Children are also most at risk of bites from older children. This is especially true if you've been bitten by a cat. “See a doctor within eight hours to cut your infection risk,” says emergency medicine physician Stephen Sayles III, MD. Cat-scratch fever symptoms typically occur three to thirty days after the bite, with most cases developing in the first one to two weeks. Or, in some states, they can slap you with a fine for endangering your health and the health of others. 4.Report the Bite. You should always have a human bite checked by a pediatrician. Rather than wait the whole 12-24 hours, try to see a doctor in the ER within eight hours of the bite happening, as immediate cleansing and treatment can reduce the chance of infection. Cat bites are scary. If the cat is yours, check your records to see when it was last vaccinated. Even if the cat looked healthy, you should still go to the doctor if you can confirm that the cat … Prescribe antibiotics, such as Augmentin, if there’s an infection concern. Determine whether the wound needs stitches. Many years ago my husband came close to losing his hand over a cat bite. Cleveland Clinic © 1995-2021. Ok, I have been bitten many times by cats with no cause to worry but it is highly recommended that you go to your doctor or the ER as soon as … Cat bites account for 5% to 10% of animal bite wounds.1 Cat bites occur most often in adult women, usually on the extremities. This will help decrease your risk of contracting an infection. Ah, cats. Call your doctor as soon as possible to help cut the risk for infection. So monitor the bite site and your body for symptoms. Please don’t pull and leave all orifices to veterinary professionals). So, of course, you want to avoid a cat bite, but how do you know when a cat is going to bite? Almost all of these bites are self-reported as provoked. I live in Virginia. Mostly because we didn't' know how serious it could be and go to the doctor the minute it started to hurt. Getting a bite that is deep, large, and/or that caused a laceration large enough to require stitches. Treating a Cat Bite January 22, 2009 9:19 AM Subscribe. If the bite punctures a person’s skin, the bacteria then gets into the individual’s tissue and bloodstream. When they bite people, they transfer that bacteria from their mouths to people’s skin. A doctor will typically prescribe antibiotics. To be on the safe side, I think you should generally contact your doctor promptly—within six to eight hours—if you've been bitten on the face or hand, even if the bite seems minor. Troy Madsen takes us step-by-step through what physicians do when a patient with abdominal pain comes into the ER and what signs you can look for at home when deciding whether to go to the hospital. I am still on antibiotics, and the jury is still out on whether I will be having surgery. Kidney Problems In Cats: Test Your Know-How With Our Quiz! Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Next, wash the wound with mild soap and water. Your doctor will likely do the following: Remember, it’s important to act quickly if you get a cat bite. This makes it difficult to clean the site, which makes the area susceptible to infection. In their mouths, all cats carry a large number of bacteria that are capable of causing tissue infections in bite wounds. Clean the wound again and apply antibiotic ointment. If the cat's rabies vaccine status is known and is current, the cat will usually be placed under a short quarantine, ranging from 10-14 days. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. Allergic reactions often cause hives, but that's not a reason to go to the ER. However, they can also bite or scratch if spooked or if they get defensive. Cats hide their clinical signs of disease until it’s really severe, and by the time that you notice that they are hiding, it’s often really advanced, potentially end-stage disease.Some sure signs to bring your cat to the ER include: While this list isn’t complete, it’s a good initial guideline. In the study, researchers identified 193 Mayo Clinic patients with cat bites to the hand from January 1, 2009, through 2011. If it is a cat bite, the doctor is obligated by law to report the bite. 5 Tricky Conditions You Might THINK are Hairballs, Difficulty breathing (like open-mouth breathing, panting, or a respiratory rate over fifty breaths/minute [hint: count the number of breaths in fifteen seconds and multiple by four to get the total breaths per minute]), Straining or making multiple trips to the litter box, Excessive grooming “back there” with the penis sticking out (seriously – this is really dangerous and is typically a feline urethral obstruction or urinary blockage, which I’ll talk about in a future blog), Lack of urine in the litter box for more than 36 hours, Profuse vomiting (more than 2-3 times in a night), Sitting over the water bowl and not moving. The nicest cat in the world. Cats can introduce staphylococcus aureus, campylobacteriosis or pasteurella bacteria into your body. Currently dealing with cat bite (anterior & posterior of thumb as in article) that within hours showed infection & within 12 hours was so swollen had to go to Emergency room. Cats carry a plethora of bacteria in their mouths that cause nasty infections. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. Talk to Your Neighbors about the Incident. I would go if your finger appears and feels like it's majorly infected (excessive pain, redness, swelling). Can you wait to take Felix to your veterinarian in the morning? Not all tick bites will result in a tick-transmitted disease. