Vicious Cat bite on my hand, jokes and advice wanted

[artist4perry]

My cat Dixie...aka Psycho Cat bit me really bad the other night on the back of my hand. I rinsed it immediately and cleaned the wounds with soap and water. I later bought some antibiotic cream to put on it. The wounds were not wide, but were very deep. (She sank her full fang into two spaces.) It hurts like you would not believe! Now I have been bitten many times by animals in my time. One time a cat tore me up so badly I had to be rushed to the ER.

So here is my question:

My left hand has two puncture wounds, one an inch and a half below the second knuckle next to the pinky, and the other right 3/4 of an inch below the first knuckle next to the thumb . I was bit last night. There is pus around the opening of the bites, and I have cleaned them every day and added more antibiotic cream. There is swelling and it is red two inches around the bite. I feel feverish, and my stomach feels sore. I cannot go to the doctor till Thursday, not during regular hours because I have no more sick days and there are only two days of school left. I generally feel blech. My whole hand hurts and it is painful to move my pinky finger and the finger beside it.

What I need to know is when is it bad enough to go to the ER if I cannot make it till the doc till Thursday? Or will I be fine to tough it out?

Not meaning to be a baby here, but I have not had a bite this bad in a long time.

Cat Scratch Fever jokes allowed by anyone.

[Saint John]

First, put the cat in a plastic bag and tie the top with tape.

Second, get to the ER asap.

[bluejeangirl76]

I would say because of the fever and stomach pain, you need to be in the ER. I wouldn't mess with it, doll. Just to be safe.

[T-Bone]

Cat bites can be nasty, especially since their saliva can carry all sorts of germs. An emergency room visit is a good idea and a 12 gauge and shovel isn't close behind...

[artist4perry]

First, put the cat in a plastic bag and tie the top with tape.

Second, get to the ER asap.

The cat is fine now, she was upset because my son in law was over the other night, and she doesn't like strangers. I think when I went to pet her she thought he was messing with her.

I really hate to go to the ER if it is not a real emergency. I did give her a royal thump on the head though. Made me feel better.

[steveo777]

We took in a stray Siamese cat many years ago. The fact this thing had 6 toes on each foot should have told me it was evil to begin with.
One night the wife and I were in bed doing the deed and the bastard jumped up and sank it's fangs right into my right ass cheek! I hollered
and lurched toward my wife, away from the cat. She thought I had just had the greatest orgasm of our marriage. I got up, turned around
and when she saw the blood dripping down my butt cheek she laughed hysterically. Talk about coitus interruptus!

[tater1977]

If you haven't had a tetnus shot in the last year you need to go get one SOON...
Watch for the infection..blood poisoning....lil red streak traveling up your arm..to your heart..
Ya need to go be seen by your Dr...

From one who's lol ..yes been biten before by my own cat..& he was current on his shots..
& yea the pain was bad...

[Starrider]

Get to the ER immediately. If your tetanus shot is not current, you need to get a booster. You also need to get on antibiotics in a hurry. Someone very close to me wound up in the hospital for four days after suffering a severe infection from a cat bite. She let it go and had red streaks going up her arm. Cat mouths are full of bacteria. Infections can travel through your body. If they make their way to your heart, it becomes a much more serious issue.

I don't want to scare you, but get to the ER or a walk-in medical clinic immediately. Do not wait for an appointment. I got a cat bite myself last fall. Just a very small scratch, and I washed it out with hydrogen peroxide solution, antibacterial soap, etc. Used antibiotic ointment and it still got infected. It was red, painful, and swollen. Went to an urgent care facility near where I work. They put me on Augmentin and gave me a tetanus booster since my last one was 19 years prior. It cleared up within a few days.

Good luck!

[Babyblue]

We took in a stray Siamese cat many years ago. The fact this thing had 6 toes on each foot should have told me it was evil to begin with.
One night the wife and I were in bed doing the deed and the bastard jumped up and sank it's fangs right into my right ass cheek! I hollered
and lurched toward my wife, away from the cat. She thought I had just had the greatest orgasm of our marriage. I got up, turned around
and when she saw the blood dripping down my butt cheek she laughed hysterically. Talk about coitus interruptus!

