My cat would not stop licking and scratching its wound behind its neck removing fur and causing scabbing. I got a really great idea to get one of the dog harnesses that is fabric with Velcro and it has really helped and now his skin is healing wonderfully! Plus my cat does not hate it at all. It's worked out better than a cone!
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My kitten had a bare, sore patch between her shoulder blades. A cone of shame made her hysterical! In desperation, I cut about 15 cm (6 inches) off the bottom leg of a pair of leggings, measured and cut holes for the paws and she wears it like a t-shirt.
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On New Years Day I found a sore on my cat. I pet her a thousand times a day so I know it wasn't there the night before. I couldn't get a vet appointment until the 8th. In the meantime I kept it clean and used Neosporin. I went to the vet on the 8th, he said it was an allergic reaction and prescribed 3 medications.
Now just 3 days later the sore is just about healed but she won't stop scratching right below the sore. It's not any particular shape, just two straight lines where the folds of her skin are when her head is upright. She is making it bleed. I have the cone on her now but I don't think its safe to leave it on while I'm asleep or at work.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. I'm very concerned. Should I take her back to the vet? I don't want to seem like a hypochondriac cat mommy but I hate seeing her uncomfortable.
By Lisa from Philadelphia, PA
There is a Neosporin called" Neosporin Plus". (The Plus comes in cream or ointment) This kind of Neosporin is different because it has an added medication that stops pain, itch & burning. Try this & see if it helps. Use only a little, so the cat doesn't lick a bunch off & get sick! Don't feel like a crazy-cat-moma, because if your cat keeps scratching it, it won't heal (& could get worse).
Also, I agree with it not being safe to keep the cone on while you are gone.
My cat had a big knot on side of his neck. He scratched it and now it is busted. I can see inside. He keeps scratching it and I have to grab him because he split it more. How can I stop this? The vets will not take animals cause of corona! I don't know what to do?
I love my cat and I feel like he believes I'm being mean to him because I won't let him run off and scratch this gaping wound. It isn't bleeding or anything but I'm so worried it will be bad if he keeps up! Right now, I have a gauze wrap on it. I put a little ointment around it but it comes up on chin so he still hits it when scratches. When I see him going to start scratching, I try my best to scratch for him best I can by rubbing the area around the wrap.
It sounds like an abscess to me, which are common for cats. I have had many abscesses just heal up over time and other ones that needed a vet's care. You should be able to find a vet to see him. Most are doing curb pickup instead of allowing people in the clinic. I've taken my cat in relatively recently. If your personal vet isn't doing that, I would look into a different vet or even emergency care.
Otherwise, you are doing the best you can. A cone may make it more difficult for your cat to scratch it.
Good luck!
I hope your baby is doing better but since you do not say exactly where on the neck be sure he can use it and not hit or rub on the sore.
You may be able to go to PetSmart and see if their vet tech is working as they have a lot of training and may be able to help with something like this.
If it is not bleeding, you may be able to use some Epsom Salt in warm water to gently lay on the spot while you distract him as this is a solution that is used to draw out infection and also soothe the area and help with the pain or itching. Use a good helping of Epsom Salt in warm water and change to clean cloth each time you lay it on the sore.
You can Google (with your zip code) vets open during coronavirus as many have made arrangements to see pets even if just on emergency basis.
Have you tried to contact your Humane Society - they have vets and many times will doctor outside animals.
There is also the new 'virtual' Internet lines that doctors are using and it is getting very popular as the vet can be in another part of the country and still 'see' your pet.
My cat had a swollen cheek yesterday and now this morning he scratched that area and it's been bleeding. It's Xmas day so the vet is closed what do you think it is?
The week before he came back with a cut on his cheek and his eye was swollen. His eye is healing now, but it's just his cheek. :(Ouchies. Please have this sweetie checked out by the vet as soon as possible. It looks like there is an infection starting there and if his eye was scratched, left untreated that could lead to blindness.
If he is an indoor cat, maybe his nails need trimmed or he caught himself on something sharp--like a cabinet corner. Check around the house for sharp objects in the kit zone.
If he is an outdoor cat, you may want to transition him to being an indoor cat to prevent this...which could have been caused by another cat or getting caught on a fence or other sharp object.
Please post back with an update. Prayers for healing!
It appears the cat was in a fight with another cat and it has scratched your cat. This can be dangerous to the cat and if the area is swollen it could be infected. You can try to use some water on a wet rag to wash this area. You will need to see a vet to get the area cleaned and a cream to put on this. I would do this as soon as your vet opens up again.
My sweet little kitten, Henry, has a medium sized puncture wound on his neck. I believe most of the infection is out and it is trying to heal. Unfortunately he keeps wanting to scratch the wound.
