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Dear Codex, I need cat bite advice

help feral cat sharpteeth

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#1 Ladida

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Posted 09 January 2017 - 07:21 PM

There are tons of feral cats in my area, and the city doesn't seem to care. One particularly vicious female hangs around my apartment, and has attacked a few of us in what seems to be unprovoked instances. It always attacks us from behind. The latest victim is my mom, who was walking by and suddenly had 4 canines embedded deep into her calf, along with a ton of claw marks and long scratches. She was in a dress, so there was no cloth to protect her. We did the entire first aid drill - washing with antibacterial soap under running water for five minutes, hydrogen peroxide, letting the punctures bleed, antibiotic cream and gauze.

 

We went to a doctor today, who said the bites were bad and then prescribed 250mg Amoxicillin 4 times a day. I called the SPCA and the 'specialist' said no antibiotics were necessary. The specialist didn't even ask where the bite was! Both the doctor and SPCA have been dismissive, saying that cat bites are absolutely not serious. (Bit of a contradiction there with the doctor, who said the bites were bad but cat bites are not serious). There are apparently no instances of cat rabies in this country either so that's one less thing to worry about. Cats are not popular pets here, so I figure that the number of cat bites is pretty low. In fact, the person at the SPCA thought getting bitten was quite a ludicrous occurrence.

 

Again, this is a feral cat with no history of any vaccinations.

 

I asked for Augmentin, but the doctor said Augmentin is too strong and not necessary for prophylaxis for cat bites. However, I read online that the first line of defense is Augmentin (Amoxicillin + Clavulanate), due to the fact that cat bites are all considered serious due to bacteria in their mouths and the depth their bites can go due to their needle-like teeth.

 

One tooth went deeper than the others, and the puncture bled for over an hour. All the puncture sites have red welts around them, but the welt for this particular puncture seems to be getting bigger over time. There's currently no fever, no red streaks, no loss of sensation, or pus. I've been slathering triple antibiotic ointment on all of punctures and clawed areas 2-3 times a day.

 

I've read so many horror stories online about cat bites, and I don't want to wait until she has cellulitis or goes into crisis mode due to lack of seriously-given care. Considering the type of health care in this country, she'll most likely die if she reaches the point of needing IV antibiotics and emergency surgery.

 

It's been 27 hours so far. I'm considering going to another doctor in the morning and demanding Augmentin or Doxycyline as the prophylactic treatment, rather than waiting for an infection to most likely develop. I know there are a LOT of cat owners and lovers on Codex, so I figure you'd know what you're talking about and can offer some advice.



#2 Romy

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Posted 09 January 2017 - 07:50 PM

Why have you not called animal control? It's an animal that actively attacks people. You should have called them instead of the SPCA.

 

Secondly, go to another doctor and tell them about what happened. If they decide that the antibiotics you asked for are unnecessary, take their advice. After all, they are the ones with that went to medical school. Your Google-fu will only further fuel your paranoia. 



#3 Coops

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Posted 09 January 2017 - 08:00 PM

Cat bite fever is a legit thing. Our house cat in Texas bit my mom once and she got cat bite fever (she didn't get a fever but her hand swelled up and turned all sorts of nasty colors). It wasn't even like an attack bite either, but a playful bite that was just a bit too hard. I urge you to go to an urgent care clinic if you are able to afford it, or to a second doctor to get a second opinion/look, with your mom. The best your mom can do though otherwise is to watch it carefully, keep it clean and dry and prepare to go to the hospital if it gets worse.



#4 Ladida

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Posted 09 January 2017 - 08:14 PM

@Romy that sad thing is the SPCA is in charge of animal control here (the only English speaking country in South America). Unfortunately, they don't go after animals unless a civilian has caught the critter first. The given reason is 'Lack of resources, lack of transportation, and lack of personnel'. It's a terrible situation, honestly. I'm not really sure what more I can do in that area, apart from killing the cat - which I don't think I'm personally up for. I do volunteer with them, but that's just not something I think I can do on their behalf.

