Anyone have experience with cat BITES?

I have a couple of questions/concerns. My cat bit me a couple weeks ago. She got scared when she knocked over my computer monitor. I have a new flatscreen, and when she jumped up on it (she used to love sitting on the old monitor), she knocked it over. I yelled at her which worsened the situation. She reared up and started growling. I freaked out and screamed because I'd never seen her like that before. She bit me, in the leg. At first she just grazed my knee, but then she bit me again, pretty hard. I was frozen in place and was afraid that if I ran, she'd chase me. My mom luckily came in and scared her off.

Anyway, I treated the bite right away with peroxide and antibacterial cream. I thought about seeing a doctor for it, but this has happened before when Maise was eating and got startled from something on the radio. I don't know about this cat. She's always been very nervous, but with this last incident I've been nervous around her. But, my last bite healed well, and this one, though deeper, seemed to heal well too. Did not get infected. But two weeks later, I have a small lump near the bite mark. I assume this is just natural swelling, that the tissue is damaged and healing. I asked on Yahoo Answers just in case because I have a doctor's appt. coming up and thought maybe I should mention it. One respondent freaked me out by saying that you can get an infection under the skin, and it can't drain because the surface is closed. Is this possible? I've done some reading and not heard anything like this. The surface is almost completely healed with just light bruising. I probably should've gotten a tetanus shot because my last one was 6 years ago. Some sites I've read say every 5 years, some every 10. And I know tetanus is more common with scratches.

Is it necessary to go to the doctor about this? I have an appt. next month, so I figure I will just wait until then and show him. I tend to worry myself by reading stuff on the internet, and with this, there doesn't seem to be much information out there. Has anyone actually dealt with cat bites, and know what to do in this case? I probably should've gotten it checked out to begin with, but the bite was very small and my cat has had her shots, and is an indoor cat. I need to head over to the behavior section to see about this erratic cat. I seriously treat her like gold. Anytime she smells another cat on me (I live with my parents who live on a farm and have several outdoor cats), she'll growl and spit. I'll have to sit and tell her calmly that there are no other cats around. She really tries my patience sometimes, esp. when she puts my health at risk.

Originally Posted by maiseycat

One respondent freaked me out by saying that you can get an infection under the skin, and it can't drain because the surface is closed. Is this possible?

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Yes, this is called an abscess. Does the area around it feel tender, warm, or look even slightly red?

It is best that you do go to a doctor for this and soon. Also, for future reference, do not use peroxide or pour anything on any sort of puncture wound as you risk pushing debris and bacteria back in.

It's great that your cat has had her shots - otherwise they may want to take her for 10 days for monitoring. But just because she's had her shots doesn't mean that all is well for you - cats, in fact all animals, have very dirty mouths. By not seeking proper medical treatment for a deep puncture wound you risk getting a very bad infection.

I'll use my step sister who was recently bit as an example - she thought it was fine and did nothing the evening she was bit. By the next morning her hand was extremely swollen, she had to be admitted to the hospital for IV antibiotics and was very lucky she didn't have to have surgery on her hand.
I have also been bitten, even with prompt and proper medical treatment it still became infected by that evening. Animal bites are nothing to put off...

Yes, this is called an abscess. Does the area around it feel tender, warm, or look even slightly red?

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No, there is no redness at all. It doesn't hurt - no tenderness or warmth. I've seen pictures of abscesses, and mine looks nothing like that. It doesn't mean that's not what it is, but you can't see a noticeable bump at all. It's when I rub my hand over my leg, I feel a slight lump near the cut mark.

It is best that you do go to a doctor for this and soon. Also, for future reference, do not use peroxide or pour anything on any sort of puncture wound as you risk pushing debris and bacteria back in.

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I read in my first aid book that puncture wounds should be flushed with lots of cool water. I was panicy and couldn't find the section in the book, so I used hydrogen peroxide instead.

Cat bites close up within a few minutes. Its very likely that you can have infection in there. I'd see the doctor as soon as possible. Cat bites (especially deep ones) are nothing to be fooling around with.

I'm assuming your cats have rabies shots, cause the doctor will need to see the proof of the cat's rabies shot and when it was given.

I hope it turns out to be nothing serious. I've been bit several times and they've been deep but I've never gone to a doctor about them. After the bite I normally squeeze the crud out of the wound to make it bleed out before cleaning it and I make it bleed atleast once a day. I think I've had the bump you're talking about. Right beside the punture mark is a small hard area?

Anyway, I hope you have proof of your kitties shots because GK is right and the doctor is going to want to see that.

Best of luck!

