When a cat bites another cat, its front canine teeth sink into the skin, depositing harmful bacteria. Because the bite marks are usually small and seal closed quickly, the bacteria will be left buried underneath the skin where they can start an infection.
The body of a wounded cat will send a large amount of white blood cells called neutrophils to the bite wound to help kill the bacteria. When a pocket of bacteria and neutrophils forms, it is called an abscess. If the abscess is sealed over, then the cat can develop a fever and become very ill. Once the abscess is opened up so that it can drain, though, the cat should begin to feel better.
A bite wound from a cat can be severe and cause tremendous problems. Life-threatening viruses such as feline leukemia and the feline immunodeficiency virus commonly are transmitted from one cat to another this way.
Any cat bite should be cleaned thoroughly to prevent infection. An attempt should be made to keep the skin lesions open for several days to allow the wound to heal from inside out. Antibiotics also may be prescribed to eliminate the growth of bacteria.
If an abscess already has formed, the examining veterinarian will recommend the best course of treatment. Some cases require sedation or anesthesia due to the pain associated with the wound and the type of procedure that needs to be performed. Some abscesses expand so widely that when they rupture, they create a large defect in the skin tissue. These may require some reconstructive surgery once the infection has been eliminated.