 

@Coops I really hope your mom healed up well, that experience sounds horrifying! How long did it take your mom to recover from cat bite fever? Did she need surgery? I'm really hoping she didn't. My mom's been going on about not having a fever for now, so she thinks she's low-risk for any complications. I will definitely take her tomorrow morning to a private hospital for that second opinion. Luckily, the cat didn't bite on a joint or tendon, so that horror is averted. I'm most concerned about that deepest puncture, which I'm going to follow up more vigorously with a different doctor tomorrow.



#5 Coops

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Posted 09 January 2017 - 08:29 PM

It took like a week! The doctor gave my mom antibiotics (a shot and pills, if I remember correctly, it was quite a long time ago). Her hand healed just fine. She didn't need surgery or anything. I remember she got bit and then like a day later, it started swelling up like a balloon, and that's why she ended up going to the doctor. And I explicitly remember her shock because Fippy (the cat) hadn't bit her that hard. It turned out fine though. I'm sure your mom will be okay, but it's best to err on the side of caution if you're concerned and get that second opinion. There is really no harm in being particularly cautious. I think it's really smart to have checked online for all your potential concerns. Like, if you've never been bitten before, you know, how can you know exactly what to do or watch out for? Just try not to stress yourself into a panic because you read something online. It's smart to read up, but remember, just because it's possible doesn't mean it's the case. 

Anyways, I hope her hand gets better. :( 



#6 Ladida

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Posted 09 January 2017 - 08:45 PM

Thank you so much, @Coops! <3 I think you've calmed me down enough for me to be able to get some sleep now. I'll update the thread when I get back tomorrow.



#7 Kaddict

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Posted 09 January 2017 - 09:52 PM

Cat, monkey and human bites require antibiotics. 50+% of cat bites become infected. Compare that to 5-10% of dog bites.

Clavulanic acid isn't an extra antibiotic per se, rather it helps certain bacteria that are resistant to penicillins not be resistant. So I would continue taking the meds, and if it continues to worsen ask the doc again. But to me, just based of off your brief description, it doesn't seem like it is going to be life/limb threatening.

 

Did they culture the wound, or just do prophylaxis?

 

What country?

 

ps. I am in no way a cat lover. I actually hate the beasts. But I do like medicine, and I am on pediatrics right now, so have recently read about cat bites.



#8 FaerieQueen

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Posted 09 January 2017 - 10:54 PM

This isn't much help, but hopefully it will make you feel better. I work with animals, but I'm no medical professional, so take this at face value. I have been attacked/bitten by multiple cats, and I usually just clean it up myself right after the incident with first aid stuff (hydrogen peroxide, and this stuff called vetrycin). I have never had an infection (at least that I know of, I never went to a doctor) or gotten sick, so hopefully your mom will be okay. Good luck, sending good vibes your way. I still have a bad scar from the last cat bite. Cats can be really nasty! 



#9 Rauul

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Posted 10 January 2017 - 06:01 AM

Keep using antibiotics for a few days and the ointment often, if you wanna to listed a second option go to the private clinic :) And dont worry, taking antibiotics and maybe some ibuprofen (if your mom is having pain) would be fine 



#10 Ladida

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Posted 10 January 2017 - 05:48 PM

Hi everyone, thanks for the replies!

 

@Kaddict I'm in Guyana. Neither doctor took a culture of the wound, they just recommended prophylaxis. The leg hasn't swelled up like a balloon, thankfully! The bites still look about the same, and two have dried up a bit. Warm to the touch though. The scratches are showing good progress towards healing nicely. The second doctor took a good look at the leg, and said it didn't look like any fast-developing infection is in there. He did say that there's a risk for cellulitis at this point, so he advised to keep taking the Amoxicillin, and if starts to get worse to go back and he'll need to prescribe a different antibiotic and treatment.

 

@FaerieQueen I'm glad your cat bites haven't led to serious complications! D: Please be careful! I had no idea cat bites had so much potential for total destruction before. I'm now terrified of cats, and it didn't even attack me. Don't let them smell fear :<

 

@Amarillo We'll keep doing that and keep a watchful eye for any changes over the next few days. Thanks for the positive thoughts and vibes, everyone! I really really appreciate it :)





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