When is a cat’s wound an emergency?

Claire Turner BVetMed MRCVS

Deciding what constitutes an emergency when it comes to our pets can be easier said than done. Some things are obvious but others are less so. And with cats, it can be even tricker due to their tendency to hide pain and typical dislike of being examined. It can be useful to have an awareness of what we, as vets, would classify as an emergency when thinking about wounds, as these are things we would want to see straight away and not delay treatment. Obviously, if you are ever in any doubt about the severity of an injury, always contact your veterinary practice.

Types of wounds

Wounds come in all shapes and sizes – some will be able to be simply treated at home, some will warrant veterinary treatment and a small percentage will require emergency treatment.

Simple grazes, where the surface of the skin hasn’t been broken, will typically heal fine on their own but it’s worth keeping an eye on them and trying to limit your cat licking the area.

Small cuts where there is little to no blood and only the very upper layer of skin is damaged can be treated at home by bathing with cooled boiled water and again, preventing the cat licking at it. If these don’t heal over in a few days, get infected or if the cat is in pain, always see your vet.

Other skin wounds that may be bigger or deeper should be examined by a vet. The veterinary team will be able to triage most wounds over the phone and provide a timescale for when you ought to bring your cat in.

Those wounds that would constitute an emergency may include:

Deep wounds

Wounds that extend through the skin and may or may not involve the deeper tissues such as muscles, tendons or bones. Even wounds that appear small on the surface could have damage to deeper structures if they were caused by a penetrating object so they should not be ignored. This is even more important if the wounds have occurred over the chest or abdomen. These wounds would need to examined and maybe explored under anaesthetic, before any tissue damage is repaired. As a minimum, the wound would need to be cleaned and the skin sutured to encourage healing and prevent infection.

Burns

Due to the animal’s fur covering, some burns aren’t evident immediately but if known about or once noticed, would definitely require emergency treatment. Just like in people, burns can affect different depths of skin but all are very painful and widely open to infection.

Wounds to the eye area

In cats, wounds in and around the eye area are often due to being involved in a cat fight. Even if no damage is obvious to the eyeball itself, it is always worth getting them checked as even small injuries to the surface of the eye can lead to severe problems.

Wounds with foreign material in

For cats that go outside, discarded items like glass or wood can both cause and get stuck in wounds. These can lead to significant tissue damage and if in multiple pieces, can be very difficult to remove entirely. They are also a nidus (focus) for infection.

Open fractures

Bone fractures are nearly always going to be an emergency but this urgency heightens when there is skin damage overlying the fracture and the bone is exposed to the air. Not only are these extremely painful but the risk of infection is high and serious.

Abscesses

If a cat is bitten by another cat, they are likely to develop an abscess due to the large amount of bacteria within their mouths. Abscesses can take a few days to develop but they will be very painful and can make the animal feel very under the weather. In rare cases, the bacteria could enter the blood stream and cause sepsis.

Snake bite wounds

Although rare in the UK, bites from Adders can still be potentially fatal to pets. If there is the knowledge or even possibility that your cat has been bitten by a snake, it is vital to seek veterinary attention as soon as possible.

Why are these wounds emergencies?

The sorts of wounds listed above would be classed as emergencies for a number of possible reasons.

Firstly, these wounds would all cause the animal a lot of pain. Giving your pet human pain medications can be fatal so you would need to take them to the vet in order to get the relief they required.

Secondly, especially in the case of large or deep wounds, there could be significant blood loss. An average 4.5kg cat has a blood volume of around 250-300ml and they would only have to lose 50-60ml of this for them to suffer serious effects. Bear in mind, this blood loss may not be visible if the damage is deeper and they are bleeding internally.

Cats don’t tend to have a lot of tissue coverage over the chest so if the wound has happened over this area, it wouldn’t take much for it to affect the lungs and the cat’s ability to breathe. As we said above, just because a wound looks small on the surface, it may still have penetrated deeply so warrants checking.

Because of all these factors, and more, some wounds can prove fatal for cats, not only because of the wound itself, but because of secondary effects such as stress or infection, so prompt veterinary attention could be life-saving.

First aid at home

Before being seen by the vet, owners can administer basic first aid at home. You must never give any medication to your pet without speaking to a vet first, even if it was prescribed for another pet. A simple first aid kit can, however, come in handy.

Wounds should be bathed with cooled boiled water and if necessary, a clean bandage or towel placed on the wound to help keep it clean and stop any bleeding.

Burns should be run under cold water for at least 10 minutes before travelling to the vets but don’t put any creams or ointments on the area.

For fractures and snake bites, limit movement of the area and cover any wounds prior to transport to try to minimise the risk of infection.

If a wound has a foreign object in such as a large stick, don’t remove it. Wrap a clean piece of cloth around the area and get them to the vet as soon as possible.

Veterinary treatment

Once at the surgery, your vet will likely assess the wound and if necessary, provide emergency treatment. They will take a history as to how the wound occurred and how your cat has been since. Ultimately, the treatment will depend on the type and severity of the wound, but could involve imaging (x-rays or ultrasound), surgical repair and medications such as pain relief or antibiotics. Some wounds will need to be covered with a dressing which may need to be changed every few days. Others might be left open, but your cat given a collar or pet t-shirt to prevent them licking at it. Licking a wound will cause ongoing trauma and lead to potential infection – contrary to the traditional idea that saliva acts as an antiseptic, it actually contains large numbers of bacteria which could severely compromise wound healing.

For less severe cases, they may need to return to the vets only for one or two further check ups. In the case of fractures or snake bites, they may need to be hospitalised for a period of time before being discharged but with regular re-checks until they have fully healed.

Care at home

It is likely your cat will need to be kept as rested as possible, which generally means keeping them indoors, limiting access upstairs and preventing them jumping onto higher surfaces. In some cases, such as after fracture repair, they may be required to be kept in a large crate to limit movement. If the wound isn’t covered by a dressing, it is important to monitor it daily and look for signs of redness, swelling or discharge which could indicate an infection. Your vet may also ask you to clean the wound and will advise you how to do this.

The general rule of thumb is that we would rather see a cat with a wound and tell the owner it’s nothing to worry about, than not see a cat with a wound that really ought to have been examined. If in any doubt, always advocate for your pet and speak to your veterinary team.