Is it true about cats?

[hissy]

Let me get this back on track for a minute and tell you a story about my sister.

Like me, she deals with rescuing feral cats (we got that love from our Dad) Anyway, a few years ago, she had a tom in a trap. Unlike me, she insists on taking them out of the trap and putting them in a carrier for transport. So she was trying to do just that, and the tom nailed her on the wrist. She got him off her finally, put him in the carrier, wrapped her arm and took him to the vet. She did not rinse the wound, or treat it. Don't ask me why?

Ok fast forward to her returning home where she washed the wound, and treated it and then went to work. It hurt like the dickens, but she ignored it for the most part.

A few days later her wrist started to swell, she couldn't ignore the pain any longer , so she went to the ER where they washed the wound, stitched it up and sent her home.

Fast forwarding to weeks later when the pain was still there, as was the swelling. Back to the doctor she went- they found a tumor in her bone. So they operated- sent her home-

Weeks later, still swollen, they x-ray the wrist and they see a cat tooth broken off in her bone! Another surgery to remove the cat tooth- they found her bone riddled with tumors. Another extensive operation required she almost lost her arm.

Today, my sister has bone eating tumors in that arm. Coincidence? Who knows? Could it be the bacteria in the tooth leaked out and left this condition behind? Was the tooth a god-send because had they not found it, they wouldn't have gone in to operate they wouldn't have found the bone eating tumors? The doctors really don't know, this is one for the medical journals.

I have been bitten a lot by cats over the years, that is part and parcel what happens when you deal with scared, traumatized strays and ferals. I would never even consider NOT washing out a wound made by a cat's teeth or claws. I have even at times put bleach on a wound to kill the bacteria (OUCH!) So if you are bitten hard enough to tear skin you need to get it taken care of.

 

[pombina]

Originally Posted by hissy

Let me get this back on track for a minute and tell you a story about my sister.


Today, my sister has bone eating tumors in that arm. Coincidence? Who knows? Could it be the bacteria in the tooth leaked out and left this condition behind? Was the tooth a god-send because had they not found it, they wouldn't have gone in to operate they wouldn't have found the bone eating tumors? The doctors really don't know, this is one for the medical journals.

Id like to think that this cat saved her life...

 

[slitty_kittay]

I heard about this guy that got bitten by his cat and a week later he lost his job, his best friend died and his wife left him!

Yes, most deep animal bites can be dangerous but it really amazes me how people never want to focus on the totally obvious things like driving(especially with a cellphone!), that mac and cheese you scarfed down for dinner, pollution of big cities, undercooked food, alcohol and so on...

 

[gayef]

Originally Posted by slitty_kittay

I heard about this guy that got bitten by his cat and a week later he lost his job, his best friend died and his wife left him!

Yes, most deep animal bites can be dangerous but it really amazes me how people never want to focus on the totally obvious things like driving(especially with a cellphone!), that mac and cheese you scarfed down for dinner, pollution of big cities, undercooked food, alcohol and so on...

I suppose the reason people aren't focusing on those things here is because the original poster asked specifically about bite and scratch wounds. *wink*

 

[coaster]

To address your concerns about your arthritis, your immune system, and the immunosuppresent drug Enbrel: as you know, in arthritis, the immune system has gone a little wacky and is overactive in attacking your own body. In the case of arthritis, an immunosuppresent drug acts more to normalize the immune system than actually suppress it as in the case of an organ transplant. So, unless you have a past history of high susceptibility to infections, I don't really think you have to worry about being more susceptible to cat scratch fever or anything else you can catch from your cat.

 

[bikeman]

Yee gads, after reading all these awful stories I will take more care of myself when the cats are rough playing and my arm or hands get in their way.

I have to confess that in all the years around cats, and probably the 50 or more times I've been scratched, bit and have had my skin punctured, I have never ever had a health problem as a result. Perhaps I'm just lucky. I do know where the isopropyl alcohol is at least. I'll take care of my wounds the next time.

 

[jane_vernon]

Let just remember that there is a HUGE difference between a feral cat and your domestic cat.

A feral cat is more likely to have nasty diseases as it hasn't been immunised or looked after.

A domestic house cat will (most of the time) be vaccinated and clean.

 

[hissy]

Originally Posted by jane_vernon

Let just remember that there is a HUGE difference between a feral cat and your domestic cat.

A feral cat is more likely to have nasty diseases as it hasn't been immunised or looked after.

A domestic house cat will (most of the time) be vaccinated and clean.

