Beware...Cat bites can turn into a nasty, infected mess in less than12 hours.

Ouch! - More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About Cat Bites

By Cynthia B. Whitney

Cats have teeth. Cats have sharp teeth. A cat will bite when it's
upset. A cat will bite hard when it's very upset. Cat bites hurt. Cat
bites in your finger joints hurt a lot.

All of these statements are true; I can attest to them personally. I
won't bore you with all the details. Suffice to say that at a recent
cat show one of my otherwise purring lovelies got loose. By the time I
captured her, she was so disoriented, frightened/terrified that she
bit me on both my hands. After four days in the hospital, I can tell
you that cat bites can get infected quickly.

This can happen, obviously, even if you do know what to do. Statistics
show that 80 percent of all cat bites get infected. The most frequent
type of bite is a puncture wound. If a cat bite bleeds fairly well,
your chance of infection will be greatly reduced. The bleeding
actually flushes some of the infectious saliva out of the wound. But,
with their rather long pointed teeth, a cat bite is more frequently a
puncture that doesn't bleed very much, or at all. If the bite is in a
joint, such as a finger knuckle, your injury can prove to be even more
serious with the possibility of inflammation and bone infection.

The basic rule is to cleanse the wound immediately. You can do this
with any soap and hot water. An anti-bacterial soap is even better.
Then, sterilize it with Betadine solution. This is surgical soap that
kills just about everything. It's for external use only, and keep it
away from your eyes. You can get it at any drug store in a liquid. For
easy travel, it also comes in an ointment. When you get home, soak the
wound in Epsom salts or peroxide and warm water. The idea is to get it
as clean as possible. This will reduce the possibility of infection
and inflammation.

If you do rescue work or are around cats of "questionable" behavior
frequently, it might be a good idea to carry an emergency bite
treatment pack. Many cat show judges do just that. They keep a good
triple antibiotic ointment and some form of antibiotic oral drugs on
hand. Zithromax and Augmentin are the most common drugs of choice,
according to Norm Auspitz, a CFA Allbreed judge. Since there's plenty
of liquid disinfectant at cat shows, getting a wound clean at a show
is not a problem.

It has also been suggested that having a cat carrier nearby may save
your body parts from a cat bite. If you need to capture a cat, try
having an open carrier in a place where the cat can just run into it.
Jane Baretta, a veteran cat fancier, said, "Any cat with even one
brain cell still working will streak into the carrier because it looks
familiar among all the strange surroundings."

It's highly recommended that you seek professional medical treatment
for any cat bite. The bite can turn into a nasty, infected mess in
less than 12 hours. Treatment includes an IV antibiotic and oral
antibiotics. The most commonly used oral antibiotic is Augmentin,
which is an amoxocillin and clavulanate mixture. Most cat bites
contain Pasterella multocida bacteria, with some Staph thrown in, and
these drugs best treat those bacteria.

A cat bites one in every 170 people in the U.S. each year. This
includes children and people who don't even own a cat. So, everyone
stands a fairly good chance of experiencing this trauma sometime. My
suggestion is to treat it with respect-the cat too.

Cynthia B. Whitney is a freelance writer based in Oklahoma City. She
has been a published writer for many years, writing about animals,
especially cats. As a long-time cat breeder Cynthia enjoys sharing her
knowledge about feline behavior, health, ownership, and humor. Cynthia
B. Whitney is a professional member of the Cat Writers' Association,
former editor of Cymric Capers, The Write Stuff, and the NCFED, The
National Coalition of Federal Employees with Disabilities newsletter
(as their National Director of Public Affairs.) Cynthia is currently
Assistant Editor of the OK PetGazette, and serves as their Executive
Marketing Director.



http://www.thecatsite.com/general/catbites.html

I like the disinfectant, Dettol.
It's not expensive, and used diluted, as suggested, lasts a long, long time.
It was recommended by the last vet I respected.


