FIGHT WOUND INFECTIONS
What is the cause of fight wounds on a cat?
Over 90% of septic wounds in cats result from cat bites sustained during a cat fight. Dog, rat and
other rodent bites can occur but they are much less common.
Why do cats fight?
Cats are very territorial. They fight with other cats to protect their territory or to acquire more territory.
As a result, fight wounds are common in cats. Fight wounds frequently result in infection that can
make cats quite ill, especially if left untreated. Fight wounds are more common in male cats than
females and most frequent in un-neutered males.
My male cat has been neutered. Why does he still fight?
Un-neutered male cats are very territorial; they will defend an area around their home but try
continually to expand the borders of their territory. The desire for more territory and the need to keep
intruders out of their existing territory means that they are constantly fighting with other cats. In
contrast, neutered male cats defend a smaller area of territory around their home. If this territory is
breached by another cat they will defend it by fighting. The frequency of fighting will depend on the
number of cats in the neighborhood and particularly the presence of un-neutered male cats. Female
cats will also defend their territory.
What can I do to stop my cat from being bitten?
Neutering is recommended but this may not completely eliminate fighting. Confining the cat to your
house, particularly at night when cat fights are most common, will reduce the number of bites your
cat sustains.
What happens after a cat has been bitten?
When a cat bites, its teeth go through the skin and then it releases. This leaves small puncture
wounds in the skin which rapidly seal over within hours, trapping bacteria from the cat's mouth under
the skin of the victim. The bacteria multiply under the skin. For several days there may be no sign of
infection but then swelling and pain at the puncture sight are noticed. The cat may also run a fever. If
the site of the bite is covered by loose skin, a pocket of pus will develop forming an abscess. In
areas where the skin is not loose such as on the foot or the tail the infection spreads through the
tissues and causes cellulitis.
Rarely there may be more serious consequences such as a septic arthritis (infection of a joint
space) or osteomyelitis (infection of bone) or pyothorax (the chest cavity becomes filled with pus).
What should I do if I know my cat has just been bitten?
If you know that your cat has bite wounds, notify your veterinarian immediately. Antibiotics given
within 24 hours will usually stop the spread of infection and development of an abscess. If several
days have elapsed since the fight an abscess will usually form, requiring more involved medical
treatment.
How will I know that my cat has a fight wound if I can't find any bite marks?
Puncture wounds heal very quickly so there is often nothing left to see or feel. The most common
sites of bites are on the head, forelimbs or at the base of the tail. If cats have been bitten on a limb,
the leg is usually painful and lameness is seen. It may be possible to feel heat and swelling in the
area of the bite. Some cats may just be lethargic and have a temperature.
What should I do if my cat gets an abscess or infected bite wound?
You should take your cat to your veterinarian. If an abscess is present, your veterinarian will drain
and flush the injured site. This may be done by removing the scabs over the original bite wounds or
more commonly by lancing the skin over the abscess. It may be necessary to sedate or anesthetize
your cat for this. If cellulitis occurs, drainage is not possible.
Antibiotics will be given either by injection or tablets. If your veterinarian prescribes antibiotic tablets
for you to give to your cat, it is very important that you give all the tablets as directed and to
completion.
How should I manage the wound after my veterinarian has treated it?
After your veterinarian has drained an abscess, a large wound may be left. This is deliberately left
open to allow for drainage. It is advisable to clean the wound twice a day for two to three days to
keep it open. This is best done with cotton balls or gauze and warm water. Use only disinfectants
recommended by your veterinarian. Never use disinfectants containing phenols (e.g. TCP) because
these are toxic to cats.
How long will it take for the bite wound to heal?
With appropriate treatment abscesses should heal within five days; cellulitis may take longer. If you
feel the wound is not healing normally you should ask your veterinarian to examine it.
If you do not have your cat treated, there is a danger that the abscess will burst and only partially
drain before healing begins. Similar consequences may follow if courses of antibiotics are not
completed or adequate drainage is not maintained.
If an infected wound does not heal within a few days, your veterinarian may want to do further tests to
see if there is an underlying cause. Certain viruses such as feline immunodeficiency virus and feline
leukemia virus suppress the immune system and may complicate the cat's recovery from infection;
blood tests can be done to diagnose these viral infections. A persistent draining wound may
indicate that a foreign body such as a piece of tooth or claw or soil is left in the wound and may
require surgical exploration. Alternatively, it may indicate the presence of an unusual infectious
agent requiring biopsies for culture and other tests.
Why does my cat keep getting abscesses in the same place?
This may reflect inadequate treatment as discussed in the question above where the abscess never
completely resolves. Alternatively, it may reflect an individual cat’s method of fighting; the cat that
runs away will tend always to get bitten on the tail base whereas the aggressive attacking cat will
tend always to be bitten on the head or forelimbs.
Are there any other possible problems associated with fight wound infections?
Bite wounds are considered to be the main route of transmission of some important feline
infections, most notably, feline immunodeficiency virus. Feline leukemia virus is found in large
amounts in the saliva of infected cats so transmission by biting is also a possibility. Blood tests can
be performed to diagnose these infections.
What is the cause of fight wounds on a cat?
