accurate diagnosis and the appointment of a course of therapy. A disease such as an abscess is common in cats. Since it must be opened, it is best to do this in a veterinary clinic.
This procedure can be done in two ways: under local anesthesia or under general anesthesia. How this operation will take place, the veterinarian will determine after the examination. And depending on the state of the animal, he will appoint with which pain medication it is better to make an incision.
Despite the fact that an abscess is a common disease in cats, hairless pets are less prone to it. The reason for this state of affairs is that cats without wool are kept by owners in favorable conditions. Therefore, they lack the ability to sort things out with other animals and enter outside their territory.
As a rule, antimicrobials are prescribed to cats to eliminate the inflammatory process. These include sulfa drugs. It is necessary to give the pet a course of medicines. Do not stop taking medications, even if the cat's appearance has lessened the abscess. Antibiotics should be taken in a course. It is 5 or 7 days. The bottom line is that when you interrupt the course of drugs in the body, immunity to their components can form. And if you need to re-take these drugs, they will not have the proper effect on the body.
Abscess in cats. Home treatment
There are different cases in life. And no one can exclude the possibility that the owner of the cat will not be able to come to the veterinary clinic and put his pet in the hands of professionals. If such a situation has occurred, then it is necessary to carry out the treatment yourself. It should be prepared to perform an autopsy on the abscess. The main thing is not to worry and consistently perform all the actions to treat the animal.
- First of all, you should determine at what stage the disease is. If it was possible to identify an abscess at the initial stage, then warm compresses should be done. Warming up the localization of the purulent process will accelerate its maturation. If the pet’s condition is lethargic, it means that he is concerned about pain. To relieve pain, you can prick Novocain.
- If the abscess is at a more serious stage and is severely inflamed, then warming up cannot be done. What to do? When the abscess is at a more advanced stage, an incision must be made. This procedure should be done necessarily, since pus can begin to move to other tissues if you do not let it out.
- To make an incision, you need to take a sterile needle, razor or scalpel. If the abscess is small, then the needle will do. For large, you need to use a razor or scalpel. The procedure should be carried out with gloves. You will also need gauze wipes, hydrogen peroxide, manganese and antibiotics.
- You should think about how to ensure the cat is stationary. To do this, you need to ask for help or think in advance how to keep the animal when making an incision.
- Before proceeding to the incision, you need to do local anesthesia using the drug "Novocaine" or "Lidocaine". It is necessary to chop the place of the abscess. Next, you need to give time for the action of the pain medication, about 10 minutes.
- Next, you should make an incision, allow the fluid to exit the wound and treat it with antibiotics.
- Then you need to monitor the wound so that it does not heal ahead of time, and treat it with antibiotics. The dressing should be made loose.
If the incision is small, then after a couple of weeks the abscess should pass.
Conclusion
Now you know what an abscess in a cat is (photos of its manifestations are familiar to every veterinarian). We examined the symptoms of this ailment, and also found out how to treat it.