Cat Scratch

Last night as I was walking down the hall, Dori attacked my leg and scratched it pretty bad. It bled some, but I didn't pay too much attention to it. When I woke up this morning it was very puffy and red looking. The scratch is about 2 inches long and the middle area is the worst.Possibly infected? I figured I would just get some Neosporin on it and it would be fine, but I talked to my Mom this morning and she said if a cat scratch gets infected it's always a good idea to get it looked at.... Is that true, or is it safe to treat it with Neosporin?

I would treat it with Neosporin and watch it. Puffy and red are usually signs of irritation from being scratched.

If ~any~ scratch gets infected, get it looked at.

Sandy

If you want to see if it is infected, try hydrogen peroxide - if it is infected, it will bubble.

When I get scratched, I normally have puffiness and redness as well.

If you start getting feverish, swollen glands or swollen lumps under your arm, get to a doctor. There isn't a week go by where I don't get a scratch somewhere from my cats or puppies (where it swells and turns red) and simply clean it out as I would any wound. Wear it as a badge of honor! LOL

I get scratches from her all the time but normally from her teeth. They are usually small and by the next day are almost healed. I posted yesterday that she has finally "discovered she has claws" and has been utilizing them to the best of her ability. I normally pay no attention to the scratches, this one just looks yucky. I will use peroxide to clean it when I get home then use the neosporin. I think I am going to use this weekend to research all the posts on agression and try to get it under control. So hopefully there won't be any more of these attacks. She came barreling down the hall and attached herself to my leg, silly cat. I also need to get her nails trimmed up this weekend to, that will be my Saturday chore.

Ouch! Tania i know the feeling, but you still love her

Hope it heals quickly though.

#1 Don't wait if you suspect an infection from a cat scratch or bite. It can proceed into a systemic infection called cellulitis in a matter of hours. Once it gets to that stage, the patient is usually pretty sick. Clean it and get a Neosporin type antibiotic on it ASAP. Keep it clean and open. If you should begin to run a fever or notice any red streaks on your leg other than the scratch get to an ER or your Doctor STAT. Time is of the essence.

#2 Hydrogen Peroxide is a great antiseptic, but it doesn't foam because there is infection present. The reason why it foams is because blood and cells contain an enzyme called catalase. Since a cut or scrape contains both blood and damaged cells, there is lots of catalase floating around.

When the catalase comes in contact with hydrogen peroxide, it turns the hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen gas. The release of the oxygen gas creates the foam.

Please don't wait on this. I don't want to alarm you, but Jeff was bitten by one of our elderly cats a few years ago and came within just a few hours of losing his hand and part of his arm. We see about 2-3 cases of cellulitis a week through the ER, and they're hard to treat effectively without the use of heavy duty antibiotics like clindamycin, and failing those being effective, surgery becomes the only option.

Take care




Sue