Abrasions on Cats

Signs & Symptoms of Abrasions on Cats

Surface of the cat’s skin is scraped, scratched, and usually some bruising is present.
Area of abrasion will most likely have hair loss present.
May have some bleeding and oozing at the wounded area.

Causes of Abrasions on Cats

Abrasions can be caused by your cat scratching or chewing at an area, causing an abrasion type of sore, or your cat can also cause abrasions by jumping fences, fighting, or being dragged by an automobile, or on a leash. In most cases, cats’ abrasions are minor and can be treated at home and heal uneventfully.

Diagnosis of Abrasions on Cats

Your veterinarian will be able to diagnose most wounds by sight on a physical exam.

Treatment for Abrasions on Cats

The first two objectives in wound treatment are:

Stop the bleeding
Prevent infection
Your veterinarian or veterinarian technician will most likely do the following:

Clip the hair around the area and clean the wound with antiseptic or antibacterial soap and water to remove dirt, debris, and dried oozing discharge. You may notice the veterinary technician will put a large glob of KY Jelly right on top of the wound before he/she clips the hair. This is done to protect the area from any additional dirt and hair getting into the wound while clipping.

Most abrasions will be treated with topical antibiotics over a course 7-10 days. It is not uncommon to also give oral pain medication and oral antibiotics to help combat a major infection from breaking. (If the area is quite painful, your veterinarian may choose to use a mild sedative or general sedation during the clipping and cleaning process.)

First Aid for Abrasions on Cats

Wounds are painful, be CAUTIOUS when treating your cat’s wound. It is advisable to use a muzzle and get someone to help restrain your cat so you don’t get bitten!

You can clean an abrasion by using antibacterial soap and warm water. Gently rub the area removing dirt and debris. Pat the area dry. Be careful not to dislodge any blood clots that have formed as you will cause the area to bleed again.

Apply a triple antibiotic to the area twice a day and the abrasion should clear in a week or so.
Make sure you cat does not lick or scratch at the area. You may want to put a light bandage over it for protection.
Transport your cat to the closest animal hospital for treatment.

Abrasions occur when the very superficial layers of the cat’s skin are scraped, causing a minor area of inflammation, surface bleeding, and bruising. While most abrasions are considered mild and only involve the top few layers of the cat’s skin, abrasions can also be severe and involve several layers of the skin, doing serious damage to some of the deeper tissue layers.