Cat Scratch Question

shiraz

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Alright, well last night one of the cats decided to have a psychotic attack, and scratched me pretty bad
I haven't got a clue why she did it, but that's a post for the behavior board
lol. I'm wondering if there's anything I should be worrying about, like the 'Cat Scratch Disease' or maybe something else. She did manage to give me a couple decent scratches (thank god I keep their nails clipped short, otherwise she would have done even more damage), and they bled (only lightly) for about 15 minutes. I've been putting Polysporin on it, but considering the size of the scratch, it hurts like 20 times more than it should
.

So help? lol

*forgot to mention, my cats are all strictly indoor cats, and none have ever gone outside or had fleas before (not sure if that's necessary or not, but I'll add it anyways
 

yosemite

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I would suggest just keeping an eye on it. If you see any red streaks running from the wound, that would be a sign of blood poisoning. Our daughter had that when our other cat bit her. Unless you have a compromised immune system you should be OK. If it does get swollen or more sore instead of seeming to get better, then perhaps you should have it checked out.
 

strange_wings

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Wash it thoroughly and keep medicine on it. The scratches, especially from blunter claws, tend to be more of a rough tear and will hurt as the wound dries. If there's a deeper scratch or it's on your arm or hand in a place that you'll rest against something(such as the bottom of arm or thigh), bandage it. If you keep medicine on the scratches it should help prevent scaring as well.

Originally Posted by Yosemite

I would suggest just keeping an eye on it. If you see any red streaks running from the wound, that would be a sign of blood poisoning. Our daughter had that when our other cat bit her.
That's why you should always see a doctor or go to the hospital for a animal bite. Repeating what was told to me after I was bit "almost all cat bites will become infected" and "only a human mouth is dirtier".

I've had tons of cat scratches and some pretty nasty ones that have left my right arm scarred, they still sting from time to time. Always keeping a triple antibiotic ointment with a pain reliever in it around my house is a must.
 
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shiraz

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Wow, quick replies
The 2 main cuts are on the bottom crease of my pinky finger (ouch!) and a long cut nearly half the length of my forearm on the underside (so both will rest on things and get dirty
) and then there are a couple on my toes
I put antibacterial ointment on it a few times so far, but where the cuts are its difficult to keep a bandage (unless I wrap my whole forearm) because of the movement. And as far as I know, I've got a normal immune system, so hopefully they'll heal on their own.
 

bella's_mum

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You could get spray on elastoplast, it is good for cuts that are awkward to bandage, will keep the dirt off and won't be a nuisance.
 

strange_wings

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Toes too? ouch
For my arm they (nurse and doctor) just use gauze and tape. Mine was pretty bad though and I did not want it sticking or rubbing anything.

Are you going to make a post on what happened? (if you did, maybe I missed it?) Maybe doing so will help prevent future problems.



I forgot to add, for bites and bad scratches soaking the wounds in iodine or betadine and saline solution helps draw out some of the possible infection and sterilizes it some. Follow up soaks in that or epsom salt and hot/warm water help with swelling and keep it clean. Just incase anyone needs or will need future first aid information.
The same works well for stepped on nails.
 

carolpetunia

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While volunteering at the shelter, I've been torn up many times by scared kitties and excited dogs. Three things that really help:

1. Surgical gloves. Sometimes the whole glove, sometimes just a finger or two... put them on over the bandages and use adhesive tape along the edges to keep it waterproof.

2. Tube socks. Cut the toe off and slide the sock up over your forearm to cover the wound. Much easier than trying to bandage a long scratch!

3. Neosporin with pain reliever (or Target's generic equivalent) is really good... but be sure to keep it away from your kitties, because the pain relieving ingredient is toxic to them.

Good luck!
 
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shiraz

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Thanks! I think I'll try the tube sock idea, that'll work a lot better than nothing! lol

And Strange_wings, I'm not sure her sudden fit is enough to post about, I went to pick her up (which she's used to, because I carry my cats around all the time) and she decided she wanted to kill my arm instead (although in her defense, she didn't actually attack my arm, she simply used it as a launch pad to jump away from me) which is where the scratches came from. And then when I followed her to make sure she wasn't injured, she lauched off of my foot
She's been fine ever since, she slept with us that night, cuddled with me in the morning, and I've picked her up a couple dozen times since then without incident. She must have had a brain fart or something and gone wild for a second
 

yosemite

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Originally Posted by strange_wings

That's why you should always see a doctor or go to the hospital for a animal bite. Repeating what was told to me after I was bit "almost all cat bites will become infected" and "only a human mouth is dirtier".