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. This next piece of advice should be handled with care, so … Justine has more than 18 years of experience in the veterinary industry and is a board-certified emergency critical care veterinary specialist and toxicologist as well as the CEO and founder of Vetgirl. Cats. What if your cat still continues to vomit multiple times all night? If your cat is hiding, seek immediate veterinary advice. Contributors: Krista Williams, BSc, DVM; Ernest Ward, DVM Veterinarian approved Behavior Support products View Now SEE MORE: If You Are Hospitalized For a Cat Bite Dog bite wounds tend to be large and gape open; these wounds are easy to clean, and infection can drain away. Cat bites can be dangerous both to other animals and to humans. If a bite occurs, emergency care may be necessary in the following situations: Cat bites: Cat bites can easily become infected, especially when they happen on the hand or near a joint. A bite, scratch or even the saliva of an infected cat can pass it along. Slow the bleeding with a clean cloth and apply over-the-counter antibiotic cream if you have it. Why Was the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Paused and Should I Be Worried? “See a doctor within eight hours to cut your infection risk,” says emergency medicine physician Stephen Sayles III, MD . “After you see your doctor, change the bandage several times a day,” he says. Learn more about vaccine availability. posted by changeling at 10:00 AM on January 22, 2009 . Signs of infection include swelling, redness, oozing puss and fever. Wild Animal Bites – Wild animal bites need to be treated immediately by a medical professional. Despite the name, it’s way more likely to get cat-scratch fever from a bite than a scratch, although it’s possible to get it either way if the cat happens to have some bacteria in its paws. Cats are loved and respected by many cultures across the world. You won’t regret playing it too safe with your fuzzy feline.Anyone out there have a different emergency to share about your cat? If you contract the campylobacter infection, symptoms may include stomach cramps, fever, nausea and diarrhea. Seriously. This means that they may come and take the cat and quarantine him for 60 days to watch for rabies. Infections can lead to cellulitis, an infection of the skin and underlying tissues, or … Their razor-sharp teeth and nails can puncture deeply, sometimes penetrating tissues, ligaments and tendons. Feelings of fever and any pus coming from the bite are also major indicators of infection so don’t ignore a bite! Keep the wound bandaged until you see your doctor. Simply allow the emergency veterinarian to cop a feel of your cat’s bladder, and voila… if they don’t think your cat is blocked, they may “triage” you away to your family vet the next day.When in doubt, it’s always safer to heed the side of caution, right? Cats have narrow, sharp teeth so their bites can puncture the skin without leaving much of a mark. The bite site may be a little red. She is also a founding member of IDEXX’s Pet Health Network team. Being bitten by a cat. Be aware that cats don’t often show signs of this infection, so it may be hard to tell just by looking at it. A Mayo Clinic study on infected 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. When these cats bite or scratch you, the clock starts to tick. Then, wrap the wound in a sterile bandage. A serious infection can develop 24-48 hours after being bitten. According to a Mayo Clinic review of records for 193 cat bite victims, 36 were immediately admitted to the hospital, where they stayed an average of three days. If you want to be the financial savvy owner (and I want you to be! A cat bite can be just a cat bite, but a cat bite wound can be significantly more serious. Cat Bites – Cat bites are serious because they often puncture the skin. What happens after you go to the ER with a dog bite? If a cat scratches or bites you, you need to act quickly to prevent infections. If the cat's rabies vaccination has lapsed, the quarantine may last longer. Always remember to wash your hands after touching or playing with a cat and after cleaning their litter box. Cats and dogs have bacteria in their mouths that can be dangerous to humans. All Rights Reserved. While domestic indoor and outdoor cats are usually vaccinated against certain bacteria and infections, stray cats (and sometimes even your domestic cat) can certainly carry bacteria. As a follow-up to “ER or Not: Severe Stomach Pain,” emergency physician Dr. Hiding = bad. Your child will typically need to take antibiotics following a cat bite. Staphylococcus aureus is commonly found on the skin of humans and animals and is spread between humans and animals through touching, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Justine Lee gives you the rundown of things you should look for when deciding whether to take your cat to the ER. In fact, when in doubt, you can even go into the emergency room and potentially asked to be triaged (to make sure your cat is stable). Viral transmission risk: If a bite from another child breaks the skin, viruses can be transmitted. ), the CDC recommends being cautious with them, even if they seem friendly. Whether it was during play or just an unfortunate misunderstanding, it is important to know how to treat a cat bite and what precautions should be taken to avoid this behavior. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. ), it’s best to go to your regular veterinarian before you end up with a more expensive emergency room visit. “You may need intravenous, or through the vein, antibiotics or, in some cases, you may even need to be hospitalized.”. When dealing with an animal or insect bite, it can be hard to know whether to go to the ER. It’s also important to make sure your tetanus shot is up to date any … A cat bite results in a very different injury to a dog bite. © 2021 IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved. People can contract the campylobacter infection by coming into contact with an infected cat’s poop or through contaminated water or food.

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