Cat Scratch

[porshiepoo]

I was playing with one of our cats the other day and he very kindly sunk his teeth and claws into my left hand and didn't let go for a fair while.
Although the scratches and puncture wounds were quite sore for a while they're not now and they've healed really well.
But my left side of my hand and forearm feels as though it's severly sun burnt and my bones feel a tad stiff. There's no redness or any other obvious signs of a problem.

Has anyone else had such a reaction to a bite? Is it normal??

[Lavenderblue2]

Go and see your practice nurse asap Porshiepoo - cats mouths carry all kinds of infection and you'll probably need an antibiotic injection.

[Gizmo]

I have 4 cats and 3 rabbits, i'm constantly full of scratches and the occasional bite mark, never had an adverse reaction to any of them, it could be that i'm immune nowadays though :lol:

[Thumper]

Sounds like you have an infection going strong there Porshie!Best get to the nurse/doc asap x

[alanatkie]

When we got our eldest cat last Dec from cats protection - it was the first time that he had been in a house & he bit OH, the next day he couldn't move his hand because of the bite - he had to go to the dr for anti biotics & anti hystamines to clear it. So i would say get to the doc's.

[binbob]

Go and see your practice nurse asap Porshiepoo - cats mouths carry all kinds of infection and you'll probably need an antibiotic injection.

absolutely right..see dr. now..let us know how u get on.best wishes

[Kodiak]

If you can't see a Nurse or Doctor Very Soon then Phone up the NHS Direct on 0845 424 2424 for advice.

Let us all know how you get on.

[balto]

i have 3 cats and 3 rabbits plus a dog and hamsters so get scratched often, but so far never suffered like that, how did it go at the docs and are you feeling better yet.

[Liz]

Sounds like it could be Cat Scratch Disease. See http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/firstaid/bites/024.html

Not usually a problem but if your immune system is below par then it is best to get checked out.

Wishing you a speedy recovery!

[jings00]

aye, get it seen til, ma pal wis chewed by her cat when trying to administer medicine, and she ended up really not well.(my pal, not the cat)

[porshiepoo]

Well I decided to self medicate. Eek!
I'm useless at finishing antibiotics and I had some left from a fair old while ago (don't know if they have a sell by!). I've had a few so far and they do seem to have started to work. The skin on my arm is nowhere near as sore and the bone actually feels easier.
Thanks for all the advice and after reading up on 'Cat Scratch Disease' I have to admit to freaking out a bit, but I'm quite encouraged by the results so far so as long as it continues to get better I'll avoid bothering the doc.

Should have seen me last night trying to sleep. lol. You know what it's like in the dead of the night when stupid things go through your head? I was convinced that I needed to keep my arm lower than my heart just in case the poison that I 'knew' was running up and down my veins, made it's way to my heart. :eek: It must have been on my mind all night cos I kept waking up to check that my hand was actually touching the bedroom floor (low as I could go lol) and to check that I didn't have some weird veiny thing going on.
Felt a right turd in the morning! lol

[wifie]

I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong but should you not finish antibiotics for them to be effective? I know that I messed up takin some years ago and managed to develop an allergy to them so I now cannot have one particular type, ones I have been told are the most useful.

[Liz]

Sorry didn't mean to freak you out Porshie!:confused Cat Scatch Disease sounds awful doesn't it but it really is nothing to worry about even if you do have it.

It sounds like you will live to tell the tale or should it be tail?!:lol:

I swear by Colloidal Silver and always use it on any cuts, scratches etc as amongst other properties it has a natural antibiotic action.

Like Gizmo I have had many scratches over the years and have survived.

Only once was there any concern when my sister was scratched really badly and had to go to hospital. There was a red 'line' going up her arm and the Dr marked further up with a pen and said if it went beyond this she had to come back in immediately. Thankfully it didn't!

Hopefully you will be able to sleep tonight secure in the knowledge that all is well.

