How to Clean a Cat Wound

Co-authored by Jean Johnson

Last Updated: August 16, 2021 References Approved

Cats will usually get small injuries from time to time. Your cat may get into a fight and get clawed at, or it might just get some scratches while it is exploring out in the neighborhood. If your cat comes home with a fresh puncture wound, a cut, graze, or a more serious wound, then prompt cleaning can reduce the risk of infection or an abscess forming.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Picking a Cleaning Solution

1
Find some sterile saline. Sterile saline, such as that found in first aid kits, is the ideal substance for flushing a contaminated wound.^{[1]
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Jean Johnson. Cat Expert.} The physical act of washing removes the bacteria and debris, while the saline is so similar to the pH of the body tissues that it causes minimal tissue damage.
- The trick to using saline is to use large volumes and keep washing until the area looks clean.
2
Boil some water and use it once cooled. For a very dirty wound with lots of mud or gravel in it, an alternative is to boil water and then let it cool. Use this water to literally wash the area clean.
- There is a slight risk using water that it will damage the exposed tissue bed, as it does not have the same composition as body fluids and therefore draws fluid out of damaged tissue. However, medical studies have shown that using tap water to irrigate a wound does not have a huge impact on whether the wound eventually gets infected.^{[2]
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3
Make a salt water solution. Salt water has natural disinfectant properties and is a good standby for cleaning a cat's wound. To make a salt water solution boil the kettle, measure out a cup of water,and add half a teaspoon of salt. Then stir to dissolve and leave to cool.
- This salt water is also around the same composition as tears and body fluids, so it is less damaging to exposed tissue than commercial disinfectant solutions or water alone.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Picking a Disinfectant

1
Get a pet-safe commercial disinfectant. There are a variety of disinfectants that are sold for use on pet wounds. The most common are povidone-iodine and chlorhexidine. Consult with your veterinarian if you want to have one of these products on hand if your cat gets scratched up.
- Remember, not all disinfectants are safe for cats. Those contained phenol are toxic to felines. Read the label to see if the product is a phenolic disinfectant, and avoid using if it is. Another sign the product contains phenol is if it goes cloudy when water is added. If in doubt, avoid and use an alternative.
- To use povidone-Iodine dilute it by mixing 1 ml of povidone-iodine with 100 ml of water.^{[3]
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  Manual of Canine and Feline Wound Management and Reconstruction. Fowler and Williams. BSAVA} Use this solution to wash away contamination from the surface of the wound.
- To use chlorhexidine mix 2.5ml of chlorhexidine with 100 ml of water to make the correct strength to clean a wound.^{[4]
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  Manual of Canine and Feline Wound Management and Reconstruction. Fowler and Williams. BSAVA} Chlorhexidine is the active constituent in many surgical scrubs, such as Hibiscrub. It is a pink soapy solution that needs to be diluted in water. Chlorhexidine has good antibacterial properties and also has a slight residual action, which means it keeps on working at killing bacteria for a while after it has dried.
2
Dilute some hydrogen peroxide. Another popular wound cleansing agent is hydrogen peroxide. However, this has the potential to be very damaging to tissue if used undiluted. The 'myth' is that the fizzing as the peroxide contacts the wounds is simply killing the bacteria, but unfortunately it is also damaging the tissue bed, which needs to be healthy for future healing.
- The correct dilution is to take a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide and mix one part peroxide with three parts water (for example 25 ml of peroxide with 75ml of water) to make a disinfectant solution that is suitable for cleaning wounds.^{[5]
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  Small Animal Formulary. Tennant, Bryn. BSAVA}
3
Use the safest option that you have available. The disinfectant to use is a matter of personal preference and what you have available. Always follow the instructions on how to dilute the product, because using it too concentrated can be damaging to tissue. Be aware that many household disinfectants and some disinfectant sprays contain benzalkonium chloride and are not designed for use on living tissue.^{[6]
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- If in doubt as to the suitability of a product for use on a cat, then consider just using a saline or salt water solution instead, as this is always safe.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Disinfecting the Wound

