Deep Cat Bite

Originally Posted by jennyranson

But the next day at the doctor's I was given a cocktail of antibiotics - Flagyl and Pyosticin to take for 6 days.

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Eww, flagyl. Watch out for side effects on that one, its a very tough med to handle. It's in my medical files that I cannot take it due to how sensitive to it I am. One good thing about taking it with another antibiotic, though, is that it will kill off the bad bacteria in your digestive tract and prevent some nasty overgrowth that potentially make you very very sick.


Note to anyone on strong antibiotics. If any time in the next few months after taking those antibiotics you get "stomach flu" with terrible diarrhea and a fever, go to your doctor and make sure they take a stool sample. It could save your life or at the very least prevent serious damage to your colon.

ouch that sounds like it hurt a lot. I would think if your cat was vaccinated your chances of getting something arent very high but it is hard to say. I usually do aquick internet search for research. It always helps me a lot.

Originally Posted by Krazycatlover

I would think if your cat was vaccinated your chances of getting something arent very high but it is hard to say.

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You can't vaccinate against bacteria, even your own mouth is full of it - it's all over your hands, skin, and clothes. That said, rabies is the last thing she has to worry about - when was the last time anyone had their vaccinated house cat catch it? However, hospitals and CDC don't use common sense. If there's no records of vaccinations presented (and sometimes when there is) they assume the animal is infected and require a 10 day quarantine.

I think I've said this before, but I'll say it again. Alcohol strips off the top layer of cells and will cause the wound to heal much slower than what it would have without the alcohol. Never use alcohol on a wound.

http://ajpheart.physiology.org/cgi/c...ll/289/3/H1084

Here is a study that was done on mice in regards to wound healing and alcohol use.

If I may suggest... please remember Lee (Persi & Alley) and his recent cautionary tale:

1. Lee told the ER doctor that it was his cat who bit him, and the city "arrested" the cat and put him in quarantine.

2. The doctor gave Lee an antibiotic as a matter of course -- and it almost killed him. Be sure the doctor considers your general state of health before deciding whether to give preventive treatment.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Note to anyone on strong antibiotics. If any time in the next few months after taking those antibiotics you get "stomach flu" with terrible diarrhea and a fever, go to your doctor and make sure they take a stool sample. It could save your life or at the very least prevent serious damage to your colon.

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Are you talking about c-diff?

^ Yep.
It put me in the hospital for 4 days a couple weeks ago. Some people are normally carriers for this bacteria (I definitely am now), others can pick it up anywhere. I now have to be careful for the rest of my life with antibiotics as I risk it flaring up again - wonderful thing to think about with surgery coming up the 1st.

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

If I may suggest... please remember Lee (Persi & Alley) and his recent cautionary tale:

1. Lee told the ER doctor that it was his cat who bit him, and the city "arrested" the cat and put him in quarantine.

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Apparently that was only because it happened in a hotel room and there was no private place, such as a house for Persi to be quarantined in. Had it happened at his house instead of a hotel, I think he said that Persi would have been able to be quarantined at home instead of at the vets.

Originally Posted by AbbysMom

Are you talking about c-diff?

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An hour ago, I'd never heard of it -- but they just did the story on NBC News. And I'm vindicated at last! I've been railing against those "hand sanitizers" for years, for precisely this reason.

Strange_wings, I'm so sorry it happened to you!

anyways back from the doctor. They basically sat me in a room and had me soak my finger in a 5% bleach solution for an hour. And then had a doctor come take a look. Said it didn't look infected and prescribed me some antibiotics in case.

So looks like luck was on my side this time. Now to pop a pill once every 12 hours for a week and I should be set ^__^.

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

i actually know of a person who died from a cat bite. i don't know all of the details because he started working at the humane society after i left, but i was told by an old co-worker. he was bit by a stray cat and he didn't pay attention to the infection i guess. anyway, he had trouble breathing one day about a week or a little more after the bite and went into the hospital. the infection had moved to his heart and he died. i was completely shocked when i heard that. so, please, please, please be SUPER careful if you are ever bitten by a cat! i was bitten once, at the humane society (it was my job to look at all the new "stray" cats coming in to look for matches with the lost cats - i was the lost and found dept!) i went straight back to the clinic and washed it with 3 different things!

Originally Posted by Fuzzles

I think I've said this before, but I'll say it again. Alcohol strips off the top layer of cells and will cause the wound to heal much slower than what it would have without the alcohol. Never use alcohol on a wound.

http://ajpheart.physiology.org/cgi/c...ll/289/3/H1084

Here is a study that was done on mice in regards to wound healing and alcohol use.

Click to expand...

I haven't heard this about alcohol, but I've definitely heard it about hydrogen peroxide. I was appalled to hear my SIL's doctor advised her to clean her c-section incision with peroxide. The latest advice I've heard is that it's okay to clean with alcohol or peroxide initially but after that, soap and water only and to seek medical attention if it seems infected.

