What to Do When a Cat Bites You
Renee DiPietro, CVT
Veterinary Information Specialist, Permitted Wildlife Rehabilitator
Did you know that a bite from your furry friend Felis domesticus (house cat), tin have dire consequences? As a person who very recently spent 3 days hospitalized on IV antibiotics for a true cat bite, I thought I would share a little public service warning. If your cat, or whatever other cat for that matter ever bites you, don't take it lightly or endeavour to care for this injury at dwelling.
A couple of weeks ago I was bitten by a cat in the upper arm while working at a veterinary clinic. I cleaned the wounds well and then went straight to an urgent care facility every bit my own health care provider had no appointments available until the end of the day. Knowing what can happen if a true cat bite goes untreated I chose urgent care. I cleaned the bites well, immediately. Within 2 hours of the bite I had been examined, treated, and started on oral antibiotics. For the residue of the day the estrus and pain in and around the seize with teeth wounds grew. By evening I started to experience unwell merely I attributed this to the anti-biotics. Past bed fourth dimension I was running a low- grade fever and the spreading redness and estrus on my arm indicated that the bite wounds had become infected. We headed to the ER.
Now this is not my get-go cat seize with teeth rodeo, or even my starting time infected cat bite rodeo. (Studies show that l % of true cat bites become infected) I have been bitten by cats, dogs, horses, hamsters, eagles, turtles, and fifty-fifty taloned by an owl during my career. I have ever taken these wounds in stride equally part of my occupation. This incident was different and more than astringent than I personally have ever experienced, only it not an uncommon event among cat seize with teeth victims. I am going to tell you why.
The bacterial flora in a cat's oral cavity include some nasty anaerobic leaner (thriving where oxygen is not present). The most mutual offender in the cat's mouth is Pasteurella multocida. This bacteria is also nowadays in the mouths of other animals that bite, but in cats the potential for this pathogen to cause serious infection is amplified by feline dental structure when a true cat seize with teeth occurs. Cat's teeth are sharp, similar a needle. When a true cat bites you they basically inject this ambitious pathogen (and others) deep into your tissue. This plunges the leaner right into a warm, nighttime, depression oxygen environment which is optimal for the development of infection. From there, an aggressive cellulitis (skin infection) can take root and spread chop-chop. Additional complications tin include Osteomyelitis (bone infection), Sepsis, (a life threatening systemic response to infection), chronic local infection, disfigurement etc. Treatment for infected cat bites oftentimes requires hospitalization, handling with IV antibiotics, surgery, and in rare cases amputations.
Studies have found that up to xc% of domestic cats carry Pasteurella in their mouths.
A Mayo Dispensary study on infected true cat bites found that 72 % of people hospitalized immediately after presentation to an ER for an infected cat bite required surgery as part of their medical treatment.
I am still on antibiotics, and the jury is withal out on whether I will be having surgery.
Some other significant concern when one is bitten by a true cat, or any mammal, is the animal'southward vaccine status and potential to transmit Rabies. Cats, like all other mammals tin can be infected with and carry Rabies. This neurologic virus if left untreated is almost always fatal. If yous recall the higher up described infection sounds bad, contracting Rabies would exist astronomically worse. One time symptoms appear the chance for a good outcome (one where you don't die) is basically naught.
Rabies is a public health take chances and if you are bitten by an unvaccinated mammal it is taken very seriously. The cat that bit me was non vaccinated. I take been vaccinated for Rabies for over 20 years and have always had expert titers when checked every two years to make sure the vaccine was still protective in my system. Regardless of this, while in the ER I received rabies post exposure handling. Fun times. For me this included several injections of Homo Rabies Immune Globulin. They desire to get this as close as they tin to any potential Rabies virus particles in the seize with teeth wounds. In my case this meant that the injections were injected all around the seize with teeth wounds in the infected surface area. Can you say ouch? After that I also received a booster to my rabies vaccine and so 2 more boosters on days 2 and four after the bite. So much fun.
You can observe pictures of my ain personal incident at the bottom of this article. If you are squeamish y'all may want to avoid them. If you cull to await, you will come across where the nurses in the hospital drew circles on my arm to track the infection as information technology spread.
Long story brusque, avert cat bites at all costs. It is not worth the chance. How tin y'all practice this? With your own true cat at home it is important to teach them from kitten hood that bitter is not okay, even during play. It is best not to encourage crude play that involves your hands or other body parts with a kitten or adult cat.
For tips on educational activity your cat or kitten not to bite, consult with your veterinarian or a pet behaviorist. Practise not try medical procedures (taking a temperature for example) or significant grooming procedures on your ain true cat without help, (preferably professional person experience) or proper training in cat restraint.
For your ain safe, avoid petting cats on the street that you practice not know, no matter how friendly they seem. If yous are attempting to rescue a cat, wear thick gloves when treatment it and have it examined immediately by a licensed veterinary.
If you are bitten by a cat, wash the wound immediately with soap and water, and so immediately seek medical intendance. This is non something to play with. As evidenced by my story, even a cat bite treated immediately tin can become a serious health consequence.
So…. love your wonderful feline friend, help that homeless kitten, but for goodness sake, avoid those teeth!
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7061808
https://www.sepsis.org/sepsis-and/sepsis-creature-bites/
https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/medical_care/index.html
https://www.minnpost.com/second-opinion/2014/02/cat-bites-hand-tin-crusade-serious-infections-mayo-study-finds
Source: https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/blog/cat-bite-an-incident-not-to-be-taken-lightly/
0 Response to "What to Do When a Cat Bites You"
Post a Comment