Aging Pets Need Special Care

What To Do If Your Cat Experiences An Animal Bite

Animal bites are a serious problem that can potentially cause dangerous infections. If your cat has been bitten by an animal, whether it's wild, another cat, or a dog, you will need medical attention. Keep reading to learn how you can improve your cat's chances of avoiding an infection and causing further damage to the area.

Secure Pet and Call Veterinarian

It's extremely important that you get your cat indoors where it's safe and to call a veterinarian immediately, such as at Metzger Animal Hospital. You should contain your cat where they can't escape outdoors or hide away from you, which may be their first instinct if they're hurting and frightened. You want to make sure that you're able to get to them easily when it's time to go to the vet.

Make sure you call a veterinarian right away to be seen on an emergency basis. Acting quickly can mean the difference between a life-threatening infection and a fast recovery.

Clean Wound of Debris

You should plan on your veterinarian do to the majority of the wound care for your cat. However, if there's visible debris in the wound, it's a good idea to flush the wound. You can do this with water or saline solution. Simply rinse the area around the wound and over the wound to flush out any dirt and debris that's accumulated.

Afterward, examine the wound to see if there's any active bleeding. If there is, you should apply pressure to slow it down. Use clean gauze or freshly washed linens to do this to prevent introducing new bacteria into the wound.

Use E-collar

If you have one available to you, you should put an e-collar on your cat. This will keep your kitty from trying to clean the wound themselves. A cat's tongue is very rough in order to help remove loose fur and dirt from their body. However, if the wound is deep or bleeding, that rough texture on their tongue could further cause harm to their wound.

Veterinary Procedure

When you go to the vet, the vet will perform an examination to determine how badly your cat is wounded. They'll also look for smaller, hidden wounds that could have come from teeth or claws.

After an assessment, your veterinarian will treat your cat. Depending on the severity of the wound, this could be as simple as antibiotics and bandages, or it could require surgery and a hospital stay to fully clean and seal the wound.

Animal bites are dangerous and can easily cause infections. If at all possible, protect your cat from being harmed by other animals by keeping them indoors at all times.


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