Among the questions that plague pet owners, wound management is probably one of the most frequent. First of all, we must bear in mind that skin lesions have different causes and that, perhaps, to reach a diagnosis of what is happening to our pet, we must go to your veterinarian. It is important to note that treating cat skin conditions is totally different from treating them in dogs, so if you have had some experience with canines, you should not repeat the treatment to the letter in felines.
If you have noticed that your cat has a hole in the skin or a deep infected wound, it is essential to visit the vet so that it can be properly treated and, most importantly, find the cause that has caused it. In this article on our site we mention the most frequent causes that can explain why your cat has a hole in the skin, discover them and go to the specialist with all the information.
My cat has a hole in its skin - Causes
The holes in the skin are one of the most frequent injuries in the cat and have different causes. Next, we will review which are the most frequent:
Pyoderma
It is defined as an infectious lesion on the skin, with pus and scabs, and is classified among the bacterial causes that can end up producing holes or lack of continuity in the cat's integument. It can be presented as superficial or deep, this being the one that we will finally end up seeing as holes or holes that may concern us. It is a pathology that affects dogs more, but it has also been reported in felines, so we should never rule it out when we see a problem with our cat's skin.
Traumatic injuries
We must not forget that felines are very territorial and possessive, this factor can trigger fights between them, especially when another cat is brought into the home without taking the necessary measures or in the event that it is a animal that spends time outside the home. Bites are the most frequent cause of traumatic injuries and/or holes in the skin of cats and specific care must be taken so that they do not lead to greater complications. Traumatic injuries can also occur from accidents with sharp objects that cause the skin to lose continuity, but these accidents are much less frequent than bites.
External parasites
Certain parasites will always be on the lookout for your cat and although the ones that most often cause problems are fleas, they should not be ruled out the mites and the ticks The injuries that ectoparasites can cause to your cat can be aggravated becoming a dermatosis and, due to the pruritus that they entail, they end up causing injuries to the animal's tissue by scratching.
Myiasis
Without a doubt, on many occasions we can find that some holes in our cat's skin have to do with a infection by fly larvae, popularly called myiasis. Some species of flies take advantage of a minimal injury to create a conducive environment where their larvae grow and form holes and/or caverns as they develop their stages.
Abscesses
An abscess is a accumulation of pus that can appear anywhere on the cat's body and also has different causes. Thus, it can be caused by a bacterial infection or trauma, among others. These abscesses usually appear in the form of lumps, however, if the infection is greater they can open up, presenting a hole in the cat's skin with purulent discharge.
Especially when the cause is a fight with another cat, it is common to see an abscess on the cat's cheek, although, as we say, it can develop in any other area.
My cat has a hole in its skin - Treatment
First of all, we must bear in mind that the person in charge of diagnosing and carrying out treatments is the veterinary doctor and that we must go to him as soon as we see something out of the ordinary in our cat. Of course, there are essential actions that we can take to help our pet while the professional arrives or while we travel to the office. In this way, if your cat has a hole in the skin and you wonder what to do, here are the actions you can take:
- Having already read the most frequent causes of holes in a cat's skin, it is advisable for the owner to make a thorough inspection of the injury you are concerned about.
- Make sure the lesion is clean: there should be no pus, dirt or foreign bodies.
- If the animal's temperament allows it, the owner can disinfect the area with the products indicated by his veterinarian. However, if this is the first time this has happened to you and you don't know how to treat your infected cat's wound, you will have to take a clean gauze pad, moisten it with water or saline solution and clean the area very carefully.
- The use of some topical medications is contraindicated in cats because cats groom themselves and in doing so they could ingest the product. Therefore, if you are looking for an antibiotic cream for wounds in cats, unless the vet tells you otherwise, it is better to rule out this option.
- It must be taken into account that these are injuries that are not always primary, since they often occur as a consequence of another, they are associated with infections that must be treated solely and specifically by an animal he alth professional.
Tips to prevent injuries in cats
Cat owners, due to the nature of this species, face certain difficulties. A very common mistake in raising felines is to allow the animal to spend part of the day, or even several days, outside its residence without supervision. This leads to both a public he alth problem and a problem inherent to the animal and considerably increases the chances that the pet will develop skin lesions. It is positive that felines have contact with the outside, but this contact must be supervised to avoid fights with other animals, eat spoiled food or even reproduce. In this sense, it should be noted that there are many cats that live on the streets, as well as the rescued felines that are in shelters and shelters, so spaying or neutering the cat is part of responsible ownership in order to prevent the number of dropouts continues to rise.
On the other hand, the cat's diet also plays a fundamental role, since allergies often trigger very serious skin problems, which they end up injuring the tissue so much that we can see holes. Last but not least, our pet needs to enjoy enviable hygiene, something that cats provide us with by grooming themselves. The control of ectoparasites such as fleas is crucial for the care of our pet's skin.
