My cat’s neuter site has smelly discharge – what should I do?

Discharge with an odor from a cat’s neuter site mainly suggests a purulent wound infection; the photo shows tissue exposed under the skin, so promptly take the cat to a vet for examination and secondary debridement and suturing to prevent the infection from invading the abdominal cavity. Even if internal tissue is fine, care for the wound daily.

Keep an Elizabethan collar or recovery suit on the cat and avoid strenuous activity that could tear the wound. Clean the site with iodine daily, squeeze out exudate, and keep it dry, then apply an anti-inflammatory or antibacterial skin ointment; use oral antibiotics under veterinary guidance for severe infection.