Deep puncture wound became a nasty hole of gunk.

[PirateGirl]

Based on what you have said, and considering the bacterial nature of bite wounds, this sounds infected. I have had similar on my dog, she was bit, we thought all was well, a few days later found a puncture wound that was swollen up and draining fluid. It did need antibiotics to heal and keep the infection at bay. The fact that the fluid keeps returning after being drained and the fact that there is an odor is what makes me think infection. As others have suggested, flushing it out and keeping it clean will be important.

 

[MissChick@dee]

@staceyj oops didn’t mean to stomp on your replies. I just jumped in. I know better should of read the whole thread first...heck could of saved me some keystrokes

 

[staceyj]

@staceyj oops didn’t mean to stomp on your replies. I just jumped in. I know better should of read the whole thread first...heck could of saved me some keystrokes

We were just thinking along the same lines!

 

[Tatuana]

Make sure your cat’s rabies
Vaccine gets boosted.

The feral cat needs to be caught in a trap and picked up by animal control.

All my cats are up to date on shots, luckily. Otherwise I'd be screaming due to the fact I can't afford a vet for a bit.

I'm working on catching Mr. Feral. He's clearly not been fixed. I work with animal rescues from time to time (cats and dogs only). As soon as I catch him and spay him they're going to help me see if we can find an adopted feral colony to integrate him into. Being tossed into a strange area with strange - and violent - house cats isn't not a good idea if you're feral.

If you have a syringe you can flush the hole deeply with a weak betadine solution, before treating win the antibiotic ointment-

Luckily I have syringes of all shapes and sizes. I'll see if I can round one up to clean the wound. Should I like... Stick it inside the wound? (A non needle type) Wouldn't that hurt the poor chick?

I'd put it on antibiotics asap.

I can't since it's not my chicken. The kid is only 12 years old, and his parents don't see the point. They're of the mind that a chicken is dumb, and if it dies, it dies. I'm working on a solution to that as well, but in the meantime I at least want to do what we can.

Cat saliva is a creature all it’s own. Probably the worst bacterial bite anyone or any animal can get. Do you have access to a syringe??

I've been bitten down to the bone several times by my cats. I'd begun to think that cat saliva being bad was a myth. Of course now that I've gotten lazy it proves me wrong! I have a syringe. It's the non needle kind. Should I poke it inside the wound?

Based on what you have said, and considering the bacterial nature of bite wounds, this sounds infected. I have had similar on my dog, she was bit, we thought all was well, a few days later found a puncture wound that was swollen up and draining fluid. It did need antibiotics to heal and keep the infection at bay. The fact that the fluid keeps returning after being drained and the fact that there is an odor is what makes me think infection. As others have suggested, flushing it out and keeping it clean will be important.

I'm guessing it's very, very infected. The fact that both my cat and the chicken caught it is worrying. I'll keep flushing it out.



Side question, why would it have looked 'fine' before the pus came out? It wasn't swollen or tender at all until the scab came off. At least with my cat it swelled up right away. The chicken would have had it for a few days before the scab came off and the swelling/pain began.


Now I'm worrying for both of the animals. There is NO way I could get either of them to the vet before next week - I'm lucky I kept my water on this week. I know I tend to focus more on my cat, but that's because he's right in front of me and I have to go visit the chicken. I asked on a cat forum and they pretty much said "get it to the vet or you are a horrible human and shouldn't own animals." Ugh. I'm on a mission to help these two beautiful creatures out as much as I can until I can get to a vet. I figure if nothing else, I can figure out how to help the chicken (who really needs a name!) while I deal with my own creature. No 12 year old deserves to watch an animal suffer because his parents are weird.

And I'll catch the feral so this doesn't happen again.

 

[staceyj]

Do NOT stick a needle in the wound.
Unscrew the needle assembly from the hub where it meets the syringe.

If you have a longer syringe or even better a curved one , yes insert it into the wound as far as you can.

 

[Tatuana]

Sorry that wasn't clear! I don't have a needle like a hospital needle. It's a big thick one that you would attach to a tube or something. My doctor uses them to flush out ears.


This is going to be so gross. Any tips on how to keep the chick still while I work on the wound? She's not exactly a friendly soul.

 

[staceyj]

Yes! That’s perfect!
Wrap her in a towel like a burrito. Nice and snug to restrict her wings. Then you can burrow under to where you need to work.

If you use and old towel it’ll also be good to catch the drips.