OMG!!!!!!!!! That is so funny.I can't stop laughting here.

[Babyblue]

My cat Dixie...aka Psycho Cat bit me really bad the other night on the back of my hand. I rinsed it immediately and cleaned the wounds with soap and water. I later bought some antibiotic cream to put on it. The wounds were not wide, but were very deep. (She sank her full fang into two spaces.) It hurts like you would not believe! Now I have been bitten many times by animals in my time. One time a cat tore me up so badly I had to be rushed to the ER.

So here is my question:

My left hand has two puncture wounds, one an inch and a half below the second knuckle next to the pinky, and the other right 3/4 of an inch below the first knuckle next to the thumb . I was bit last night. There is pus around the opening of the bites, and I have cleaned them every day and added more antibiotic cream. There is swelling and it is red two inches around the bite. I feel feverish, and my stomach feels sore. I cannot go to the doctor till Thursday, not during regular hours because I have no more sick days and there are only two days of school left. I generally feel blech. My whole hand hurts and it is painful to move my pinky finger and the finger beside it.

What I need to know is when is it bad enough to go to the ER if I cannot make it till the doc till Thursday? Or will I be fine to tough it out?

Not meaning to be a baby here, but I have not had a bite this bad in a long time.

Cat Scratch Fever jokes allowed by anyone.

I really think you need to get to the er just to be on the safe side.

[artist4perry]

We took in a stray Siamese cat many years ago. The fact this thing had 6 toes on each foot should have told me it was evil to begin with.
One night the wife and I were in bed doing the deed and the bastard jumped up and sank it's fangs right into my right ass cheek! I hollered
and lurched toward my wife, away from the cat. She thought I had just had the greatest orgasm of our marriage. I got up, turned around
and when she saw the blood dripping down my butt cheek she laughed hysterically. Talk about coitus interruptus!

Steve that is hysterical! Dixie loves me very much. I think she is partially blind though and did not know it was me.

I am going to put some hydrogen peroxide on it to see if I can clear it up. I know I should go to the ER but my copay is 100 dollars and I don't get paid till tomorrow! My husband says if we need to tomorrow night I can go. I just need to know how to care for it till then. Thank goodness she has had all her shots.

When I was a kid, the cat that ravaged my arm was a stray, and we did not know if it was rabid. My dad hunted that cat down and shot it. It was not rabid just very feral. Steve that was priceless! LOL!
Siamese are known for their temperament. Dixie is a calico.

[artist4perry]

First, put the cat in a plastic bag and add a few heavy rocks, tie the top with tape and head to the nearest river or creek. Wait till no ones around and drop in the water, leave quickly, never look back.

Second, get to the ER asap.

My dads dog bit his fore finger on the knuckle, he brushed it off and cleaned it like you did. Then for the next 8 weeks he went for weekly poison squeezing sessions with his Doctor. Seems the knuckle got infected to the bone and the poison kept festering like a zit sort of. The Doc would puncture it and squeez it and my Dad, who is the toughest Son of a Bitch on this planet said it damn near killed him. That small bite turned into a major bitch and cost alot of money that should have taken only an initial first trip for maybe $150 bucks and a script.

Good luck Ginger.

Thanks FF. I hear a knuckle bite is worse because it can cause a bone infection! I will keep a close eye on this and definitely no later than Thursday I will have it checked.

[artist4perry]

First, put the cat in a plastic bag and add a few heavy rocks, tie the top with tape and head to the nearest river or creek. Wait till no ones around and drop in the water, leave quickly, never look back.

Second, get to the ER asap.

My dads dog bit his fore finger on the knuckle, he brushed it off and cleaned it like you did. Then for the next 8 weeks he went for weekly poison squeezing sessions with his Doctor. Seems the knuckle got infected to the bone and the poison kept festering like a zit sort of. The Doc would puncture it and squeez it and my Dad, who is the toughest Son of a Bitch on this planet said it damn near killed him. That small bite turned into a major bitch and cost alot of money that should have taken only an initial first trip for maybe $150 bucks and a script.

