What Medication Can I Use on a Cat to Heal a Cut?

Cleaning the Cut

• When dealing with a fresh wound, cut the hair around the wound back. This will give you a better work area and keep hair from getting inside the wound. Wet a cloth or pad and cleanse the area surrounding the wound. Flush the wound with warm water. If you can, get your cat to hold still under a running faucet. If not, place him in the bathtub and rinse his cut out by filling a cup with warm water and pouring it over the wound. Talk calmly to the cat in a soothing tone, and never scold him.

  If the cut is older and scab over, clean the wound using a cotton swab dipped in hydrogen peroxide diluted with water. The ratio should be one part hydrogen peroxide to five parts water. After you have applied the peroxide-water mixture, rinse the wound with warm water and gently pat dry.

Applying Medication

• For both cats and dogs, over-the-counter triple antibiotic ointment works well at keeping the wound from drying out or becoming infected. Before applying the ointment, wash your hands with warm water and soap. Apply the antibiotic ointment two to four times a day. If your cat's wound is bandaged, change the bandage every time you apply the antibiotic ointment.

Considerations

• Do not apply hydrogen peroxide if the cut is in your cat's ears or if the cut is rather deep and will require stitches. Hydrogen peroxide does kill bacteria and is good for keeping an infection from occurring, but it also will destroy healthy tissue and can damage your cat's ear drum if applied inside the ear.

  If you are in doubt about how to treat your cat's cut, contact your veterinarian.