Over 90% of septic wounds in cats result from cat bites sustained during a cat fight. Dog, rat and
other rodent bites can occur but they are much less common.
Why do cats fight?
Cats are very territorial. They fight with other cats to protect their territory or to acquire more territory.
As a result, fight wounds are common in cats. Fight wounds frequently result in infection that can
make cats quite ill, especially if left untreated. Fight wounds are more common in male cats than
females and most frequent in un-neutered males.
My male cat has been neutered. Why does he still fight?
Un-neutered male cats are very territorial; they will defend an area around their home but try
continually to expand the borders of their territory. The desire for more territory and the need to keep
intruders out of their existing territory means that they are constantly fighting with other cats. In
contrast, neutered male cats defend a smaller area of territory around their home. If this territory is
breached by another cat they will defend it by fighting. The frequency of fighting will depend on the
number of cats in the neighborhood and particularly the presence of un-neutered male cats. Female
cats will also defend their territory.
What can I do to stop my cat from being bitten?
Neutering is recommended but this may not completely eliminate fighting. Confining the cat to your
house, particularly at night when cat fights are most common, will reduce the number of bites your
cat sustains.
What happens after a cat has been bitten?
When a cat bites, its teeth go through the skin and then it releases. This leaves small puncture
wounds in the skin which rapidly seal over within hours, trapping bacteria from the cat's mouth under
the skin of the victim. The bacteria multiply under the skin. For several days there may be no sign of
infection but then swelling and pain at the puncture sight are noticed. The cat may also run a fever. If
the site of the bite is covered by loose skin, a pocket of pus will develop forming an abscess. In
areas where the skin is not loose such as on the foot or the tail the infection spreads through the
tissues and causes cellulitis.
Rarely there may be more serious consequences such as a septic arthritis (infection of a joint
space) or osteomyelitis (infection of bone) or pyothorax (the chest cavity becomes filled with pus).
What should I do if I know my cat has just been bitten?
If you know that your cat has bite wounds, notify your veterinarian immediately. Antibiotics given
within 24 hours will usually stop the spread of infection and development of an abscess. If several
days have elapsed since the fight an abscess will usually form, requiring more involved medical
treatment.
How will I know that my cat has a fight wound if I can't find any bite marks?
Puncture wounds heal very quickly so there is often nothing left to see or feel. The most common
sites of bites are on the head, forelimbs or at the base of the tail. If cats have been bitten on a limb,
the leg is usually painful and lameness is seen. It may be possible to feel heat and swelling in the
area of the bite. Some cats may just be lethargic and have a temperature.
What should I do if my cat gets an abscess or infected bite wound?
You should take your cat to your veterinarian. If an abscess is present, your veterinarian will drain
and flush the injured site. This may be done by removing the scabs over the original bite wounds or
more commonly by lancing the skin over the abscess. It may be necessary to sedate or anesthetize
your cat for this. If cellulitis occurs, drainage is not possible.
Antibiotics will be given either by injection or tablets. If your veterinarian prescribes antibiotic tablets
for you to give to your cat, it is very important that you give all the tablets as directed and to
completion.
How should I manage the wound after my veterinarian has treated it?
After your veterinarian has drained an abscess, a large wound may be left. This is deliberately left
open to allow for drainage. It is advisable to clean the wound twice a day for two to three days to
keep it open. This is best done with cotton balls or gauze and warm water. Use only disinfectants
recommended by your veterinarian. Never use disinfectants containing phenols (e.g. TCP) because
these are toxic to cats.
How long will it take for the bite wound to heal?
With appropriate treatment abscesses should heal within five days; cellulitis may take longer. If you
feel the wound is not healing normally you should ask your veterinarian to examine it.
If you do not have your cat treated, there is a danger that the abscess will burst and only partially
drain before healing begins. Similar consequences may follow if courses of antibiotics are not
completed or adequate drainage is not maintained.
If an infected wound does not heal within a few days, your veterinarian may want to do further tests to
see if there is an underlying cause. Certain viruses such as feline immunodeficiency virus and feline
leukemia virus suppress the immune system and may complicate the cat's recovery from infection;
blood tests can be done to diagnose these viral infections. A persistent draining wound may
indicate that a foreign body such as a piece of tooth or claw or soil is left in the wound and may
require surgical exploration. Alternatively, it may indicate the presence of an unusual infectious
agent requiring biopsies for culture and other tests.
Why does my cat keep getting abscesses in the same place?
This may reflect inadequate treatment as discussed in the question above where the abscess never
completely resolves. Alternatively, it may reflect an individual cat’s method of fighting; the cat that
runs away will tend always to get bitten on the tail base whereas the aggressive attacking cat will
tend always to be bitten on the head or forelimbs.
Are there any other possible problems associated with fight wound infections?
Bite wounds are considered to be the main route of transmission of some important feline
infections, most notably, feline immunodeficiency virus. Feline leukemia virus is found in large
amounts in the saliva of infected cats so transmission by biting is also a possibility. Blood tests can
be performed to diagnose these infections.
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Animal Hospital of Fate 1001 North W.E.Crawford (Highway 66 in Fate) Rockwall, Texas 75087 972-722-0066 |
1001 North W.E.Crawford (Highway 66 in Fate) Rockwall, Texas 75087 972-722-0066 |
