Table of contents:
2023 Author: Alex Livingston | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 11:39
What to do and what is the correct way to disinfect your cat if he comes back to you with a wound? Cats, especially those outdoors, are susceptible to injury mild everyday like any other animal. Many of these cuts (lacerations), bruises and scrapes (abrasions) will not be life-threatening and will heal with a little treatment. Other wounds, on the other hand, may be severe enough to require more intensive suturing and emergency care from a veterinarian.
Fresh wounds usually show some or all of the following symptoms such as bleeding, swelling, missing hair, cut (scratched or torn) skin, limp, tenderness, and pain. If a wound is not treated when it is fresh risks becoming infected and, in addition to swelling and sensitivity, it will also be possible to observe pus discharge from the same, abscesses (i.e. an accumulation of pus under the skin) and the resulting hole in the skin when it breaks and starts to let pus out, signs of fever (e.g. lethargy and ears that are hot to the touch).
One is therefore important timely cleaning, which can reduce the risk of infection or abscess formation. Here's what to do to best disinfect.
In case of bleeding, apply direct pressure to the wound. This should be covered with sterile gauze or a clean cloth with which apply pressure. It may take 5 to 10 minutes to stop the bleeding. Once stopped, leave the gauze in place, as removing it could remove the clot and the bleeding could resume.
If, on the other hand, there is no bleeding and the cut (laceration) or scratch (abrasion) appears small, try clean the wound. Use a sterile saline solution, ideal substance for rinsing a contaminated wound. The physical act of washing removes bacteria and debris, while the saline solution, similar to the pH of the body's tissues, causes minimal damage to the tissue.
Other antiseptic solutions they are produced by diluting the concentrated solutions, purchased in the store, which they contain povidone iodine or chlorhexidine diacetate as an active ingredient. Do not use alcohol or hydrogen peroxide on wounds, as they could damage the tissue. Povidone should be diluted to weak tea color, while chlorhexidine should be diluted to pale blue.
Alternatively, if you don't have these products, you can boil plain water and once it has cooled, prepare one salt water solution. The latter has natural disinfectant properties and is a good support for cleaning a cat's wound. To prepare it, boil a cup of water and add half a teaspoon of salt. Then stir to make it melt and let it cool.
This salt water has the same composition as tears and body fluids, so it is less harmful to exposed tissues than commercial disinfectant solutions or plain water.
Another popular wound cleansing agent is hydrogen peroxide. However, this can potentially be very damaging to tissues if used undiluted. There dilution correct is to take a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide and mix one part with three parts of water (for example 25 ml of peroxide with 75 ml of water) to make a disinfectant solution suitable for cleaning wounds.
The iodine Can Help Cat Wounds? It is certainly not as effective as chlorhexidine in cleaning wounds, but it can be used during the cleaning process and will also be more likely to have it around the house. Create a 50-50 mixture of iodine and water to use as a rinse.
Treatment
Your cat may be sore or shaken after an injury and may escape contact with the painful area. Try to wrap it in a large bath towel, with only the wound exposed, and ask another person to help you hold it. This is a good way to keep him calm and minimize the risk of teeth and claws.
Then use one syringe without a needle to aspirate the solution, then spray it on the wound to rinse and clean it. Repeatedly spray the wound like this until you see that it is clean.
If you don't have a syringe, dip a clean cotton ball in the cleaning solution and squeeze it so that it flows over the wound. If the area is very dirty and you are unable to remove the residues, dab with the cotton swab to clean the area.
Use a clean, soaked piece of cotton wool for each wipe so that the soiled piece does not re-contaminate the wound in the next step. Keep cleaning until the cotton ball is clean, then finish with a rinse.
If your cat has a burst abscess, a large volume of pus may leak out of the wound. Use a dry cotton ball, gauze or paper towel to clean it. Then apply light pressure on the area around the abscess, pushing towards the hole through which the pus is draining: it is important to remove as much of it as possible or it will continue to act as a source of infection. After eliminating it, you can apply the disinfectant following the instructions on the package for correct use.
Most of the wounds it must be left open to the air, so don't try to bandage or cover a small wound. However, if the cat tries to lick or scratch it then you will need to cover it up, even if it will take longer to heal. If, on the other hand, the wound is large, ask your vet how to bandage it.
Recommended:
Louis: the cat considered the new Grumpy Cat
Louis a Texas cat is vying to become the new Grumpy Cat. His face looks perpetually sulky, but he's actually very playful and he's very sweet! Yes, on social media the news of the return of a new one goes crazy Grumpy Cat . The main character is Louis, a Persian cat six-year-old who resides in Austin, Texas.
Grumpy Cat: the most social and richest curmudgeon cat in the world has died
Grumpy Cat or "sulky cat", due to his always sulky expression, passed away on May 14, 2019. He was considered one of the richest and most social cats in the world. With a message on Twitter was announced the death of Grumpy Cat , on May 14, 2019 due to a urinary tract infection.
Pallas's cat, steppe cat or Felis Manul: the funny and rare cat
In the feline world there is a cat considered by many to be the most funny of all: it is the Pallas's cat , a particular breed of wild cat rather rare named after the naturalist Peter Pallas who in 1776 was the first to describe it. It is precisely about him that we will talk about in this article.
Cat and Coronavirus, how to disinfect Micio's paws
In this period of great emergency due to the spread of Covid-19, animals could also be in danger. We see how to disinfect the paws of the cat to minimize the possibility of contagion. And, let's find out what the hygiene rules are at the basis of the prevention plan to avoid any possible contagion.
Cat bite: how to disinfect it and make it heal without problems
Typically the cat bite it is superficial and apart from getting a scratch on it, nothing too serious happens, but be careful because there could be much more serious consequences. Anyone who looks after a cat at home knows perfectly well that bites and scratches are the order of the day.