Jane I disagree- overall the most disease ridden cats are not feral cats, but shelter cats. It is an injustice to ferals to say that they are more likly to have a nasty disease. In my lifetime of working with feral cats, I have only run up against nasty diseases a few times. The bacteria is in ALL cats mouth, not just feral cats. The bacteria is in all cat's claws (they all use litter pans)

Just wanted to set the record straight and dispel a myth that is certainly that- just a myth

 

[jane_vernon]

Hissy, I never said that cats didn't have bacteria in their mouths.

Ok, I'll amend to say that shelter AND feral cats (not cats that are currently living in a home with a human owner) are more likely to have diseases as they are not immunised against the diseases that most cats are immunised against.

And the bacteria/viruses for these diseases are NOT in the mouths of all cats.

Just some bacteria - Like we have all sorts of bacteria living in our mouths and on our skin.


I would also like to add that it is extremely unlikely that the cat bite caused bone cancer - Bone cancer as advanced as it sounds in your sister was most likely there for a long time, and the infection that she got from the cat bite just made it possible for the cancer to be found in the first place.

 

[hissy]

All cats carry bacteria in their mouth that can cause health complications to people if bitten. Even domesticated cats that live inside and are vaccinated and fully healthy.

After my sister got bitten I did a lot of research on this subject, talking to vets teaching in veterinary colleges as well as other experts.

Cats carry pasturella, strep as well as a bacteria that cause blood poisoning.

I do know that the cat bite did not cause the cancer- that was not why I put the story here. i put it here to impress upon readers to always treat a cat bite promptly and if it is a deep puncture wound, don't mess around with it, get to the ER immediately. Better safe than sorry in my book.

 

[jane_vernon]

Fair enough.

But I would like to state that:
A) People shouldn't be scared around their cats.
B) People shoudn't get rid of their cats if they have children at home or are going to be bringing children into the home.
C) All pets come with risks and that is what you take on when you decide to have one.

I don't want any cats to come to any misfortunes because they may give you a disease from a bite or scratch.

 

[hissy]

This post isn't about making people scared. This is a cat welfare board, we are a teaching board. it is about making people aware and cautious when handling cats and playing with them and what to do if they get bit or scratched.

They wash out the wound, and treat it properly with antibiotic ointment, watch it to be sure nothing else happens to the wound- if other things develop- redness, swelling, discharge, they get to their doctor to be seen.

 

[KitEKats4Eva!]

I've been bitten by so many cats I can't remember, while volunteering at the local cat shelter, and never really been that careful about the wounds, either. Until Max was bitten by Sunday a few weeks ago. She has never bitten anything in her life that I know of, but Ruby chased her, Max made the mistake of picking her up and she sank her teeth into his thumb so deep it bled for hours. He had to go have a tetanus shot and IV antibiotics for 24 hours. It was a very serious bite. It made me realise that cat bites shouldn't be taken lightly when they occur, but it has very little to no impact on my decision to have cats. If you are careful, there should be no problem. End of story. However that does not change the fact that cats mouths are nasty places - it's how you handle a bite that makes the difference, not where your cat came from or how often (if at all) you get bitten.

 

[avocado]

Originally Posted by hissy

All cats carry bacteria in their mouth that can cause health complications to people if bitten. Even domesticated cats that live inside and are vaccinated and fully healthy.

yes. its not a matter of disease, its a matter of bacteria that is in all cat's mouth's causing potentially serious infection. even healthy indoor vaccinated cats have this bacteria in their mouths. and believe me, im not aganist kitties... i have four myself, none of whom have ever bitten anybody. the infectiousness of cat bites is a fact of cat ownership that people should be aware of. the doctor at the ER told me that they often have people come in after infection has set in rather than immediately after the bite, and that very serious problems occur because of this... people simply are not aware of how dangerous a deep cat bite can be.

 

[lionessrampant]

MA, just a question...does the likelihood of being infected by a cat bite have anything to do with the enzymes or microorganisms that are in there to aid in cleaning?

I would have thought that humans would have edged out cats for most potnetially infectious bite...that's interesting.

 

[yosemite]

I think the whole point here is that if you are bitten or scratched by a cat, or any animal for that matter, it is important to cleanse the wound properly and keep an eye on it.

When we were trying to catch Simba to isolate him he bit my husband, my daughter and me all very badly. We ALL cleansed our wounds, but only our daughter ended up with blood poisoning and had to be on antibiotics.

My husband and I were lucky and if any of you haven't had problems consider yourselves very lucky as well.