how Do I tell if my cat scratch is infected :/

[anna31012]

A few weeks ago my cat was trying to get up on the bed and scratched my leg it bled a bit, and I cleaned it, but here it is a few weeks later its tender, and its buldged up a bit, my mother told me to try to get some of the liquid out, Im squeezing it and stuff is coming out but its still buldged and hurts. Please help!?!?!

 

[natalie_ca]

Stop picking and squeezing it; you will only cause an infection if you don't already have one!

Cat scratches can be very nasty.

Signs of infection. If you have any of these, go to your family doctor or a walk in clinic,  as soon as you can during their regular hours. It doesn't warrant a trip to the ER

1. If the wound begins to drain yellow or greenish fluid (pus)

2. or if the skin around the wound becomes red, warm, swollen, or increasingly painful (sounds like this is your issue)

3. Any red streaking of the skin around the wound may indicate an infection in the system that drains fluid from the tissues, called the lymph system. This infection (lymphangitis) can be serious, especially if it is accompanied by a fever.

Can you post a picture of the scratch?

 

[anna31012]

picture5978.jpg

• anna31012
• Sep 17, 2013

Its kind of bad. It happened a couple of weeks ago, but like i said something just didnt feel right about it, I get infections quiet easily.

 

[anna31012]

Its kind of bad. It happened a couple of weeks ago, but like i said something just didnt feel right about it, I get infections quiet easily.

My camera is a laptop camera it kinda sucks.

 

[natalie_ca]

It does look a bit infected.  You need to go to your doctor and get some antibiotics.  Stop picking and squeezing it. All you are doing is causing trauma to the skin and increasing the chances of infection.  It isn't a medical emergency that warrants you running out of the house in your PJs to go to the emergency room.  Just call your doctor tomorrow and tell them that you have an infected cut and need to see him/her. If they can't fit you in, go to a walk-in-clinic.

In the meantime, make sure you keep the wound clean with warm soapy water or  salt water. You can also use plain Club Soda because it's basically fizzy salty water (no, diet coke will not do it!). Don't use peroxide or rubbing alcohol.

After cleaning, apply Polysporin ointment (buy it at the drug store), and cover it with clean sterile guaze (also bought at the drug store).  Don't get the dressing wet. If it gets wet, you need to wash and dry the area again, apply more Polysporin and another clean/dry dressing.  The dressing should be changed twice a day, or more if it gets wet.

 

[anna31012]

Thank you so much for your help, maybe this one wont scar to bad :/ 

 

[natalie_ca]

Nah, not likely to leave a scar. Using what is called "moist wound healing" as I described above, tends to heal wounds faster and leave less of a scar."

I'm heading to bed now.  Night

 

[anna31012]

Night, and Thank you again! (: