Cat Bite

jay116

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Jan 13, 2014
Messages
2
Purraise
1
I was bitten by a stray cat yesterday, it broke the skin on my finger in three places and it didn't stop bleeding for almost thirty minutes, can I get some kind of disease from this bite?
 

denice

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Feb 7, 2006
Messages
18,822
Purraise
13,097
Location
Columbus OH
Since it was a stray rabies would be a concern.  Is it a stray that hangs around the area so that it can be quarantined?  You do need to get a tetanus shot.  Cat bites are notorious for getting infected but since it bled a lot this wouldn't as much of a concern as usual.
 

stephanietx

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
14,761
Purraise
3,484
Location
Texas
Yes you can as well as a nasty infection.  Get to the doctor immediately to get an antibiotic.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

jay116

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Jan 13, 2014
Messages
2
Purraise
1
Thank you for the responses
 

pushylady

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jul 26, 2005
Messages
16,398
Purraise
451
Location
Canada
My own cat bit me badly once and it was one of the worse bites I've ever had. Definitely something to take seriously and you may need antibiotics.
 

white shadow

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 28, 2010
Messages
3,098
Purraise
2,982
Location
CA
A timely coincidence.........from Dr. Karen's blog today:
 ​
 

cprcheetah

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 23, 2013
Messages
1,887
Purraise
149
Location
Bountiful, UTah
Definitely got to a Dr, cat bites can get severe quite quickly.  Any chance of catching the cat so it can be observed for Rabies?
 

djg1028

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Apr 1, 2014
Messages
1
Purraise
3
I'm reading the posts about cat bites from my bed in the emergency room, hooked up to an IV. Don't play around with a cat bite that looks even mildly infected. My cat bit me Sunday afternoon, by Monday morning my hand was doubled in size. On the way to work stopped at a walk in clinic. They gave me a tetanus shot and an antibiotic shot.

The next morning (today) the swelling had lessened, but the redness began spreading. Saw my regular physician and bingo, here I am. Had quite an education on cat bites. They can be extremely dangerous and if not treated promptly can go south very quickly.

They say I probably have more than one type of bacteria, so I'm being treated with various IV antibiotics. They won't know exactly whats going on until the cultures come back. So they'll be taking me to a room shortly. Just told me that I'd be meeting with an infectious disease dr tomorrow.

All of this from my sweet cat that has all his shots, and has never been outside or around other animals.

Cat bite = Dr visit. Don't mess around!
 

furmonster mom

Lap #2
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 14, 2013
Messages
2,764
Purraise
3,959
Location
Mohave Desert
It is important to flush a cat bite under running water as quickly as possible.  If it is bleeding a lot, that is actually a good thing.  Keep it under running water for as long as you can stand it.

Wash with antibacterial soap.

You can also use an epsom salt compress to help draw out bacteria.  This is nothing more than a cloth dipped in a solution of epsom salt and water, wrung, and applied to the wound.

Keep a close eye on it.  If it swells more than a normal bruise, gets hot, or red lines start radiating from the site, get to a doc ASAP.
 
Top