"Silverman" the cat had become listless and sore over a few days.

These fresh, deep, bite wounds are in the muscle of  his left shoulder.

We know these are cat bites because the wounds are the same distance apart as the opponent's canine (fang) teeth.  Bacteria off these teeth become deposited under the skin.  The victim becomes progressively unwell as the wound develops into a painfull, pus-filled swelling i.e. an abscess.

We treat these injuries by a combination of drainage, pain relief and antibiotics. If an abscess has occured we gently lance it and flush the wound clean of infected debris.  We use sedation or local anaesthesia if the abscess is particularly large or painful.  In some cases a general anaesthetic is used if there is a large amount of tissue necrosis (dead tissue) to be treated.

The patient's demeanor and appetite return to normal within a day or two of treatment.  Sometimes the wound may take 1 - 2 weeks to heal depending on its size.

If your cat is a regular fighter, please contact us for information on vaccination against Feline Leukaemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, both of which can be transmitted through cat bites.