At the last cat volunteer meeting at the shelter, we were discussing cat bites/scratches and proper care if it happens. Someone told a story about a co-worker's husband who'd recently gotten scratched by their cat. The cat was on his lap, and got startled by a noise. The cat jumped off, pushing off his legs with his back claws, causing some semi-deep scratches. The husband cleaned it with soap and water and the next day it was bright red, swollen and painful. He went to the hospital and found out whatever bacteria was on the cat's claws had gone straight into his bloodstream. He was in the hospital for 2 weeks while they tried to fight the infection. They had to do surgery and he almost had to have the leg amputated. He lived, has all his limbs, but they had to get rid of the cats because he'll be immune-deficient for the rest of his life and they can't risk him getting wounded again. The cats were like their children and they're just heartbroken over it.

I never used to clip cat's back claws, but that story convinced me! Albus is completely indoors so he really doesn't need them and I only cut the sharpest points off- not as short as I do the front.

So scary!

Lsanders, was the cat whose scratch caused this terrible infection an outdoor kitty? Did they ever identify exactly what the infectious agent was?

I ask because I get scratched all the time, just by accident (no vicious kitties here!), and I do get redness and pain now and then, but it always goes away on its own. So I think maybe keeping our kitties indoors-only is protecting us from the really serious infectious agents.

Or is that just wishful thinking? It concerns me, because my mom is 83, and her skin has thinned so that she gets scratched very easily. So far so good, but... one hates to rely on luck alone. If there's anything more you can tell us, I'd sure like to know!

I was cat sitting several months back and one of my neighbor's stud males got spooked and dug into my wrist when I was moving him, narrowly missing the artery! I remembered what the groomer at the vet had told me, and decided to try it for the initial treatment, and would seek medical care later if needed.

She recommended running a sink or filling a basin with water as hot as you could stand it, and then adding a generous amount of bleach. Soak the affected part in it until the water cooled to tepid. Then wash with soap and water, apply antibiotic ointment and dress it loosely.

I did all that, and sprayed some colloidal silver on the wounds prior to dressing them as well. I did have some minor swelling and oozing, along with aching from the traumatized tissue itself, but no infection set in. The wounds healed without a scar.

I will reiterate that I was prepared to seek further medical attention if needed. I have a history of severe allergies to most antibiotics so I'm careful to attempt to use them only if ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. Luckily, none of that was needed. I do believe the early treatment with bleach water is a good one!

Cally

Bleach does kill practically everything. Which is why I use is as a sterilizing cleaner (plus bleach water is one of the cheapest things to clean with). My trials with C. diff proved how important it can be.

Indoors or outdoors, your cats will pick up plenty of bacteria. Your home is teeming with it, there's really little you can do for the most part. Some of the most dangerous bacterias naturally live on our skin, in our mouths, noses, and bodies. I might also add, this is why its best to keep your bathroom door shut or close the toilet lid - so you don't give your cat anything.

My hand, when bitten, was soaked in betadine diluted with saline. The scratches never got infected, just hurt a lot and took a while to heal because they were on my arm. In fact, any cuts I've ever hand that have started to get infected haven't been cat scratches. They're usually cuts/scrapes I've gotten outside, paper cuts, and from splinters. Grass cuts are nasty. Cat scratches seem to be open enough (and more of a tear then cut) that air, soap, and ointment can get down in them. But there's always the unlucky few. The guy that had to get rid of all his cats could get a paper cut or scrape from a stick outside tomorrow and end up with a serious infection.

i have had to have ab's after a couple of cat bites - I have a very aggressive foster in at the moment and covered in bites and scratches, fortunately i have been lucky with her so far, as I pull back incredibly quickly so they aren't very deep, but check them all numerous times a day to be on the safe side.

pee-cleaner, I hope you are aware of one of the worst side effects of colloidal silver - turning the skin blue? This is a permanent condition. I saw pictures a year ago of some people who had turned blue from usuig this. Until then, I was under the impression that using it had gone out of fashion decades ago.

Ahh, yes, if I were to drink quarts of colloidal silver on a daily basis, for months or years, I would be blue. However, a few spritzes from a diluted bottle, used externally, once in a very great while has simply left me with my usual pasty white skin.

Silver is an old remedy, but still has its uses, when used judiciously. Too much of a good thing....

Thanks for your concern.

Cally

Like I said...cat bites are dangerous! Until you've had surgery (micro surgery at that) from a bite, you'll know what I'm talking about!

The problem with cat bites is a combination of the large amount of bacteria present and the shape of their teeth (especially the 'fangs'.) Their teeth are like little hypodermic needles when they bite you, injecting the bacteria deep into your skin. Additionally due to the small size of the teeth the wound may close and trap the bacteria. Cat bite infections can quickly become serious (you can lose a limb.)
I would be sure to scrub any cat bites thoroughly and immediately and see a doctor as they may prescribe antibiotics as a precaution.