But since this has been like a month, if I would have an infection, wouldn't I have symptoms by now? Would it be too late to do anything if I did have an infection? I assume what he would do is give me antibiotics. I did see a doctor once for a cat bite, but that was from a stray cat, so there were other risks. All he did was give me a tetanus booster. So, since I had a tetanus shot 6 years ago and even if I had tetanus now, more than likely would already have obvious symptoms, I'm not sure if a doctor would be of any help. I see my regular doctor in 3 weeks, and if I tried to go in now, I'd likely get put with the nurse practitioner or someone that I don't trust to know what to do. Would I ask for antibiotics? Maybe I should go on antibiotics just in case. I just don't know if this is necessary since this was a month ago and the wound itself is healed. I don't have a lot of money to go into the doctor alot. I regularly see him every few months as it is because I'm on depression medication. Unless this is something that is really high risk for serious problems in the immediate future, I want to put it off. Though, if I start to feel ill or the lump doesn't heal, I'll definitely go in.

Originally Posted by ChrissyR

I hope it turns out to be nothing serious. I've been bit several times and they've been deep but I've never gone to a doctor about them. After the bite I normally squeeze the crud out of the wound to make it bleed out before cleaning it and I make it bleed atleast once a day. I think I've had the bump you're talking about. Right beside the punture mark is a small hard area?

Anyway, I hope you have proof of your kitties shots because GK is right and the doctor is going to want to see that.

Best of luck!

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Yes, I got her shots in August - rabies and feline leuk. I know I have the receipt... somewhere! ). Yeap, that's what I'm talking about - a small hard area by the puncture mark.

If in doubt, check with your doctor.
Better safe than sorry.

I would check with your doctor to be on the safe side, but it could be something as simple as scar tissue forming. For furture referance, cats bites arent anything to mess around with. Around 80% of cat bites get infected. Humans have 40,000 differant types of bacteria in their mouths while cats have over 400,000. I have had 2 bad cat bites and both became infected within 4-6 hours. The last one was about 3 weeks ago. I had to have an antibiotic injection and a tetanus shot. If you are injured in someway that could cause tetanus, the shot is only good for 2 years. Thats why I had to get another one. A friend of mine required hand surgery because of her cat bite. She was bit on the knuckle which lead to a joint infection. She was out of work for 6 weeks and had to go through physical therapy to regain the use of her hand. (Thank god for workers comp)

There certainly isnt any harm in talking with your doctor about it...

Originally Posted by maiseycat

But since this has been like a month, if I would have an infection, wouldn't I have symptoms by now?

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I was recently bitten by my kitten, and it, too has developed that same kind of bump you described. I took it to my teacher, a very good, knowledgable vet tech, and asked her if it looked okay, or was it abscessed? She said that if it was a CBA (cat bite abscess), you'd have known within a couple of days. It would have been VERY painful (I had a very small one a few months ago, too, a -real- abscess, that I, thankfully, drained and got cleaned out before it got too infected), VERY swollen and red, and it would hurt very badly if anything even LOOKED at it wrong.

So if you're really worried about it, see a doctor, but if it's clean, not painful or swollen, I wouldn't worry too much about it. However, I'm NOT a doctor, so you have to decide whether or not you think it's that bad.

My cat Cujo put my boyfriend in the hospital for 4 days. He bit down to the bone and bf got a blood infection in less than 24 hrs. Hand swelled up, had to have surgery and antibiotics for 2 weeks. Clindamycin (sp? will screw up your digestive system BAD)

You should see a doctor right away

When Lucy was a kitten i accidently scared her and she bit my leg , it was a weekend no doctors open so i ended up at A+E feeling so silly explaining my kitten had bitten me , with blood dripping all down my leg they couldnt belive a cute little kitten had done it hehe , i had to have shots as they said its an animal bite even though it was only a sweet little kitty as it could get infected , i would go get it checked out just to be on the safe side

It doesn't sound as though you need to panic. Some folks are much more susceptible to infection than others. Hubby, daughter and I all got bitten one day trying to catch a cat - hubby and I were fine, daughter got blood poisoning within 24 hours.

I got bit in the upper part of my thigh by a feral cat who got in my house from an open skylight. Long story short I was in my night shirt and as I went to pick him up he bit me in my upper thigh by my butt... I had been woken up to this situation and I was not thinking and I went back to bed(I should have put alcohol on it) about 3 days later this bite was so swollen and infected. I went to the Dr. and was put on erythryomycin, the wound had to be lanced and a drain had to be put in it. It wasn't fun. Evidentally I was infected with pasteurella.

My doctor just told me i should have washed hand with warm soapy water then use betadine all over the bitten area...

Ive heard about that pasteurella thing...i have been on augmentin tablets for infection after a cat bite on sunday...My hand is still painful but redness is fading slowly...finger movement is painful too...