Is It That Hard???

[poodle_Trouble]

I told my sister to come downstairs and stay closein case of any troubles. So anyways, she goes to the other side of the room and starts Cleaning out a Litter Box. All of a sudden I'm screaming at her because the cat (myjine which I've been doing since she was a Kitten) BIT arm Twice and Scratched MY right arm. Is it really that hard to stay close by?? Oh, and to top it all of my sister just asks "Am I alright?" And I have a Cat on my Arm!!!!!!!!!
Thankfully,the bites should heal and scratches too. I'm just mad because it Hurts.

[Raggs]

Clean those out extremely well. Cats have a lot of bacteria under their claws and behind their teeth. That's why they hurt so bad and are easily infected. Clean well with soap and water and hydrogen peroxide.

Hope you heal well.

[Helly]

Oh, do keep a close eye on those bites. Cat bites can go from insignificant to deadly in a very short time. They're worse than dog bites for getting infected.

I was bitten by a dog last summer. An insignificant little puncture, less than a quarter inch long. I cleaned it up and went back to work. By the next morning my hand and arm were swollen and red. The pain I'd had the day before paled in comparison to the pain I was feeling the next day. I went to the ER, had IV antibiotics, a consult with a neurologist, and went home with oral meds. At 9 pm I was back in the ER for another round of IV antibiotics, and an appointment to see an orthopedic surgeon on Monday morning.

I saw the ortho on Monday, who took one look and asked me if I'd eaten anything. I said I'd had a yogurt for breakfast. He told me not to eat or drink anything else, and go back to the hospital. At 3 pm I had another round of IV antibiotics, and at 4 I was in surgery. I got to go home around 8 pm.

The ortho told me he had another bite wound he was doing surgery on the same day. The woman had been bitten by a cat on the same day I was bitten. She'd been in hospital since that day, and almost died from the infection. Monday was the first day she'd been stable enough to undergo surgery to debride the wound. And she could look forward to several more days in hospital before going home.

Dog bite infections can be bad. Cat bite infections can be horrible. Don't take any chances. At the first sign of infection (swelling, increased pain, redness, pus) seek medical attention.

[Helly]

Clean those out extremely well. Cats have a lot of bacteria under their claws and behind their teeth. That's why they hurt so bad and are easily infected. Clean well with soap and water and hydrogen peroxide.

Hope you heal well.

NO hydrogen peroxide! Especially on cat bites, which tend to be puncture wounds, not lacerations. Hydrogen peroxide just pushes the bacteria deeper into the wound, and it erodes healthey tissue.

Use Betadine on all animal bite or scratch wounds. Soak the area in Betadine if it's practical. Otherwise apply gauze bandages that are soaked in Betadine. If you don't have any, flush with soap and water, and allow the wound to bleed for a few minutes unless you're bleeding so severely that all your blood seems to be coming out.

[mustluvdogs1]

Helly..how awful,even tho a while ago. I think it unfair that we get heck if a dog gets a nick or some little thing but if groomer is bitten, owner never pays unles we sue. I have been lucky even w/ bites on L arm w/lumphadema. Just lucky. sometimes don't even do peroxide ..just keep groming. I get antibiotics if it is a bigger bite. No insurance makes visits to doc expensive but must not get infected Emergency costs close to 300 just to give antibiotic meds extra.I have paid full for client vet bills dogs fault. never other way around.

[Poodlefluff]

NO hydrogen peroxide! Especially on cat bites, which tend to be puncture wounds, not lacerations. Hydrogen peroxide just pushes the bacteria deeper into the wound, and it erodes healthey tissue.

Use Betadine on all animal bite or scratch wounds. Soak the area in Betadine if it's practical. Otherwise apply gauze bandages that are soaked in Betadine. If you don't have any, flush with soap and water, and allow the wound to bleed for a few minutes unless you're bleeding so severely that all your blood seems to be coming out.

Thank you Helly people don't believe me when I tell them not to use Hydrogen Peroxide on wounds, I have heard that it slows the healing process way down. I will use alcohol if I can't find any Betadine, Iodine, Bactine, etc.

2nd Try to find a wire basket cage to bath your cats in it is much safer.

Hope your Owies heal fast.

[Raggs]

Thanks Helly, I didn't know that. I've heard it kills off a few cells around the edge of the wound but didn't know it wa that bad. Good thing I have Betadine at work so now I'll use that if I ever get a nasty bite or scratch. I usually just scrub with soap and water....

Also on dog bites I was told by several doctors that water activates the bacteria in the dogs saliva and if you start washing to contiue washing with soap for at least 15 minutes.... Is that true? Or are they overexaggerating that part?

[furrybestjob]

....and that experience is why I don't do cats....and that' why I have total respect for those that love doing them.

[Wisconsin]

I sure hope that you don't end up with an infection. Keep an eye on it. My nephew was bitten and scratched by his own cat. On day two of looking at the bite, the leg he was bitten on was twice the size of the other. It was gross. A trip to the ER and a couple of rounds of antibiotics as well to clear up the nasty infection.

Keep an eye on it and sorry to hear about your discomfort.

[keachy18]

I know a little girl who got bit by her own cat (she accidentally slammed his tail in the door), cat lost tail actually, but those bites were awful!! I felt bad for both of them, I didnt really blame the cat, but the doctor said they are way worse than dog bites!!

[Helly]

Also on dog bites I was told by several doctors that water activates the bacteria in the dogs saliva and if you start washing to contiue washing with soap for at least 15 minutes.... Is that true? Or are they overexaggerating that part?

Well, that's a new one on me. And quite frankly, it makes little sense. The bacteria in a dog's mouth is already in water, so to speak. Saliva is mainly water, afterall. And those bacteria are already active. The mouth is a perfect breeding ground for several types of bacteria. If the bacteria weren't active and growing, they wouldn't be present in significant numbers, and wouldn't pose such a problem.

Saliva isn't the only problem, either. The teeth have plaque and probably tartar on them. A bite delivers plaque into the wound. Tartar can break off and be left behind. Even a piece of tooth can break off and be left in the wound. Any foreigh substance left in the wound will cause infection. Sometimes a raging infection. If the dog had a few "kitty snacks" before he bit you, guess what's in your wound.

Flushing the wound with copious amounts of soap and water for 10-15 minutes is beneficial in that it removes much of the bacteria, though. That's also is one reason I allow, or even encourage bite wounds to bleed. It flushes some of the bacteria away.

I honestly think part of the reason that last bite got so infected was because it was a puncture wound, and I couldn't get it to bleed. It was small, but it was deep, and I couldn't get water down in it very well. And it punctured the joint capsule, and a small piece of tartar from the dog's tooth broke off inside it. Tartar is just a bacteria condo, packed full of the little buggies, all their friends and relatives, just looking for a host to party in.

[toomuchfunbnme]

Yikes Poodle_Trouble. Is your wound healing okay? I think that people who aren't groomers don't understand the importance of safety concerns involved with grooming. Also this brings up a really good point. I always keep an emergency kit handy for both pets as well as people with instructions on how to handle different types injuries.

[RevWind]

So if Peroxide is so bad for wounds, why do we use it? What's it good for (other than taking blood stains of the grooming table) as far as injuries? Anything?

[pamperedpups]

Edited.

[Helly]

Hydrogen peroxide is good for treating first and second degree burns, too, as long as the blisters aren't broken. It's satisfactory for minor skin abraisions and clipper irritation or dry skin irritations. You just don't want to use it for moist pyodermas, deep lacerations or puncture wounds.