Nasty Cat Scratch

[kalny]

Hey guys,

I just got accidentally mauled by my cat who fell off a surface and decided to latch onto my hand. The claw went right in and under my skin on the underside of my hand and got stuck. He freed himself and left me with a nasty wound. I bled all over the place. Immediately washed it with soap (oh my god did that sting), then wiped it with an antiseptic wipe and have wrapped it in a dressing.

Anxiety is going wild here. Worried about infection and sepsis. Terrible. Am I at risk here? What should I be looking out for?

I would be very grateful for some feedback.

[Dying_Swan]

Chances are you'll be fine, but sometimes antibiotics are recommended for cat scratches. I once got an accidental lip piercing from my cat and had antibiotics. Might be worth giving 111 a call just to get their advice x

[Carys]

It kinda depends how deep and large it was and if its stopped bleeding, if its still bleeding and not closing then you need some medical advice really. Cat bites can be pretty nasty and carry all sorts of bacteria (and you might be given tetanus booster for a bite), but I believe that claws are less risky, although there is always the chance there was bacteria on the claws from being outside/hunting/litter tray etc. Minor scratches would be a case of keep covered with a dry dressing which allows air circulation (hands are more likely to pick up infections just because we use them in contact with so many things), bathe a couple of times a day with an antiseptic and monitor. You are of course monitoring for redness, swelling, red lines which move under the skin away from the scratch, heat in the area, pain in the area (not just pain from the cut) fever and pus, then you'd need to see your GP for anti-b's. Some deeper scratches (and if you have immunosupression of any sort) might have anti-b's given anyway, depending on a few factors. As for sepsis - and I'm no medic - but sepsis (being very rare of course) can come from any infection in the human body from uti, bug bite to a graze on the knee, and a cat scratch isn't more or less likely.

Chances are your body will do exactly what its meant to, and IF there are any bacteria in there they will be fought off. You did a good washing and clean-up job, and the blood will have washed anything away also if it was in the cut. I've had many-a cat scratch, and dog scratch and lived to tell the tale. So, after that waffle, I will say that you can drop into a pharmacy and ask their advice or ring your local surgery if they are still open and ask their advice, its hard to know how bad it is without seeing you and a doctor might advise something different for you than what I would do.

[ErinKC]

I think the fact that it bled a lot is a good thing. It's my understanding that helps to wash out any bacteria that got into the wound initially. Like others said, I'd keep an eye on it and head to the doctor if it seems to be getting worse in the next day or two. I have two cats and have been scratched many times, including deeper cuts where they kind of grabbed onto me while jumping or falling and I've always been fine. I agree with someone above that it's typically the teeth that are much more bacteria-riddled than the claws.

Also, the 111 thing you guys have sounds great. I'd think that would be a good place to start if you just want to be sure you did everything necessary to prevent infection.

[nomorepanic]

I had a really bad cat scratch recently and I was worried it may need stitches but I just kept it clean and in a plaster and it healed fine with no problems after 4 or 5 days (apart from a nice scar).

[AntsyVee]

Unless he’s a feral cat, you should really worry more bout needing stitches!

[Carnation]

I too have had hundreds of scratches, some deep.
As long as you use antiseptic and keep the area clean with soap and water, it will heal.

[kalny]

Hey guys thanks for your helpful responses.

I couldn't reach the doctors over the weekend so I have been checking it and putting on a new plaster every day.

My HA is screaming tetanus at me which is worrying me a bit, however the wound appears to be healing well. No swelling and it doesn't really hurt any more. Kind of trying to use that to get around my anxiety. Did read that tetanus can take a bit of time to manifest so I'm still a bit worried.

Problem I have at the moment is its impossible to get a doctors appointment nowadays. Huge waiting times and can barely get through if I call them. Hoping it will heal well and I can put it all behind me!

[BlueIris]

If I saw a doctor every time I got scratched by a cat, I'd have had to set up a tent in the waiting room for about a year each time I had a new kitten.

If they bleed, I wash them in disinfectant water. Never had any problems at all.

[Carys]

To be honest, if you'd have tetanus shots as a child, then you'll be ok. 4 cases in the UK per annum, and those have all been in people who never had childhood vaccines.