[Fly]

Never ever take antibiotics which have been prescribed for something else. They might be the wrong one to deal with the second infection. Apart from that you should always finish a prescribed course of antibiotics unless you happen to be allergic to them.
Well I decided to self medicate. Eek!
I'm useless at finishing antibiotics and I had some left from a fair old while ago (don't know if they have a sell by!). I've had a few so far and they do seem to have started to work. The skin on my arm is nowhere near as sore and the bone actually feels easier.
Thanks for all the advice and after reading up on 'Cat Scratch Disease' I have to admit to freaking out a bit, but I'm quite encouraged by the results so far so as long as it continues to get better I'll avoid bothering the doc.

Should have seen me last night trying to sleep. lol. You know what it's like in the dead of the night when stupid things go through your head? I was convinced that I needed to keep my arm lower than my heart just in case the poison that I 'knew' was running up and down my veins, made it's way to my heart. :eek: It must have been on my mind all night cos I kept waking up to check that my hand was actually touching the bedroom floor (low as I could go lol) and to check that I didn't have some weird veiny thing going on.
Felt a right turd in the morning! lol

[ciderally]

think you should have went to doc's ...but glad its getting better xx

[horseman]

Porshie-I was once daft enough to step in an separate two of our tom cats having a punch up!! What a clot-
Biggest moggie (wanderer)sorted me out with his full armoury,teeth an claws down to the bone in my forearm-
24 hours later -wife took me to a/m red lines going up my arm-pain -swelling-what a numpty-nurse thought maybe a run in with a tiger,antibiotics-an all sorts,but for their size cats are formiddable:)

[Torvaig]

Porshiepoo - please go and see a professional medic. Firstly, and I am sure you know this, you must always finish a course of antibiotics!

Prescribed antibiotics must always be taken correctly and finished even if you are feeling better as not finishing them can lead to all sorts of problems. Your body can become resistant to them and we now see the results of antibiotic misuse becoming very common.

Just because a drug is prescribed frequently does not make them any less dangerous and the antibiotics you were prescribed earlier may not be the correct type for the infection you have now.

Also, antibiotics can become poisonous after their use by date as they deteriorate into their various components.

I suggest you tell your doctor and take the prescription medicines and their packaging with you to ensure he/she knows what you have done and how to counteract it. You must not put yourself at risk through being complacent; it is just not worth it.

As for "bothering" the doctor, he gets paid and is doing a job he wants to do and would be very angry with you if you become more ill through complacency.

I'm glad you are feeling better but beg you to go and see your doctor to finish off those little bacteria blighters before they do more harm!

[Aaldtimer]

Well I decided to self medicate. Eek!
I'm useless at finishing antibiotics and I had some left from a fair old while ago (don't know if they have a sell by!). I've had a few so far and they do seem to have started to work. The skin on my arm is nowhere near as sore and the bone actually feels easier.
Thanks for all the advice and after reading up on 'Cat Scratch Disease' I have to admit to freaking out a bit, but I'm quite encouraged by the results so far so as long as it continues to get better I'll avoid bothering the doc.

Should have seen me last night trying to sleep. lol. You know what it's like in the dead of the night when stupid things go through your head? I was convinced that I needed to keep my arm lower than my heart just in case the poison that I 'knew' was running up and down my veins, made it's way to my heart. :eek: It must have been on my mind all night cos I kept waking up to check that my hand was actually touching the bedroom floor (low as I could go lol) and to check that I didn't have some weird veiny thing going on.
Felt a right turd in the morning! lol

Do you really think that your heart can't pump "uphill"?
It does it all the time, from your toes to your brain![lol]

[Lavenderblue2]

I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong but should you not finish antibiotics for them to be effective? I know that I messed up takin some years ago and managed to develop an allergy to them so I now cannot have one particular type, ones I have been told are the most useful.

You are quite right Wifie and Torvaig, even if we forget to take a few and it takes us longer we should always finish the course unless instructed otherwise by the Doc. In the event of not finishing for one reason or another a/bios souldn never be stored - self medicating with a/Bios is a very bad idea - there is a huge range of them and they all serve different purposes - what would cure a chest infection probably wouldn't help in the case of a skin infection etc.

