Comments on: How to Treat a Cat Bite

on 12/12/2005 Almost 2 years ago our family cat bit me in the hand when I was trying to separate a fight with another cat (very dumb I know!). The bite was right in the top of my hand in the fleshy part between the thumb and next finger. I immediately washed it, but the problem with cat teeth is they are so sharp that it produces a puncture wound-infection goes in, and closes over top. All the washing in the world won't get rid of it because it's closed.

Next day, if my hand was below my heart, the pain was unbearable. It was like my hand was exploding, and I had a growing red hot circle around the wound, a couple inches in diameter. Finally I thought maybe I should go to the doctor, after reading that at least 40% of cat bites are infectious, and sure enough; the doctor took one look at it and I had to go on antibiotics.

Anything bigger then a pencil eraser is infection (like the red mark around it). Those pills made me feel so sick, but sure as heck beats having to stay in the hospital. I should also say, this wasn't even 12 hours after being bitten, so don't wait, the infection was spreading before a whole day had even passed.

on 12/12/2005 When my cat bit my thumb, I called my doctor. She said since it was a small wound (only 1 puncture mark), to let it bleed for a few minutes to help drain out bacteria, squeezing the thumb gently to encourage bleeding. She then had me apply an anti-bacterial ointment and bandage my thumb. I went to see her the next day and she gave me a Tetanus booster shot. I had a big wad of medicine in my arm for a few days, but gentle exercise and other normal daily activities helped move the lump out. I was also instructed to watch for signs of infection, such as swelling, additional pain, and discoloration.

on 11/22/2005 I was bitten by an injured cat, one who had been run over. We had the suffering animal put to sleep, although the animal left me with a problem. The cat bit my right hand, nearest my thumb. It began to swell, redden and throb. The next morning I had puss oozing from the wound and red streaks began to travel up my forearm from the bite. This is infection spreading through the body-GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM if this happens. I had no idea this was infection from the wound spreading through my body. Definitely get evaluated by a doctor if this occurs. Antibiotics (oral) were prescribed and a tetanus shot. Could have been worse!

on 11/22/2005 You may need to put a wet towel around the wound for 24 hours. The doctor told me to do this. I had to also get antibiotics to make the infection go away.

on 11/22/2005 I got a deep cat bite in the ball of my hand. I immediately washed it out with the full force of an outdoor hose sprayer. It was painful and I had to squeeze out the water that had collected in the wound. I then put alcohol and TriBiotic ointment on it and soaked it in warm soapy water every day.

on 11/22/2005 I got bit by a cat and was talking to the nurse at urgent care. She said you shouldn't use Neosporin because a large amount of people suffer bad reactions from it. I never knew that, but it's just as well to stay away from it. Try using Bacitracin instead.

on 11/22/2005 If you have been bitten on the hand by a cat and your hand starts to get red or you get streaks up your arm, go to the doctor! You will need antibiotics.

on 11/22/2005 If you are bitten, and the wound is deeper than just a small break in the skin, go to an Emergency room as soon as possible. Cats have sharp teeth and a bacteria in their mouths called pasteurella. When they bite hard, their sharp teeth act almost like a needle puncture pushing the pasteurella deep into the muscle. Because their teeth are also small, the wound may close over right away, trapping the bacteria in. Pasteurella is an anaerobic bacteria - it grows in the absence of oxygen. The infection happens very quickly and can be very painful, even when properly treated. If you are bitten and think the wound is deep, seek treatment immediately. It will save you a lot of pain.

on 11/22/2005 If a cat bite breaks the skin, go to the doctor immediately!

on 11/22/2005 I thought because I was already taking penicillin when one of my cats bit me, I would be OK. Wrong thought! Please, have a doctor look at your wound. I ended up with 3 courses of IV treatments plus antibiotics pills for 10 days. I waited 3 days before going to the emergency room. The doctor there said I was very lucky!

on 11/22/2005 My cat bit me, it was just his knee-jerk reaction to me trying to cut his hair. I wasn't really mad, just in a lot of pain on my middle finger for about 2 days! I squeezed my finger to drain the wound of any bacteria (it only bled for about 5 minutes). I cleaned the wound with alcohol and a cotton ball. I applied Polysporin to avoid infection, and placed a small ball of cotton over the bite. I then applied a bandage around the entire wound. I reapplied the bandage and Polysporin for 2 days (more often, if the bandage got wet). It's the third day since the incident and the healing is taking place. I'm all cured of my little cat bite. I got the Polysporin advice from a doctor, who said it's better than Neosporin. Polysporin is a topical antibiotic used for minor wounds. My fiancé recently used Polysporin to prevent infection on a mole that he had removed by his doctor. Sure enough, the scab is forming pretty good and his removal wound was a lot worse than my little cat bite.

on 11/22/2005 I was biten by a cat 4 months ago and have a huge scar to remind me. It is very important to wash immediatly and I found massaging the damaged muscle (if it is damaged, only after the wound is healed)will help the healing.

on 11/22/2005 After being bitten, I rapidly developed swelling and a lot of pain. It was determined it was a staph infection and became quite serious. I was treated with IV antibiotics 3 times a day for 5 days and oral for 10 days more. This can VERY serious.

on 11/22/2005 My mother was once scratched by my cat. The scratch became very red and itched a lot. She went to the doctor and found out she had cat scratch fever. This is very rare, but remember that you CAN get it! So please look out!!