Cat's skin infection..what could i use?

I have an indoor cat with an open sore on the base of his tail. It has scabbed up before but continues to be a wet,open sore. Is there anything over the counter that I can use first without taking the cat to the vet? Something that he can ingest without harming him (because he will lick himself after I apply it). Thank you.

Cat's skin infection..what could i use?
I just took a peak at the answers that you got so far. The one about putting iodine isn't such a great idea. Iodine stings! Your cat will go crazy if you use iodine on an open wound like that. I would recommend maybe an antibiotic ointment a few times a day. You can pick it up at any drug store or at WalMart too. It's cats nature to lick what ever it is that is put on their bodies. There are collars that look like lamp shades. It goes around the cats neck to stop it from licking and biting their wounds. You can get one at a pet store or from a veterinarian's office. If you are able to make one your self, it's really rather easy to do. Just make sure it's made from a soft, flexible plastic. It wouldn't make much sense to put a bandage on this wound with out a collar tho. As the cat will just keep licking and biting until he gets it off. If you are able to either make a collar or to buy one. Try the antibiotic ointment and try putting a piece of gauze on the sore. If it doesn't start to get better within a few days I would recommend to take your cat to the vet.
Reply:try iodine its not safe to ingest but if you put a drop on their and make sure it drys before you unattend him you should be ok it try neospourin.
Reply:Is the pet licking at the spot? If he is, put a cone on him to keep him from doing more harm... but anything topical? I'm not sure about that part.
Reply:A sore that does not heal is an indication of another problem. It may be that the cat continually picks at it or it could be something worse like FIV. You should have your cat checked because FIV is very catching to other cats and it is deadly with no cure. Kittens can be born with it or catch it from another infected cat. It isn't catching to humans but it will shorten your cats life and you need to learn how to deal with the illness. Hope he's just biting. I've used antibiotic salve on dogs but don't know about cats. Sorry can't help you more.