1
Get another person to help you hold the cat. Your cat may be in pain or shaken up after an injury and it may lash out when you touch the sore area. This is true even if it is normally sweet tempered. With this in mind, try to enlist the help of a friend or neighbor to hold the cat so that you can concentrate on the wound.
- Try wrapping the cat in a large bath towel with just the wound exposed.^{[7]
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  Jean Johnson. Cat Expert.} This is a good way to keep it calm and minimize the risk from teeth and claws.^{[8]
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2
Rinse the wound with a syringe. Grab your chosen rinsing solution and place it in a bowl. Use a syringe to suck up the solution, and then squirt it over the wound to rinse and clean it. Repeatedly spray the wound this way until you are happy the wound is clean.
- Fresh bite wounds need to be cleaned and disinfected, to reduce the risk of infection.^{[9]
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- Scrape wounds sustained if the cat was hit by a car or fell from a tree, may be contaminated with grit, gravel, and bacteria. A thorough cleaning to remove contamination helps reduce the risk of complications, such as poor healing or infection.
3
Use a cotton ball soaked with cleaning solution if you don't have a syringe. If you do not have a syringe, then soak clean cotton wool in the cleaning solution and squeeze the cotton wool so the solution runs down over the wound. If the area is very contaminated, and this is not lifting the debris away, then use downward stroking movements with the cotton wool to clean the area.
- Use a clean piece of soaked cotton wool for each downward wipe, so that the dirty piece does not recontaminate the wound on the next downward pass. Keep cleaning until the cotton wool comes away clean, and then finish with a rinse.
- If your cat has a burst abscess, a considerable volume of pus may leak from the wound. Use dry cotton wool, gauze, or absorbent paper tissue to wipe away the pus. Apply gentle pressure to the area around the abscess, pressing inward towards the tooth mark through which the pus is draining. It is important to remove as much pus as possible or it will act as an ongoing source of infection.
4
Apply disinfectant. Once you have cleaned away the gross contamination, you can start applying the disinfectant. Follow the directions on the packaging for proper application.
- The aim is to wipe away infection until you expose healthy, uncontaminated tissue and then apply the disinfectant.
5
Decide whether to bandage the wound. Most wounds are best left open to the air, so do not attempt to bandage or cover a small, insignificant wound. However, if the cat is trying to lick or chew the wound then it needs to be covered. In these cases, the healing of the wound may be compromised.^{[10]
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- There is a myth that it's healthy for a cat to lick a wound. In truth, that abrasive tongue is likely to damage exposed tissues rather than promote healing.
- If an open wound is bleeding, hold a piece of sterile gauze against it for at least 3 minutes before checking if the bleeding stopped.^{[11]
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  Jean Johnson. Cat Expert.}

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Identifying a Wound

1
Watch your cat for signs of injury. As a cat owner, it's important to know your cat's normal behavior. This will help you to assess whether something is wrong. Look for changes in behavior, including, but not limited to, changes in eating patterns, types of movement, and interest in socializing.^{[12]
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- These can be the signs of a variety of illnesses, including physical trauma.
- If your cat's personality or behavior has changed drastically, and you can't figure out why, take it to a veterinarian. These changes could be symptoms of a medical problem.
2
Look for a wound if you witnessed, or heard, a fight. If you heard a cat fight, or your cat comes back limping, then check the cat over for signs of trauma. A tell-tale sign of a fight are tufts of hair that are clumped together. Look at the cat and check to see if any areas of the coat look unkempt or are sticking up at an odd angle.^{[13]
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Research source} Gently investigate the cat's body by parting the fur and looking at the skin underneath.
- Alternatively you may find an area of hair loss, where the aggressor cat pulled the fur out. The area may have a wound, or you might see spots of blood or see a swollen area.^{[14]
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  Research source} This is easiest to spot on white or pale coated cats. For a black cat, gently run your hands over it and watch for a reaction to tenderness, or feel for a wound, swelling, or scabs.
3
Regularly inspect your cat for injuries. You may not always witness a fight or see the signs of a fight on your cat's coat. This is why it is important to regularly inspect your cat for injuries that you might otherwise miss. This is especially important to do if your cat is an outdoor cat, and if it's prone to fighting.
- A good time to do this is when you are snuggling and petting the cat. Keep the cat calm and gently sweep your hand over the body while looking at the skin beneath the fur.
- Older wounds may be infected, in which case you may find swelling, a scab, hair loss, or a bloody or purulent discharge.
- Old abscesses that have burst often contain a lot of pus which mats the fur.
- Also, the skin over the abscess dies off and can leave a considerable hole behind, through which you can see muscle or exposed tissues.

Warnings

Minor wounds can be cleaned at home and then monitored for signs of infection. Larger, more serious wounds that are full skin thickness or where the structures underneath the skin are exposed, should be treated by a vet. Likewise, a puncture wound over a joint should be treated by a vet, as there is a risk of bacteria being introduced into the joint and a short course of antibiotics may be required to prevent joint sepsis.

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