My cat bit me...my arm is red and swollen

About 4 days ago one of my cats bit me on my arm. He is a one
year old, playful kitten (neutered) that sometimes likes to "gum"
my arm, but had never actually bitten to the point of me really feeling
it. This time he made some marks, but I didn't really notice that he
had punctured the skin.

The next morning I had a small red mark around the area (the forearm)
and the skin was sensitive to the touch. I took some pain pills, put some
lotion on it. The next day the red area was much larger, but there was
really no pain.

Today the redness covers about half of my forearm and there is
more pain, especially if I do something that puts pressure on the arm.

I've always been sensitive to insect bites. This is really the first time
I can recall being bitten by an animal.

Is this something I need to see a doctor about?

If not, any suggestions on what to put on the arm. The bite marks are
pretty much gone by now, but the redness is there more than ever.
Look almost like a sunburn
Thanks

If it is swollen, warm to the touch, and even painful, it may be infected. You may have to take antibiotics.
If it looks like a rash, it's probably a nasty allergic reaction.
Either way, it is best to consult a doctor.

Yes, go to the doctor!! Cat and dog bites can cause huge problems. I don't want to alarm you, but I know of 4 people that were bitten by their own dogs (usually in a playful manner or one was trying to get their dog away from another dog that was attacking); one had surgery, two were in the hospital with IV antibiotics, and one ended up with some blood infections.

Your bite may be nothing more than a little bite that doesn't cause a problem, but I would have it check out ASAP.

I got bit last year on my wrist 3 hours later I couldn't even move it,I think she bite the bone, I'm thin and it doesn't take much. Yes I went to Urgant care, they said I needed a tetnus shot and antibotics, it got pretty bad, It took several days for it to start feeling better, It didn't bleed when she bite me, I understand that causes more bacteria in the wound

Yes, a doctor's attention is certainly warranted here. If you haven't already gone and still have the chance to read this before you do go, you might want to have the following things handy in case you need them.

Your vet's name, address and telephone number
The date of your cat's most recent vaccination for rabies (preferably in writing in the form of a certificate signed by your vet showing that your cat is current for this vaccine)

You may not need these things now, but all medical personnel must report animal bites to the local authorities. It is best that you have them handy.

Best of luck,

~gf~

Yes, go to the emergency room right away. You may have a pasteurella infection and need to be treated with antibiotics right away.

Have the cat's rabies vaccination paperwork with you.

Thanks for the advice.

Just got back from the local Urgent Care Center. They told me this was
not unusual for them and that I would have probably saved myself some
pain and suffering if I had come on day 1 or 2 instead of day 4. Some day
I'll learn this lesson.

They gave me these big horse pills called augmentin, which I have to
take 2 times a day for a week. If the arm isn't better in 2 days I have
to go back and they'll try another antibiotic, but they thought this would
do the trick.

As I was leaving the smart as* doctor asked if I wanted him to give
me a presciption for the cat!

oooooohhhh could be cat scratch fever!!!!! I got a staph infection from being bitten by an old kidney cat!

They said it was cat scratch fever. Had the red lines up my arms and all!!!

Originally Posted by KatsDad

Thanks for the advice.

Just got back from the local Urgent Care Center. They told me this was
not unusual for them and that I would have probably saved myself some
pain and suffering if I had come on day 1 or 2 instead of day 4. Some day
I'll learn this lesson.

They gave me these big horse pills called augmentin, which I have to
take 2 times a day for a week. If the arm isn't better in 2 days I have
to go back and they'll try another antibiotic, but they thought this would
do the trick.

As I was leaving the smart as* doctor asked if I wanted him to give
me a presciption for the cat!

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Augmentin is Amoxiciline (I think it's written like that, I'm translating from Spanish). It's a basic antibiotic, and the same they use for cats, with a different dosis of course

Originally Posted by Siamese_Jen

oooooohhhh could be cat scratch fever!!!!! I got a staph infection from being bitten by an old kidney cat!

They said it was cat scratch fever. Had the red lines up my arms and all!!!

Click to expand...

Our daughter had these marks up her arm when she got bitten a few years ago - she was on antibiotics for what our doctor called blood poisoning but maybe they call blood poisoning Cat Scratch Fever in your part of the world.

As I was leaving the smart as* doctor asked if I wanted him to give

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Well perhaps this expirience will teach you that in the future a cat bite is NOT something to mess around with. People have lost fingers

In the future, if it happens again, you need to scrub it for 5 minutes using an antibacterial soap [if you could get some bedadine for emergencies that would work] and then you need to flush it, or pour on tons of hydrogen peroxide on it. Depending on the severity you want to let it bleed, so it's necessary to pick any scabs off after they form. Usually if you want wash it out really well you shouldn't have to go see a doctor. Although it's always good to get antibiotics.

Either way, I'm glad you got some help! Hey, maybe that doctor could have hooked your kitty up with some tranquilizers or something, j/k

Hope you have a good recovery!

After being bitten by my own cat years ago, and developing a very nasty infection in my leg, despite immediately washing it out and applying Betadine, I'd advise anybody bitten by a cat to go to a doctor or the ER the same day.
A friend almost died, and did lose his leg, after getting an extremely bad staph infection three years ago (source unknown). Since you could get one from a cat bite, it's best not to take any chances.

Cat Scratch Fever is different from the red streaks up your arm. Cat scratch fever will make you pretty sick for a while but you won't die from it. Red streaks mean pasteurella infection, which causes blood poisoning. This can kill you or cause you to lose the affected body part. Any sign of redness, warmth, or swelling related to a cat bite means an immediate trip to the emergency room.

I remember when I was bitten a couple of yrs ago-I had to watch for streaks on my arm in spite of the antibiotics!!! It was bad enough that couldn't see the doctor until 4 hrs after being bitten-I can't imagine delaying that visit once bitten.

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I am responding to Plebayo. You can' t have cats, because kittens especially will shred you every chance they get (they are kittens. I would have been in the bathroom 95% of the time!!!

Joanie6 said:

 

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I am responding to Plebayo. You can' t have cats, because kittens especially will shred you every chance they get (they are kittens. I would have been in the bathroom 95% of the time!!!

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This thread hasn't been active in 10 years.  

After fostering over 30 kittens and having cats my whole life. .I got bit by a mama cat. It was my fault. Those hormones! After 48 hours I saw doctor and got antibiotics and tetnus shot. Five days after bit..two days of meds..site of bite still swollen. Wow. I cleaned it throughly..happened next to bathroom sink..so within seconds it was flushed..sooo.I am a healthy woman with no immune disorders..am quite hardy and don't get infections...please..as a cat person..if you get bit..and see blood..even a drop..see a doctor and take the antibiotics..

Although this info is always useful to have, I must again point out that this thread is over 10years old.