 

[Eggcessive]

This is actually one instance to use hydrogen peroxide in an abscess wound to help it bubble out the pus. Peroxide is not good for further wound care, since it keeps the wound from healing. Vetericyn Wound Spray is very good to use. Once the wound is flushed out, apply the plain Neosporin or Triple Antibiotic Ointment down into the wound and spread down into the wound with a QTip. Repeat this step twice a day until the wound closes from inside out. I would try to get an antibiotic such as amoxicillin, clavamox, or cephalexin, or others. FishMox available online is good to keep around for wounds. Usually when an abscess bursts open and starts to drain, it will heal pretty quickly.

Some of my cats were terrorized by a stray tomcat in the area once. After 3 different wound abscesses, he met with a hunting accident.

 

[PirateGirl]

It's weird, but it was the same with my dog, looked fine. Sometimes the puncture, while deep, does not hit any blood vessels but can do damage the tissue beneath the skin just the same. It can take time for the infection to set in and the puss and swelling to increase to a point that it is visible (especially with a fur covered or feather covered animal). Once the scab came off, in your case, it released all the pressure and built up fluids etc. Hopefully after some good cleaning and TLC all will be on the mend.

 

[TropicalBabies]

All my cats are up to date on shots, luckily. Otherwise I'd be screaming due to the fact I can't afford a vet for a bit.

I'm working on catching Mr. Feral. He's clearly not been fixed. I work with animal rescues from time to time (cats and dogs only). As soon as I catch him and spay him they're going to help me see if we can find an adopted feral colony to integrate him into. Being tossed into a strange area with strange - and violent - house cats isn't not a good idea if you're feral.



Luckily I have syringes of all shapes and sizes. I'll see if I can round one up to clean the wound. Should I like... Stick it inside the wound? (A non needle type) Wouldn't that hurt the poor chick?




I can't since it's not my chicken. The kid is only 12 years old, and his parents don't see the point. They're of the mind that a chicken is dumb, and if it dies, it dies. I'm working on a solution to that as well, but in the meantime I at least want to do what we can.




I've been bitten down to the bone several times by my cats. I'd begun to think that cat saliva being bad was a myth. Of course now that I've gotten lazy it proves me wrong! I have a syringe. It's the non needle kind. Should I poke it inside the wound?





I'm guessing it's very, very infected. The fact that both my cat and the chicken caught it is worrying. I'll keep flushing it out.



Side question, why would it have looked 'fine' before the pus came out? It wasn't swollen or tender at all until the scab came off. At least with my cat it swelled up right away. The chicken would have had it for a few days before the scab came off and the swelling/pain began.


Now I'm worrying for both of the animals. There is NO way I could get either of them to the vet before next week - I'm lucky I kept my water on this week. I know I tend to focus more on my cat, but that's because he's right in front of me and I have to go visit the chicken. I asked on a cat forum and they pretty much said "get it to the vet or you are a horrible human and shouldn't own animals." Ugh. I'm on a mission to help these two beautiful creatures out as much as I can until I can get to a vet. I figure if nothing else, I can figure out how to help the chicken (who really needs a name!) while I deal with my own creature. No 12 year old deserves to watch an animal suffer because his parents are weird.

And I'll catch the feral so this doesn't happen again.

This is very serious for your cat (and chicken).
The skin heals over the puncture and the infection festers unnoticed till it is a serious, deep infection. I almost lost my little guy, who is up to date with his physical and shots. When the abscess showed itself I flushed with antibacterial soap over and over for days... I did not want a $300+ vet bill. That cleaned it for the moment but it would fester and drain over and over again. Very stinky stuff . I knew i had to treat his insides so I then found leftover antibiotics from my dad, (Happened to be cephalexin but Penicillin etc can work and stays good for super long time if you refrigerate) googled the ratio for cats and gave it in soft food, he was barely eating by then so I knew we were in trouble. It started to work to some degree immediately and he looked so much better and grateful.
"Treatment
Once an abscess forms, it’s very difficult for the body to remove the material and fight the infection by itself. Indeed, an untreated abscess can sometimes lead to deeper and more widespread infection. Therefore, a cat should be treated by a veterinarian as soon as the possibility of an abscess is identified.

Almost inevitably, antibiotics are employed to help fight the infection. Draining the abscess via surgical puncture and sterile drain placement is also typically undertaken as part of the treatment process. This frees the pocket of its infectious material and allows it to continue to drain as the antibiotics and antiseptics do their work. The drain is then removed within days of the procedure for healing to progress unfettered.

In some cases, antibiotics and continued wound care at home may be sufficient treatment. Routinely soaking or warm-compressing the area, if tolerable to the patient, is sometimes an effective substitute for surgery."

You are not a bad person for not wanting a big bill from the vet. If it gets worse and you can not find antibiotics to administer yourself (check your feed store too) then you have to take him or loose him.
I wish you the best and think it is very good you reach out on this site. L.