A client recently asked me what kind of stuff they should use when his cat gets a minor scratch. I had to give him more than one answer of course, as is my style. Most people don't understand the difference between antibiotics and antiseptics and usually use the wrong one left of their own devices. 

Fear not!  I am here to help you!

Antiseptics are things like hydrogen peroxide, iodine, chlorhexidine, bleach, etc. . These things kill all kinds of organisms effectively and we really don't have to worry about drug resistance. They are my first choice when I see a fresh wound, especially one that is superficial.

Antibiotics are things like the Amoxicillinn, Neosporin and  triple antibiotic creams. They come from the drugstore, usually in little tubes. In my opinion they do not work for nearly as well on wounds and have very little use in veterinary medicine, you're almost always better off using an antiseptic.

For deep penetrating wounds I love antibiotics. The classic example is a cat bite. It is hard to get an antiseptic deep into the tissues of some tiny little puncture wound. It's time to go see the vet when you get one of these bites and we usually use oral antibiotics. If we don't use such antibiotics on day one or date two after a bite wound it is very common to see an abscess form that may require surgical drainage on day three or day four after a bite wound.

Recently I was at a conference that mentioned how abscesses in cats especially are pretty much walled off from the immune system so that  evenoral antibiotics cannot reach them. Maybe it's because I've been using them for so long but I find it very hard not to send patients with abscesses home without an oral antibiotic.

My rule of thumb for clients at home is to treat scratches that do not go full thickness through the skin with topical antiseptics. We sell chlorhexidine here over-the-counter and it is very very useful for that purpose.

If a bite wound does go full thickness througho the skin it is worthwhile to have it examined by a veterinarian. He will probably prescribe antibiotics on day one or day two and contemplate surgical drainage if an abscess forms, usually on day three or date for after a bite wound.