Injured blood vessels inside the wound become plugged up with grumes. After disinfection one should pull the borders of wound together to stop its' extension.
Cells of skin grow from the borders of wound to its' center, gradually closing its' surface. Scarring of wound, which borders don't adjoin, is called "cicatrization of second tension". When the borders adjoin the process of scarring goes much faster, therefore often a surgeon applies the contraction of wound that follows after disinfection. Stab wounds occur to be in cats as a result of bite or scratches.
Bites and scratches need special attention. Not because the wound may become infected and will close up long, but because the infection may penetrate in blood. In case, if protective potential of the organism decreases this may cause sepsis (blood poisoning) or bacterhemia, which may become lethal. Though irrigating of such wounds is quite a difficult thing, the disinfection of wound in order to escape such complications is obligatory.
One may use 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide for disinfection - one of the most effective, and at the same time, popular remedies, which certainly occur in any first-aid set. At least during first 24 hours after bite it's preferable to inject antibiotics in order to prevent possible infection.
Most wounds get inflamed. The surface of skin become reddish, swells up, hurts and is hot by touch. But these signs disappear within 48 hours, as a rule, if the wound was not infected. If the swell, redishness, hot and pain around the wound doesn't stop, and its' surface and the surface of the surrounding tissues looks abnormal, or there is a suppurative egesta, it is very possible that there is infection in the wound and you won't do without help of doctor. Doctor will fix the necessary treatment to your cat, including the injection of antibiotics.
Translated by Tatiana Karpova (Moscow)
(MSU, Biology faculture, Dep. zoology and ecology).