Burst open abscess on cat

My cat has a burst open abscess. I didn't know what it was at first, having previously assumed she had just gotten a small scratch and swollen muscle.

We took her to the animal emergency room, since it's Sunday and the only place in town that was open. We couldn't afford the costs of the exploratory surgery and $500 worth of sedative drugs they wanted to put her under. Our bill would have come out to more than $700. So we paid the office fees and anti-biotics and sadly brought her home.

I did some research online and read that I can help drain it, clean it with warm salt water 2x a day, trim the fur around it, and leave it open until it heals itself. Supposedly it should take about 7 days, and I have 10 days worth of anti-biotics.

Should I just let it try to heal itself, or would a veterinary visit be entirely necessary? I know if it doesn't drain fully, then it can reoccur, but finances aren't the best right now. I know the ER costs more, and I think they wanted to do things that were unnecessary, but it's about the size of between a dime and a nickel and I'm not sure if I should have a vet drain it and stitch it up, or just let it run it's own course with the help of me washing and doing my best at drainage. Tweet