My cat has an open, crusty head wound. Should I go to the ER vet?

Question

My cat got tide laundry detergent spilt on his head while I was pouring it. I wasn’t able to wash it right away because he got scared and hid. This was about a week ago. I just noticed something growing on his head that is open and has crusty pus with some hair loss around it. The vet can’t see him till Tuesday which is 4 days from now. Should I bring him to the emergency vet? How bad can this harm him? Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 3 years and 2 months old | 13 lbs

Penelope Graben, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello, It appears that Jacoby may have a local infection, or abscess. This is an accumulation of pus that is generally treated with surgical drainage of the wound and a course of antibiotics. These are rarely life threatening, but the treatment may become more timely and complicated as the infection spreads. I also don't like to make infections on the head wait as they are so close to important facial structures. I would recommend trying to get him into a vet today rather than waiting as it will likely make treatment easier on the both of you. If your vet confirms an abscess, they will likely recommend a short anesthetic procedure to open the infection, and often drains are needed to be placed for the first few days to keep the wound from closing too soon and becoming re-infected. Antibiotic courses generally range from 1-2 weeks and often are available in both liquid and pill forms to make dosing easier. I hope this is helpful for you and Jacoby! If you have any follow up questions, please feel free to reach out to us. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

My cat has an open, crusty head wound. Should I go to the ER vet?

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