My cat has infected armpit wounds. How can I help her before the vet?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Boncuk. Poor girl, that looks awful. I would put a cone on her head so she cannot lick the wounds. You can get one from the vet if you do not have one already. I would keep her indoors at all times during the next 2 weeks to enable her to heal. Do not let her outside at all. Keep the wound area clean and dry, and monitor for signs of infection. If you see pus, swelling, warmth to the touch, she's lethargic, or has a loss of appetite, take her back into the vet immediately. I hope this helps!

Ouch, poor Pritzy! Thank you for providing pictures of this wound, as it helps with my answer to you. I don't see any pus, and it doesn't look particularly red, swollen, or deep. Based on that, this is something you can try to treat at home. I would gently clean the wound with warm water and antiseptic soap. To keep her from licking at it, you can put an Ecollar on her. You can get one at a pet store or make one at home. I will put a link below on how to make an Ecollar at home. Keep the wound clean and dry, and monitor it for signs of infection. If you see redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, or pus, then it is infected and she will need to see the vet for antibiotics to treat it. Good luck, I hope this helps :-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ffR-LzyW1M

Poor Lilo! You can try to gently clean the wound with warm water and antiseptic soap. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do for her pain, many human pain medications are toxic to cats and are fatal if given. Do not let her back outside, and keep her in a small, quiet room to herself so she can hopefully relax. Put food, water, and a litter box in this room. I would suggest putting an Ecollar on her to keep her from licking at the wound and making it worse. You can get one at a pet store, or I can put a link below on how to make one at home. Definitely have her seen by a vet as soon as possible. Best of luck! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ffR-LzyW1M

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Stormy! I would shave the fur away from the wound then clean it well with water and a mild soap (avoid hydrogen peroxide). Then apply triple antibiotic ointment twice daily. The most important thing is to have Stormy wear and E-collar to prevent licking and keep him indoors. He should see a Vet as soon as possible to at a minimum get antibiotics but to also see if surgery is required to close the wound. I would call your local SPCA to see if they offer a low cost Veterinary clinic. I hope this helps and I wish Stormy a speedy recovery!

Poor Carbon. Put an Ecollar on her to keep her from cleaning it. I will put a link below on how to make one at home. If you see signs of infection (redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, pus), then she will have to see a vet. I hope this helps! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ffR-LzyW1M

That area looks pretty irritated, and abscesses (infections under the skin) are very common in cats due to the bacteria in their saliva. Misty will need to be seen by a vet in order to have the area cleaned, drained as needed, and a course of antibiotics given. You should also use an Elizabethan (cone) collar to keep her from licking the spot as it heals and causing further irritation. If you are having trouble affording veterinary care, this site may help give you some ideas to make it more affordable so Misty can be seen: https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/having-trouble-affording-veterinary-care

Oh no, poor Fred! This wound will need to be cleaned and if it's deep, it will need sutures to close it. He needs to see a vet immediately for this. Please take him into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website.