About Abscesses in Cats that Cat Lovers Must Know

Abscesses in cats are characterized by swelling filled with pus on the cat's body. This condition caused by a bacterial infection makes cats feel sick and appear weak. Therefore, cats with abscesses need to be treated immediately to prevent dangerous complications.

An abscess is a pocket filled with pus that appears as a response of the immune system to infection. Abscesses can occur in humans and animals, including cats. Abscesses in cats are most often caused by bacteria that enter the skin through bites, punctures or scratches.

Several types of bacteria that can cause abscesses are Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas, Mycoplasma, and Streptococcus. An abscess can form about 2–4 days after the bacteria infects the cat's body.

Untreated abscesses can lead to more severe infections. This infection can spread from the abscess site throughout the cat's body. If this happens, the cat can get a serious infection or even death.

Symptoms of Abscess in Cats

When you have an abscess, your cat will show signs of infection or illness in general, such as not wanting to eat, looking lethargic, having a fever, and not wanting to interact with other cats or people around it.

In addition, abscesses in cats can also cause the following symptoms:

• Swelling or red bumps
• Often licking the part of the body that is in pain
• Grows a lot and doesn't let people or other animals touch his body
• Aggressive behavior
• Dooping tail
• Limps

Abscesses can sometimes rupture. If this happens, usually the abscess will cause a wound or scab that is festering and smells bad.

If not treated immediately, an abscess can cause a more severe infection. Therefore, you need to immediately take your cat to the vet, if he seems to have symptoms of an abscess. Thus, the doctor can check the condition of your cat and provide the right treatment.

Types of abscesses in cats based on their location

Abscesses in cats can occur anywhere on the body, but they often affect the mouth, face, tail, and skin. Based on the location of its appearance, abscesses in cats are divided into three types, namely:

Skin abscess

This abscess appears due to a bacterial infection of the skin or body parts of a cat that has been bitten or scratched. Skin abscesses can also form after a cat has a wound exposed to dirty objects, such as dirt or dust.

This type of abscess usually affects wild cats or domestic cats that often play outside the home.

Tooth abscess

As the name implies, a tooth abscess is found in the area around a sore tooth. This condition is generally caused by a buildup of bacteria on the tooth surface. When bacteria builds up, the gums become inflamed and form an abscess.

In addition, abscesses on cat teeth can also extend to the tissues around the teeth, such as the gums and jaws. Cats that have a tooth abscess can show symptoms such as difficulty breathing, refusing to eat, drooling a lot, and having pus or blood in their saliva.

Abscess in the internal organs of the cat

This is the rarest type of abscess in cats, but it is very dangerous because it is often invisible. This abscess can attack any organ in the cat's body, such as the lungs, liver, brain and pancreas.

An abscess that forms in a cat's lungs can result from a lung infection or pneumonia. While in the brain, an untreated abscess can cause infection of the lining of the brain (meningitis).

Treatment of Abscess in Cats

An abscess in a cat is a condition that needs to be treated by a veterinarian. Before providing treatment, the veterinarian will generally carry out a series of examinations to evaluate the condition of the sick cat and determine the location of the abscess

In addition, the doctor will also carry out other examinations, such as X-rays or ultrasound, blood tests, and analysis of pus to determine the type of germs that cause abscesses in cats.

After that, the vet will treat the abscess in the cat according to the location and severity of the infection. The following are steps for treating abscesses in cats that can be done by a veterinarian:

Medical action

One of the main principles of treating an abscess is to drain the pus from the lump. This can be done by sucking out the pus with a syringe or through surgery

Meanwhile, for abscesses that appear on the cat's teeth, the vet will perform a thorough cleaning of the teeth. However, for severe cases of feline tooth abscess, the vet may perform a tooth extraction.

administration of drugs

The veterinarian will also usually give antibiotics to eradicate the germs that cause infection in cats. The type of antibiotic given will be adjusted to the bacteria that causes the abscess in your cat. This antibiotic drug can be given in tablet or syrup form to be taken by mouth or by injection.

After giving treatment, the doctor will allow the sick cat to go home and be cared for at home.

While your cat is recovering, the doctor will recommend that you put a neck protector on your cat. This is so that the cat does not scratch or lick the body parts that are still injured, so that re-infection can be prevented

In addition, you can also clean the abscess scar on your cat with a sterile salt water solution (saline liquid) or antiseptic liquid. This action can be done 2 times a day. After that, make sure the wounds on the cat's body are dry and clean, ok.

As a step to prevent abscesses in cats, you can take your cat to the vet for neutering. This can make your cat calmer and less aggressive, so it's not easy to fight with other cats.

The sooner it is treated, the easier it will be for infections and abscesses in cats to heal. Therefore, you need to take your cat to the vet if you find a lump that feels warm on its skin or if your skin looks sore.

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