Cat has a small wound on back of the head, do I need to see the vet?

Question

My 5 year old cat has a small wound on the back of it's head for a about two weeks. The wound has an approximate length of 1/4 inch (6mm) and does not seem to grow.

What worries me, is that the wound is not closing. Normally these close very fast, but this does not seem to close.

He does not seem to be in pain and is not scratching the wound often. He is also feeding normally.

Because of the current COVID19 Situation it's hard for me to visit a vet.

Is there anything I can do? Do I need to visit the vet?

Answer 1

Please be aware that I'm not a vet.

To me the wound doesn't look bad. It's small enough to not require stitches and it doesn't look inflamed or infected.

My own cat got lost for a long time and came back with a severe case of ear mites, which caused him to scratch himself raw around the ears. Even after treatment for the mites, it took several months (!) for his skin to heal completely.

Such superficial wounds tend to scab, which itches and can pull on hairs. Our cat often scratched parts of the scab off, which looked very much like the photo of your cat.

I think you don't even need to put a "collar of shame" on him. Just keep an eye on the wound and avoid touching it, which might irritate him and cause more scratching.

Answer 2

That wound looks nice and is not likely to cause any problems.

The color of the wound looks fresh and clean, so there is no infection and it does not penetrate the skin; it is just a scratch.

I think it looks like it does as a result of the scab falling off; you do not need to take your cat to the vet at this time.

Keep an eye on it for a couple of weeks and if it changes color or starts to feel warmer than normal, take your cat to the vet.

Answer 3

is the middle of it wet pus? If so I'd be a bit worried esp. after 2 weeks in case there was an abscess under there. Can you email the photo to the vet?