Licking bloody wound

by Diane
(New Smyrna Beach,Florida)

My outdoor kitten((8 mo.) came home with bloody wound on forearm. .He keeps licking the blood and now has thrown up 3 times .I am assuming it is from the blood,but can you give me any reassurance? He is acting normal otherwise.

RESPONSE:

Diane,

I would be very concerned if this was one of my cats. Licking the blood is a normal thing for a cat to do with an injury that is bleeding so vomiting afterwards is where the problem lays. I'm assuming its weeping blood not gushing or you'd have either bound the wound or taken him to the vet. Since we don't know what caused the injury, we also don't know if there was anything toxic that came into contact with your kitten. He could be ingesting another substance from his fur besides the blood. This could be what is being rejected by his little body.

I would suggest that you clean the wound with a 10 percent hydrogen peroxide solution. A good disinfectant soap will suffice if you don’t have the peroxide. Dry the area (you could also apply an antibiotic that is safe for cats if you have one)and then watch your cat closely for any sign of infection, any loss of appetite or lethargy. If your cat isn’t displaying any other signs of illness, in a couple of days a normal wound will be healing and your cat should be eating normally and not vomiting. However, if after you’ve cleaned the wound, it continues to bleed and he continues to vomit, I would get him to your vet.

A couple of my articles that may give you some more information are: Cat Vomiting and Cat First Aid.

I hope it is nothing serious but be vigilant for any behavioral changes. Good wishes to you both.

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