Is there anything I can use besides a cone to keep him from itching his wound open so it can heal?A cone basically is for the animals to not bite at his wound. You can try to use a cloth around this. Take an old wash rag and make a neck collar to put around the neck of your cat. See if this helps to stop him from scratching. When any wound heals it does itch and your cat is just trying to stop it from itching. You should keep it covered so that it won't get worse.
My cat has a wound on her neck. Once that part get dries she scratches it and the dried skin gets removed and the wound starts bleeding again. This is the 5th time she is doing this. What should I do? Please help.
It looks like the only way you are going to get this wound to dry up and the cat will then leave it alone, is to go to the vet and have them put a cone around the cats neck to where it cannot get at it to scratch.
I have a cat that has a wound right behind his ear on his neck and he won't stop scratching. I tried cutting up pairs of tube socks and putting it over his ears and neck and through his feet like a harness, but he still manages to get it off.
I took him to the vet and they said it wasn't infected, but he won't stop messing with it. What do I do to make him stop?You might consider putting one of those cone collars on her until the wound heals you can get one at any pet store. However, if the vet was not concerned with it then I wouldn't be either.
My cat has a wound (from a previous infection) that he doesn't allow to heal. It's right under his ears so every time it's almost healed he scratches and gets the wound to bleed. I've tried 'Safe Skin' that helps to keep the wound dry, but it didn't help. My smart cat has found ways to get out of the cone. The paw covers do not work. His nails are clipped. My vet has only been asking me to keep the cone on, but it's impossible. I'm currently applying betadine cream on his wounds which he terribly hates.
I'd read on the earlier threads that as a scab begins to form it must be moistened and gotten off? To keep the area itch free? Coz like cats need to heal from inside. Is it true? Because I've noticed after a bath that every Sunday he doesn't begin scratching before like Thursday. So probably that's how long it takes for the scab to form. Should I wash off his ear area everyday to keep him from scratching? Should I let a scab form?
My cat Poppy has a large wound on her neck close to the top of her head. A collar would not help because of the position of the wound. She scratches the scab off almost as soon as it has healed and it keeps bleeding. She scratches so much that the fur has come out around the wound.
She is an indoor cat and we have another who is also indoor. I think Poppy may have been hurt by the other cat, but I'm not sure. I would like to know how we can stop her scratching so the wound can heal?
By Tara from Aberdeenshire
One of my dogs had a wound and because of its location, a collar wouldn't work, so I put socks on the feet of my dog and used hair scrunchies to keep them in place whenever the dog went outdoors for potty breaks or walk around. I don't know if small sized socks for children would work for your cat, but I don't know what you could use to keep them in place. I think your cat would still need to be watched, but it will keep the cat busy trying to remove the socks instead of scratching the wound. The wound is probably itching when its scabbed over. Have you thought of using Benadryl anti-itch cream around the area. Maybe that might help some.
I am concerned that your cat may have an infection. It would be a good idea to rule that out with a trip to the vet. An infected wound will cause the hair to fall out around it, especially if it is a scratch form another cat. It is unusual for a cat to keep scratching a simple healing wound. Wounds from another cat are almost guaranteed to get infected. If it is an infection you dont want it to spread. Your Vet can bandage it so she cant keep scratching it. Good Luck!
Hello,
It sounds like you cat has a bite wound. Please take her to the Veterinarian so your Dr. can prescribe antibiotics and give you an E-Collar. Bite wounds are very serious. This is an abscess that needs to be treated ASAP! God luck.
My cat had surgery on his neck and he scratched off his stitches. I took him back to the vet and they put in staples and gave me a collar to use. Three days later he scratched out his staples by getting under the collar, and no I couldn't make it tighter.
The position of the wound makes it impossible for the collar to work, because it to rubs the wound. So I called my vet again, and they had me take him to an emergency clinic. They wrapped it with soft cloth and pulled out the two staples he had left in. I got him home, and he's already scratching off this wrap and getting to the wound! Any ideas on something that would help or work?
By Julie
My cat had his left front leg amputated. He was healing fine until they took the staples out. He opened a wound on his shoulder blade. The vet gave me antibiotics and told me to clean his wound and put Neosporin in it. That was doing good for about a week.
I thought his wound was starting to close, but then he goes and scratches at it and now it's a longer wound. Does anyone know how to keep a cat form scratching at his wound so it can heal properly?One of my senior cats had pulled a patch of his hair out, between his shoulder blades, and now it's taken forever to heal. I had put a mix of an ant-itch cream and antibiotic cream on it, but he is able to reach it by licking it off. Any help or suggestions?
By Abby