I was bitten once by one of my cats whilst trying to administer a worming tab and I got a nasty infection.

I am glad you are feeling better Porshie but please go and see your practice nurse or Doc if it's still not better today - you are obviously worried after being so aware of your arm/heart that you had such an awful night, poor you.

[brokencross]

Excuse me being simplistic but if you are this worried you should see the doctor straight away......especially if you do suspect an infection.

Far better to hear the doctor utter the words "Nothing to worry about" than "Oh I do wish you had come when it first happened"

Your call

[Angela]

Porshiepoo - please go and see a professional medic. Firstly, and I am sure you know this, you must always finish a course of antibiotics!

Prescribed antibiotics must always be taken correctly and finished even if you are feeling better as not finishing them can lead to all sorts of problems. Your body can become resistant to them and we now see the results of antibiotic misuse becoming very common.

Just because a drug is prescribed frequently does not make them any less dangerous and the antibiotics you were prescribed earlier may not be the correct type for the infection you have now.

Also, antibiotics can become poisonous after their use by date as they deteriorate into their various components.

I suggest you tell your doctor and take the prescription medicines and their packaging with you to ensure he/she knows what you have done and how to counteract it. You must not put yourself at risk through being complacent; it is just not worth it.

As for "bothering" the doctor, he gets paid and is doing a job he wants to do and would be very angry with you if you become more ill through complacency.

I'm glad you are feeling better but beg you to go and see your doctor to finish off those little bacteria blighters before they do more harm!

Torvaig, I agree with every word you've posted here about antibiotics - I avoid them unless strictly necessary, but nonetheless I've been obliged to have rather a lot of experience of them in recent years and without them I would not be here typing this!

Correctly prescribed they can quite literally be life savers, but it's important that people have the most suitable one for the particular infection and that they do take the complete course.

Porshie, at the risk of sounding like an old nag (well OK I am an old nag!) please, please do contact your GP's surgery. A neighbour of mine got an infection in her finger while pruning her roses. She self-medicated and delayed seeing her GP because she "didn't want to trouble him with something trivial" - the result was that she had to have her finger amputated :( and she was very lucky the outcome wasn't even worse.

Please, Porshie, don't take the risk of something like that happening to you.

[binbob]

think you should have went to doc's ...but glad its getting better xx


me too ..porshiepoo....please reconsider.

[porshiepoo]

Oh Eck!
Thanks for all the concern guys but i really do think I'm Ok now. No pain whatsoever!

Just for the record though, I do know that blood pumps uphill :lol:, although actually reaching my brain is a matter of opinion :lol:. It was just one of those weird, scarey thoughts that hits you in the middle of the night.

Next time I have a bit or scratch though, I will def be going straight to the docs and will not self medicate. Looks like I got away with it this time but I shan't risk it again.

Ta

[George Brims]

Someone said your body gets resistant to antibiotics when you don't finish the course - that's not the problem. It's the bugs that get resistant. Just imagine you're that last wee strep bug that is just holding on as day after day the antibiotics poison you - and then the stuff stops coming. All your mates are dead, but you happen to have a gene that lets you last that bit longer. Now you shake yourself off and start dividing. Now 100% of the strep bugs in that person are antibiotic resistant, instead of one in a million. Repeat this process through thousands of people not finishing their course, and what you have is things like MRSA, which may (the statistics are murky) kill more people each year than AIDS in the USA for example. Do what the doctor tells you!

[brokencross]

It's the bugs that get resistant.

Don't know if it is an urban myth, but when I was out Far East during the Vietnam war the rumour going round was that some of the "Ladys of the Night" used to self medicate against STI with any old antibiotic they could get hold of.
This led to strains of STIs that were virtually incurable and did not respond to the normal antibiotic treatments. Think it was called the Vietnam Rose.


Very extreme I know and nothing at all to do with poor porshiepoo and her cat scratch, but certainly highlights the problems of misuse of antibiotics.