Good luck Ginger.

Thanks FF. I hear a knuckle bite is worse because it can cause a bone infection! I will keep a close eye on this and definitely no later than Thursday I will have it checked.

You most certainly will know by Thursday if you need it checked. Chances are you won't if the cat is up to date, but I'd still plop her in the river anyways. Any animal that bites will do it again.

Dixie's shots are up to date and she is strictly a house cat. As for doing it again, it was partially my fault, I ignored the warning signs that she was agitated and startled her. She for the most part is gentle. It is my husband's baby, what can I say. He loves her very much. Can't get rid of her. She is curled up right next to me right now, sleeping. She licked my hand a few minutes ago.......taste testing?

[JH'sTXfan]

You're going to have to soak it several times a day to keep it draining because it has to heal from the bottom of the wound out. Just like stepping on a nail, you don't want it to heal over on top with infection deep inside. And get to the ER, girlie!

[Rick]

Yep, you need to go to the ER and get a tetanus shot and antibiotics. The redness, pus and fever are all indications of infection. Don't let it turn into blood poisoning if it hasn't already. Have Dan drive you over there, and I think you should do it now. Don't mess around with it. If you don't go, how are you going to work with a fever and infected hand? Get it done and you'll be home by midnight.

[Melissa]

Sounds like cellulitis already, and happens much faster with puncture wounds like that than gaping lacerations. I say ER, and ASAP. If you have a fever already you're going to be beyond very sick by Thursday if you wait that long. Don't wait.

[steveo777]

This is not much different than getting injected by dirty needles. Go to the ER!

[pinkfloyd1973]

Dixie is a calico.

Beautiful kitty.....I have two calicos myself, Pita is like your Dixie that she does not like strangers and will hiss and growl if she doesn't know you.
Please see a doctor asap, that does not sound good at all. My other cat Natalie likes to nip and we thump her on the head everytime she tries

[DrFU]

Do you have a minor emergency clinic? Much cheaper than the ER and they can do the same things with respect to shots and antibiotic presciptions.

See Andrew's situation about a scratch on his knee turning into an over a week and counting hospital stay ... talk about expensive.

GO NOW, Ginger.

[Don]

CVS and some other drugtores have a walk-in clinic with a nurse that can handle that for less than a trip to the emergency room.

[artist4perry]

Do you have a minor emergency clinic? Much cheaper than the ER and they can do the same things with respect to shots and antibiotic presciptions.

See Andrew's situation about a scratch on his knee turning into an over a week and counting hospital stay ... talk about expensive.

GO NOW, Ginger.

I will go tomorrow when I get off of work if it is not better, I promise. Even if it is the ER. I am hoping I can get out of school just before bus duty, or get someone else to cover for me, and get to my home town earlier and see if the doc will see me as a walk in. If not, there is a walk in clinic after hours just down the road. It isn't open now, but it will be tomorrow when I get home.

Listen guys, thanks for the great advice and concern. I looked up the cellulitis, and yup that is what it looks like, but not as bad as some of the pics I saw.

I am going to soak it in hot water and epsom salt before bedtime. Give it another dose of peroxide, and cover it in antibiotics. Meanwhile, I do have oral antibiotics I can take till I see the doc.
Bad Kitty!
My son in law is visiting again tonight. Before I let him in I put Dixie in my bedroom to keep her calm.

[artist4perry]

Ginger, either go to the Doc or go buy a bottle of Bacardi 151. It's the least you can do. It kills everything and you won't care. $20 bucks and you'll be good to go by Thursday.

I think they won't want me sauced while I am teaching the next two days!

[Peartree12249]

Ginger, either go to the Doc or go buy a bottle of Bacardi 151. It's the least you can do. It kills everything and you won't care. $20 bucks and you'll be good to go by Thursday.

I think they won't want me sauced while I am teaching the next two days!

I think folks are giving you good advice Ginger. Look what happened to Drew. He had a scratch on his knee and look where he is now. Do not mess with this. Better safe than dead.

