The cat has a swollen face: the possible causes and how to treat it
Have you suddenly noticed that your cat has a swollen muzzle? The causes may be different: better to discover them without wasting time.
We noticed that the cat has a swollen muzzle and we do not know what the reason may be? After all, it was fine shortly before and we hadn’t noticed anything like that. The cause could be related to a sudden reaction of the skin or hatch a more complex symptomatology. Let’s see when it is appropriate to be alarmed and to run for cover, and especially when it is a condition that puts at risk the very life of our beloved cat that has a swollen muzzle.
The cat has a swollen muzzle: what may have happened
When we see the cat with a different muzzle than usual, larger and swollen, we must also evaluate its appearance as a whole. In fact, the swollen muzzle can also be only one of the symptoms, certainly among the most obvious, that signal something wrong with his body . Or it can be just a swelling localized only in the muzzle or even only in the upper part of the lip. Let’s see what the causes can be and how to intervene effectively.
Abscess on the muzzle
It’s not just a dental problem: any wound or cut can lead to infections and abscesses. And when the affected place is the muzzle it can be an abscess not only annoying but also quite painful for the cat. In fact, we will notice that it has difficulty swallowing and that maybe it will not even approach food. Usually the most subject are the cats that live both outside and inside the house: the constant contact with other cats or animals, with objects and plants that may have caused this wound that has become infected.
The abscess on the muzzle can be: dental (when a tooth becomes infected), on the cheek (which could also puncture if the abscess is important) or on the muzzle and ears (which also causes hair loss).
Remedies to the abscess on the muzzle
If it is a question of relatively mild and not very evident abscesses, even natural cures may suffice: calendula in these cases is a valid ally. This dissolved in hot water and placed on the muzzle with compresses, should help soothe the swelling and give some relief to the cat. In any case, you should never touch the abscess with your hands and try to get the pus out: only the veterinarian will be able to take all the necessary precautions for this type of operation. The expert could prescribe a treatment based on antibiotics that, if administered regularly, should solve the problem within a week or so.
The cat has a swollen muzzle: insect bites
On beautiful spring and summer days it is very likely that the cat is driven by the irrepressible desire to go and play in the open air. In the course of its hunting activities of small and large insects, even flying, the feline could ‘have the worst’. In practice, bees, hornets and wasps could sting it with their sting. It is not only the pain of the sting that worries us, but above all the poison that these insects may have injected them. The effects can be two: toxic and allergenic. In the first case poisonous stings provoke swelling, redness and are quite painful; in the second instead it is an allergic reaction from a banal urticaria to anaphylactic shock.
Remedies for insect bites
Although it is advisable to immediately run to the vet, waiting to reach them, the master can certainly stand next to the cat and make them feel its presence. In the event that the owner is more familiar with problems of this kind, it can try to remove the sting from the cat’s muzzle, using a sterilized tweezers. After disinfecting the part and removing the sting, he can apply an ice bag on the part and a cortisone-based ointment.
What if it was an eosinophilic granuloma?
It is often associated with atopic dermatitis in cats, since it is an allergic reaction due to a flea bite or parasites. The granuloma of this type mainly affects the chin and lip: it is immediately noticeable because that area loses its hair. The best remedy is cortisone: it will be the expert to indicate the ointment or in what other form to take it.
