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Name
Fight Wound Infections, Feline
Short Description
Feline abscesses
Affected Animals: Cats and other animals can develop an abscess. Unneutered male
cats that spend any time outside are the most commonly affected with
bite wounds.
Overview:
There is a tremendous amount of bacteria in the
mouth of a cat, and so when a cat bites another animal, the wound it
leaves is very likely to become infected. The holes created in the
skin by the teeth tend to seal over quickly, trapping all the
injected bacteria underneath. When infection occurs, the wounded
cat's body will send a large number of white blood cells called
neutrophils to the bite wound to help kill the bacteria. A painful
abscess will form when the bacteria and neutrophils combine together
in a pocket of pus that will appear at the wound site or just below
it.
If the abscess is not able to drain to the outside surface of the
cat's skin, the cat can experience a fever, anorexia, and other
signs of illness. If left untreated at this stage, the abscess will
expand and burrow through the tissues until it ruptures through the
overlying skin. Generally, bite wound abscesses can be treated
successfully with wound care and antibiotics. A greater worry with
fight wounds is that through them, cats can pass on life-threatening
diseases -- such as the feline immunodeficiency virus, feline
leukemia, and rabies.
Clinical Signs: The clinical signs of an abscess vary, but
typically there is a swelling or area of matted hair with some
discharge coming from it. Cat bite abscesses commonly appear at the
base of the tail and on the animal's back, face, and legs. The area
is usually very sensitive and may be warm to the touch. Cats that
have significant infection will have a fever of 103.5 degrees
Fahrenheit or higher, anorexia, lymphadenopathy, or swollen lymph
nodes, and may show signs of depression.
Symptoms:
See clinical signs.
Description:
When a cat bites another cat, its front canine
teeth sink into the skin, depositing harmful bacteria. Because the
bite marks are usually small and seal closed quickly, the bacteria
will be left buried underneath the skin where they can start an
infection.
The body of a wounded cat will send a large amount of white blood
cells called neutrophils to the bite wound to help kill the
bacteria. When a pocket of bacteria and neutrophils forms, it is
called an abscess. If the abscess is sealed over, then the cat can
develop a fever and become very ill. Once the abscess is opened up
so that it can drain, though, the cat should begin to feel better.
A bite wound from a cat can be severe and cause tremendous problems.
Life-threatening viruses such as feline leukemia and the feline
immunodeficiency virus commonly are transmitted from one cat to
another this way.
Any cat bite should be cleaned thoroughly to prevent infection. An
attempt should be made to keep the skin lesions open for several
days to allow the wound to heal from inside out. Antibiotics also
may be prescribed to eliminate the growth of bacteria.
If an abscess already has formed, the examining veterinarian will
recommend the best course of treatment. Some cases require sedation
or anesthesia due to the pain associated with the wound and the type
of procedure that needs to be performed. Some abscesses expand so
widely that when they rupture, they create a large defect in the
skin tissue. These may require some reconstructive surgery once the
infection has been eliminated.
Diagnosis: The veterinarian will obtain a thorough history
of the cat's health from the owner, noting whether the animal goes
outside often and its vaccination status. A physical examination
will reveal an abscess, which is either a firm or soft painful
swelling, or an area of matted fur that may have pus oozing from it.
The veterinarian may extract a sample of the fluid from the wound
and look at it under a microscope to positively diagnose an abscess.
Sometimes a culture will be taken to specifically identify the
bacteria present and which antibiotics will be effective in killing
them.
Prognosis: The prognosis for a fight wound infection that
properly is treated is excellent. However, cats that get into
frequent fights are at high risk for contracting feline leukemia
virus, feline immunodeficiency virus, and rabies, all of which are
fatal. There are vaccines that will help prevent FeLV and rabies,
but there is currently no vaccine for FIV.
Transmission or Cause: Fight wound infections are caused by a bite wound
from another animal -- usually, another cat. Unneutered male cats
are the most likely to develop an abscess because they tend to roam
around outdoors and get into fights to defend their "territory."
There is a tremendous amount of bacteria in the mouth of a cat, so
anytime a cat bites a human or another animal, there is a very good
chance that the bite will become infected. Cats with bite wounds or
an abscess should be taken to a veterinarian; likewise, humans that
receive a bite should seek immediate medical attention.
Treatment:
The veterinarian will treat a cat bite wound by
washing and rinsing it thoroughly with an antibacterial soap. A
hydrogen peroxide solution often is used to flush out and kill
bacteria deep in the wound. If there is an abscess that already has
ruptured and is in the process of draining, the area should be
clipped free of hair and cleaned out with an antibacterial soap.
For more severe abscesses, or abscesses that have not opened up and
drained, surgical drainage is needed. This procedure requires
sedating the cat and surgically making a cut into the abscess to
open it up and allow all the infective pus to drain. Sometimes a
temporary piece of material is left in the skin to allow the wound
to drain for several days. The owner usually is asked to move the
material a little once or twice a day until the drainage stops. The
veterinarian usually will give an antibiotic injection and prescribe
some for the owner to administer at home.
Owners should use caution when treating a cat with a bite wound or
an abscess. Some cats may try to bite if the area is extremely
painful. The veterinarian can assist with any problems that owners
may have.
Severe wounds can leave a residual scar. Reconstructive type surgery
may be an option once the wound is free of infection. This would
reduce scar formation and speed the healing process.
Prevention: The best prevention is to keep all cats indoors
and prevent them from roaming and getting into fights. All cats
should be neutered so that they are less likely to roam around in
search of a mate; neutering also may make cats less territorial.
Building fences can be helpful in preventing cats that persistently
leave their homes from getting into fights outside of the property. Back to Encyclopedia Listings
