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My outdoor cat has a deep ear wound. Is it infected? Does it need a vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Mediumhair | Male | 20 lbs

Hi, my neighbors cat was out of town and found his cats ear this way. It looks like I can see the muscle just before his skull, we don't know what happened. But he is an outside cat and I'm starting to worry it is getting infected. He said he wants to just let it heal and scab but I was wondering if there is any over the counter medication you could recommend. Thank you.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on November 14th, 2017

Poor Kitty! There really isn't an over the counter medication that you can use and the cat really needs to be seen by a vet for treatment. The wound should be cleaned and debrided so that it can heal properly. He will also need an antibiotic to treat infection.

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    Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 20th, 2017

    My recommendation would always be to take her to a vet as she may need some antibiotics to keep the wound from getting infected. I looks like it could be sutured closed and if it was it would heal faster but it doesn't have to be done that way. You could just let it heal by second intention (just letting the wound close by itself). If you wanted to try something at home you would just need to try to keep it clean and apply some topical antibiotic ointment (a thin layer) like Neosporin, twice a day until healed. When you clean it, don't use soap or peroxide; it is better to use a wound cleanser like Betadine or Chlorhexidine. Dilute those 1:10 with water before using. You can buy either of those over the counter at any drugstore/pharmacy. Clean it just once a day but apply the ointment twice a day. If you do this and it doesn't seem to be healing or you notice any discharge or swelling from the wound take her to your vet ASAP. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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