I've had tons of cat scratches and some pretty nasty ones that have left my right arm scarred, they still sting from time to time. Always keeping a triple antibiotic ointment with a pain reliever in it around my house is a must.
I don't usually go to a doctor unless I'm really, really sick so I probably wouldn't go to a doctor unless I noticed infection.

The day the cat bit our daughter he also bit both my husband and myself because we had only gotten him the day before and didn't realize we had to isolate him for a little while so we were trying to catch him. He bit my hubby badly, hubby dropped him, daughter scooped him up and he bit her badly, she let him go, I then got hold of him and held him tightly while he bit me. I got him to our bedroom, trying to talk to him calmly and soothingly and he shot out of my arms running his back claws over my nipple in the process. Yes, that hurt a lot. None of us went to a doctor and our daughter was the only one to end up with an infection. I put that down to the fact she had recently recovered from Mono and probably had lower immunity to infection.

Whew, having said all that - if you've cleansed and disinfected the area you should be just fine. Just keep an eye on it.
 

strange_wings

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Originally Posted by Shiraz

T
And Strange_wings, I'm not sure her sudden fit is enough to post about, I went to pick her up (which she's used to, because I carry my cats around all the time) and she decided she wanted to kill my arm instead (although in her defense, she didn't actually attack my arm, she simply used it as a launch pad to jump away from me) which is where the scratches came from.
Ohh, she spooked, ouch. I hate it when cats suddenly do that. If you can just open your arms and let the cat go, it saves a lot of trouble. Of course I've had my fair share of struggling cats claw me up.


Originally Posted by Yosemite

I don't usually go to a doctor unless I'm really, really sick so I probably wouldn't go to a doctor unless I noticed infection.
Same here, though I relented for tomorrow.

It's for the best when there's a bite.
By the time you notice the infection it can be pretty bad. I did go to the hospital and was put on augmentin 850mg. Within 12 hours the bite was infected, my arm swelled up by a few inches and turned an awful yellow-green-brownish bruise color, and there were streaks.


Of course there is one problem about going to a doctor or hospital. Bites must be reported, the animal must be quarantined for ten days for rabies, depending on local laws.
Originally Posted by Yosemite

I got him to our bedroom, trying to talk to him calmly and soothingly and he shot out of my arms running his back claws over my nipple in the process. Yes, that hurt a lot.
I hear you there
belly scratches are rather unpleasant too.

Has any seen the old episode of emergency vets where the woman's cat fell onto a iron fence and she held it up while it repeatedly bit her hands? Her bites were really bad, she even mentioned that she had to have surgeries and drains put it.
Having seen that I knew I didn't want to put off treatment when I was bit.
 

merlynn's mom

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This reply is late, but you should definitely wash the scratch with warm water and mild soap and rinse thoroughly. Cat Scratch Fever only compromises those with a weak immune system (children, older people, immuno-depressed, etc.). Like every else said, watch the scratch. If it heals normally, it's fine. If it becomes red and swollen or weird looking, you should have it checked.
 
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shiraz

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Everything looks to be healing well so far (apart from it hurting like a SOB
) I'm a hand washing fanatic, so I wash the cuts very often. Its at the stage right now where it's scabbing over and then splitting whenever I move my wrist a certain way
Ohwell, it'll be healed soon enough
 

catsarebetter

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I get scratched by mine on a regular basis...it's how they hold on, and by golly, they hold on, hehe. Scratches hurt. You wouldn't think they would, but they hurt worse than say.. an equal length cut from a knife. It's been my experience that cat scratches hurt worse. They do seem to heal up pretty well with daily neosporin and keeping it covered. The ones I didn't cover left scars.

You definitely have to report animal bites.. here I know you have to report a dog, but I'm not entirely sure about a cat. I don't think it applies to scratches, however. In any case, if you are required to.. tell them some stray cat you were trying to help scratched you. There's no way for them to know. I am pretty sure, though, as long as it's not a bite, there's no issue. Might depend on state or country, though.
 
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