[Melissa]

Cellulitis doesn't have to look bad to be bad. And I said ER because of the time it is right now and because you said you are feverish. A walk-in would work too, but like I said, if you have a fever already, topical antibiotics will not do squat, and oral may not be enough either, IV antibiotics might be needed, and not all walk-in places are going to do that.

[Starrider]

Dixie's shots are up to date and she is strictly a house cat. As for doing it again, it was partially my fault, I ignored the warning signs that she was agitated and startled her. She for the most part is gentle. It is my husband's baby, what can I say. He loves her very much. Can't get rid of her. She is curled up right next to me right now, sleeping. She licked my hand a few minutes ago.......taste testing?

Cat mouths and cat saliva are full of various types of bacteria, even if they are indoor cats. Just think how often your cat licks her butthole and/or her privates. Since Dixie's shots are up to date, you don't have to worry about rabies, but as soon as she bit you and you bled, that bacteria got into your bloodstream. Washing it out with hydrogen peroxide solution now really isn't going to be all that helpful. You are at risk for getting a staph infection (or other infection) just like Andrew has. I am not a medical professional, but I have been bitten by cats before- indoor cats with current vaccinations- and have gotten infections from them.

[artist4perry]

Cellulitis doesn't have to look bad to be bad. And I said ER because of the time it is right now and because you said you are feverish. A walk-in would work too, but like I said, if you have a fever already, topical antibiotics will not do squat, and oral may not be enough either, IV antibiotics might be needed, and not all walk-in places are going to do that.

Thanks, Melissa, I will go to the ER tomorrow night. I am taking Tylenol and again I understand what all of you are saying, and it is the best advice I know. School lets out at 3:15 tomorrow. I can drive home and be home hopefully before 5pm and try and see my own doc, but if not it will be the ER for sure if I feel as bad or worse.

[JRNYMAN]

Cat Scratch Fever? Just askin'...

[Journey Mom]

You can't wait until tomorrow night to get it looked at. I was taking care of my neighbor's cat, and their crazy son came over and tried to hang it. When I took the noose off its neck, the cat bit me. The police put me in an ambulance and sent me to the ER right away. I was on IV antibiotics for 6 hours and had to take megahorse pills for another 2 weeks. All this just to prevent an infection. Yours is already infected. You absolutely have to see a doctor right away. You have no idea how fast it can get really bad.

[artist4perry]

Cat Scratch Fever? Just askin'...

LOL! I saw that one comin' To answer No. I went to the doc and he gave me a tetanus shot and I am going on a regimen of antibiotics. He said it was causing my stomach to hurt and the fever and chills. I have to watch if the fever goes over 103. My appetite is gone, I cannot even look at food right now. Maybe that is a blessing!

Meanwhile thanks for the advice...........I showed the secretary at school my hand, and asked since we had hardly any kids show up today could I sneak off and see the doctor? She said really quietly.......go. No one will notice. So I took off. They got me right in and so now this is under care.

I just got home and the biting culprit is again sleeping next to me. She licked my arm and purred. Stupid cat.

[artist4perry]

You can't wait until tomorrow night to get it looked at. I was taking care of my neighbor's cat, and their crazy son came over and tried to hang it. When I took the noose off its neck, the cat bit me. The police put me in an ambulance and sent me to the ER right away. I was on IV antibiotics for 6 hours and had to take megahorse pills for another 2 weeks. All this just to prevent an infection. Yours is already infected. You absolutely have to see a doctor right away. You have no idea how fast it can get really bad.

How bad were you bitten?

I had a cat tear my left arm up when I was 7 as I said. I still bear the scars from it. I showed my doctor today. He wanted to know if it was rabid, I told him my dad hunted the cat down and shot it. What surprised me was they never questioned rabies when it happened. The cat ran across the field, when it could have escaped a million different directions, and jumped on my arm and tore up my arm like the Tasmanian Devil! I was in so much shock I walked up to my dad and my mom who were working in the garden and all I could say was..........Kitty Cat........ Dad took one look at my dripping ripped up arm and threw a towel around my arm and rushed me to the hospital. Bad Kitty!