"IBen Getiner" wrote in message
...
Ouch! - More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About Cat Bites

By Cynthia B. Whitney

Cats have teeth. Cats have sharp teeth. A cat will bite when it's
upset. A cat will bite hard when it's very upset. Cat bites hurt. Cat
bites in your finger joints hurt a lot.

All of these statements are true; I can attest to them personally. I
won't bore you with all the details. Suffice to say that at a recent
cat show one of my otherwise purring lovelies got loose. By the time I
captured her, she was so disoriented, frightened/terrified that she
bit me on both my hands. After four days in the hospital, I can tell
you that cat bites can get infected quickly.

This can happen, obviously, even if you do know what to do. Statistics
show that 80 percent of all cat bites get infected. The most frequent
type of bite is a puncture wound. If a cat bite bleeds fairly well,
your chance of infection will be greatly reduced. The bleeding
actually flushes some of the infectious saliva out of the wound. But,
with their rather long pointed teeth, a cat bite is more frequently a
puncture that doesn't bleed very much, or at all. If the bite is in a
joint, such as a finger knuckle, your injury can prove to be even more
serious with the possibility of inflammation and bone infection.

The basic rule is to cleanse the wound immediately. You can do this
with any soap and hot water. An anti-bacterial soap is even better.
Then, sterilize it with Betadine solution. This is surgical soap that
kills just about everything. It's for external use only, and keep it
away from your eyes. You can get it at any drug store in a liquid. For
easy travel, it also comes in an ointment. When you get home, soak the
wound in Epsom salts or peroxide and warm water. The idea is to get it
as clean as possible. This will reduce the possibility of infection
and inflammation.

If you do rescue work or are around cats of "questionable" behavior
frequently, it might be a good idea to carry an emergency bite
treatment pack. Many cat show judges do just that. They keep a good
triple antibiotic ointment and some form of antibiotic oral drugs on
hand. Zithromax and Augmentin are the most common drugs of choice,
according to Norm Auspitz, a CFA Allbreed judge. Since there's plenty
of liquid disinfectant at cat shows, getting a wound clean at a show
is not a problem.

It has also been suggested that having a cat carrier nearby may save
your body parts from a cat bite. If you need to capture a cat, try
having an open carrier in a place where the cat can just run into it.
Jane Baretta, a veteran cat fancier, said, "Any cat with even one
brain cell still working will streak into the carrier because it looks
familiar among all the strange surroundings."

It's highly recommended that you seek professional medical treatment
for any cat bite. The bite can turn into a nasty, infected mess in
less than 12 hours. Treatment includes an IV antibiotic and oral
antibiotics. The most commonly used oral antibiotic is Augmentin,
which is an amoxocillin and clavulanate mixture. Most cat bites
contain Pasterella multocida bacteria, with some Staph thrown in, and
these drugs best treat those bacteria.

A cat bites one in every 170 people in the U.S. each year. This
includes children and people who don't even own a cat. So, everyone
stands a fairly good chance of experiencing this trauma sometime. My
suggestion is to treat it with respect-the cat too.

Cynthia B. Whitney is a freelance writer based in Oklahoma City. She
has been a published writer for many years, writing about animals,
especially cats. As a long-time cat breeder Cynthia enjoys sharing her
knowledge about feline behavior, health, ownership, and humor. Cynthia
B. Whitney is a professional member of the Cat Writers' Association,
former editor of Cymric Capers, The Write Stuff, and the NCFED, The
National Coalition of Federal Employees with Disabilities newsletter
(as their National Director of Public Affairs.) Cynthia is currently
Assistant Editor of the OK PetGazette, and serves as their Executive
Marketing Director.



http://www.thecatsite.com/general/catbites.html

On Dec 4, 7:18�am, "Ralph" wrote:
I like the disinfectant, Dettol.
It's not expensive, and used diluted, as suggested, lasts a long, long time.
It was recommended by the last vet I respected.

"IBen Getiner" wrote in message

...



Ouch! - More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About Cat Bites

By Cynthia B. Whitney

Cats have teeth. Cats have sharp teeth. A cat will bite when it's
upset. A cat will bite hard when it's very upset. Cat bites hurt. Cat
bites in your finger joints hurt a lot.

