Why does my cat's head scab smell rotten and have discharge?

It sounds like Diesel has a serious infection. I recommend to have him examined by the veterinarian. Antibiotics will clear this up significantly faster. He also needs to have a hair clipped short around the area and he needs to wear an Elizabethan collar at all times to protect it from scratching or for the trauma. Have him examined today. Best of luck.

Hi. It is hard to tell in the photo where this is, or if it is a mass or flat. But, this area appears to be very infected. There is some swelling there as well. So it could be a mass that is secondarily infected. Skin infections can occur from bacteria, funguses, parasites, chronic irritation to an area (like a skin fold), trauma to an area, or a mass that is oozing and causes the immediate area near it to become moist/irritated and secondarily infected. There are some metabolic, endocrine, and immune disease that can cause a pet to have a harder time fighting infections. Fom this photo and without more history, we can't tell you what this is exactly, and what the treatment would be. But those are some possibilities. I recommend getting Sammy seen and have that area looked at and treated so that he can be more comfortable. Good luck.

Poor kitty! It sounds like he has a badly infected wound. The smelly discharge is a sign of a severe bacterial infection, so I'm afraid that he really needs antibiotics to treat the problem. You could try and catch him to take him to the vet if you want to, or call your local animal control officer to see if they could trap him and make sure that he gets the care he needs.

Poor Smudge. I would recommend taking smudge to a vet to have the wound checked out. IFs he is an outside cat I would be concerned about an abscess. Sometimes if cats have an abscess they will be very painful until it ruptures but than you will see the infection/smell. IF she does have an abscess she will need some antibiotics to help resolve the issue. Other possibilities are skin mites, parasites or fungal issues. A vet visit would be best. Hope Smudge feels better soon

Sniffles seems to be suffering from a severe ear infection, you must take him to the vet urgently in order to get it treated, he will need ear drops (antibiotic) and oral antibiotics in order to get better.

Poor Spookette! It sounds like she may have a pretty bad ear infection. Ear infections can be due to mites, bacteria, or yeast in cats. I'd recommend scheduling an examination with a veterinarian so Spookette can have her ears checked out. A swab can be taken from the ears and evaluated under the microscope to determine if the cause is mites, bacteria, or yeast. She will likely need prescription ear medication to treat. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Spookette's ear issue resolves quickly!

Poor cat. This looks wide enough where it should at the very least get a topical treatment. You can try an over the counter antibitoic ointment or spray from your local pet store. Ask a store representative as to what is available in your area. You should also clean this area with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water to help keep bacteria and infection at bay. If it doesn't seem to be healing well in the next few days, then a vet visit is warranted at that point. I hope that this heals up well soon! Best of luck moving forward. Take care. : )