My cat's ear has dried blood. How do I treat it and what to watch for?

Question

Cat’s outer ear has hardened blood- (dixie, small female, age 3). I just noticed it but it definitely was not there an hour ago. My other cat jimmy (age 2, male, bigger, got 4 months ago) fights with her sometimes but they coexist. She seems fine, bathing, sleeping next to me on the couch while jimmy is on my lap. He has occasionally scratched her on her nose but has never bit dixie or we humans. What can I put on it? Can you plz tell me what to look out for (ex: fever)? Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | spayed | 8 lbs

Kevin Sanada, DVM · Accepted Answer

This definitely looks like a traumatic injury (bite/scratch). The first thing you should do with it is flush the wound using a syringe or other dispensing device with warm water for five minutes. This may not be easy, because cats tend to hate water getting near their face. I recommend having someone help you with this and wrapping Dixie in a towel to make sure the wound gets flushed well. Below is a link to a demonstration of an eye flush that shows how to restrain her well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDGzdUTUdNI Infection is the biggest concern with these wounds; so after flushing, it's best to apply an antibacterial cream to the wound. In order to keep the wound clean, it's best to flush the wound 1-2 times a day and gently wipe away any big crusts - make sure not to scrub the wound, because this can make it worse. Apply the antibacterial cream after each flushing. If the ear starts to swell or have pus oozing from the wound, then I'd recommend she go to the vet for treatment. Otherwise, the wound should heal fine over the next 2-3 weeks. I hope that helps and Dixie gets better soon.

My cat's ear has dried blood. How do I treat it and what to watch for?

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