All of these statements are true; I can attest to them personally. I
won't bore you with all the details. Suffice to say that at a recent
cat show one of my otherwise purring lovelies got loose. By the time I
captured her, she was so disoriented, frightened/terrified that she
bit me on both my hands. After four days in the hospital, I can tell
you that cat bites can get infected quickly.

This can happen, obviously, even if you do know what to do. Statistics
show that 80 percent of all cat bites get infected. The most frequent
type of bite is a puncture wound. If a cat bite bleeds fairly well,
your chance of infection will be greatly reduced. The bleeding
actually flushes some of the infectious saliva out of the wound. But,
with their rather long pointed teeth, a cat bite is more frequently a
puncture that doesn't bleed very much, or at all. If the bite is in a
joint, such as a finger knuckle, your injury can prove to be even more
serious with the possibility of inflammation and bone infection.

The basic rule is to cleanse the wound immediately. You can do this
with any soap and hot water. An anti-bacterial soap is even better.
Then, sterilize it with Betadine solution. This is surgical soap that
kills just about everything. It's for external use only, and keep it
away from your eyes. You can get it at any drug store in a liquid. For
easy travel, it also comes in an ointment. When you get home, soak the
wound in Epsom salts or peroxide and warm water. The idea is to get it
as clean as possible. This will reduce the possibility of infection
and inflammation.

If you do rescue work or are around cats of "questionable" behavior
frequently, it might be a good idea to carry an emergency bite
treatment pack. Many cat show judges do just that. They keep a good
triple antibiotic ointment and some form of antibiotic oral drugs on
hand. Zithromax and Augmentin are the most common drugs of choice,
according to Norm Auspitz, a CFA Allbreed judge. Since there's plenty
of liquid disinfectant at cat shows, getting a wound clean at a show
is not a problem.

It has also been suggested that having a cat carrier nearby may save
your body parts from a cat bite. If you need to capture a cat, try
having an open carrier in a place where the cat can just run into it.
Jane Baretta, a veteran cat fancier, said, "Any cat with even one
brain cell still working will streak into the carrier because it looks
familiar among all the strange surroundings."

It's highly recommended that you seek professional medical treatment
for any cat bite. The bite can turn into a nasty, infected mess in
less than 12 hours. Treatment includes an IV antibiotic and oral
antibiotics. The most commonly used oral antibiotic is Augmentin,
which is an amoxocillin and clavulanate mixture. Most cat bites
contain Pasterella multocida bacteria, with some Staph thrown in, and
these drugs best treat those bacteria.

A cat bites one in every 170 people in the U.S. each year. This
includes children and people who don't even own a cat. So, everyone
stands a fairly good chance of experiencing this trauma sometime. My
suggestion is to treat it with respect-the cat too.

Cynthia B. Whitney is a freelance writer based in Oklahoma City. She
has been a published writer for many years, writing about animals,
especially cats. As a long-time cat breeder Cynthia enjoys sharing her
knowledge about feline behavior, health, ownership, and humor. Cynthia
B. Whitney is a professional member of the Cat Writers' Association,
former editor of Cymric Capers, The Write Stuff, and the NCFED, The
National Coalition of Federal Employees with Disabilities newsletter
(as their National Director of Public Affairs.) Cynthia is currently
Assistant Editor of the OK PetGazette, and serves as their Executive
Marketing Director.

http://www.thecatsite.com/general/catbites.html- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Yes, but how do you get it 3/4 of an inch down into your muscle tissue
after the cat sinks one set of it's incisors into you...? You DON'T.
What you WILL do however is take a little trip to the emergency room!
That comes in about 2 days, right after the red streaks start running
up the wounded extremity. Then you get admitted where they pump you
full of Vancomiacin for a couple of days. If not for those super
antibiotics, you will die, my friend. Happened years ago to my
brother's 1st wife, and from a common house-cat (now deceased).


IBen Getiner