Cat Scratch Fever: Help Me Help my Friend

December 18, 2006 6:53 PM

CatScratchFilter: My friend just got mauled by our cat when he became frightened. Help me treat her wounds.

Unfortunately, he lept onto her backside, giving her a full "paw" scratch on her hip, along with random deep scratches on her legs, and um, butt. I'm peroxiding the hell out of them, they continue to foam copiously and have puffed up a little. I also plan to put antibiotic lotion on them and maybe antibiotic bandaids. Is there anything else I should be doing, beyond seeing a doctor (she's uninsured), besides lots of consistent cleaning and treatment? Huck is an indoor cat. My friend is in lots of pain.

posted by atayah to pets & animals (18 answers total)

Ow! The best, best, best thing for a cat scratch is Neosporin + pain. The cuts heal up fast and they stop hurting almost immediately--I have four cats I know! Keep the bandaid on the scratches for a day or so and then give them some air.
posted by Kimberly at 7:00 PM on December 18, 2006

(heh, it's Neosportin + Pain (Relief) FYI)
posted by Kimberly at 7:01 PM on December 18, 2006

Unless she has an allergy to cat dander, after a few hours she'll really be absolutely fine. They DO hurt like holy hell. I've had cats all my life and it's always been that way--I swell up for a while, and then they go away. If she is concerned about a site-specific allergic reaction, do the antihistamine thing.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 7:06 PM on December 18, 2006

I was attacked by my cat many years ago, and not only had numerous deep scratches on my legs, but about also about 5 bite punctures (I accidentally stepped on her kitten in the middle of the night. When the kitten screamed, my cat attacked. The kitten was fine, I got the worst of it. I still have both cats 11 years later).

Anyway, other that antibiotic ointment and keeping the wounds clean, I did nothing. I had no insurance. My cat had all her shots. The scratches looked pretty bad for the first few hours, but the puffiness went away pretty quickly, as did the pain. Maybe some Tylenol?
posted by kimdog at 7:07 PM on December 18, 2006

neosporin every day until the scars go away. Expect to do this for at least a week, maybe two. the nasty bits (dirt, micro-poop) under the cat's nails promote infection and will make the scarring worse if left to heal without some sort of antibiotic ointment.
posted by Señor Pantalones at 7:10 PM on December 18, 2006

You're doing and peroxide and polysporin....but, did she wash with soapy water first? Your friend should be soaking in the tub every day and then doing the antibiotic cream. It'll clear up in a week, no problem. I've had cats for 40+ years and that's a lotta scratches, so I know where I speak. Seriously, lots of soap and water before the final sanitizing.
posted by Listener at 7:13 PM on December 18, 2006

hydrogen peroxide is a good aniseptic, but it tends to damage exposed tissue which ultimately will prolong the healing process. Neosporin + pain relief works wonders, and your OTC painkiller of choice should help relieve the pain.
posted by Orrorin at 7:22 PM on December 18, 2006

Every time I've been cat scratched (one of my cats is skittish and likes to use me as a climbable perch when she's scared), I do the soapy water, then neosporin/bandaid regemin, but I still end up with scars. However, I'm pale, so YMMV.

I do find that icing the wounds (a few cubes in a ziploc bag) helps both the swelling and the pain, same as with a sprain or what have you.
posted by Verdandi at 7:32 PM on December 18, 2006

I haven't seen her since this happened, but on Thanksgiving, my aunt got scratched/bitten by a cat, and it got infected, and she had to go to the hospital.

If it gets worse, or begins swelling up a lot, or feels stiff, take her (your friend, not my aunt) to a doctor.
posted by oaf at 7:41 PM on December 18, 2006

Cat scratches look like all hell because they're supposed to -- claws aren't ginsu knives, and so they're really giving you ripping action (sorry) rather than just slicing or cutting.

So that's why they look so bad. They're meant to hurt.

Neosporin (or any ointment like this) with the painkiller is the best thing, and then just keep it clean. They'll heal in a few days. If she's allergic to cats in any way, Claritin D or Benadryll should do the trick, and if she just thinks they're inflamed (as in, the site is just sore, not as in inflamed=infection), any anti-inflammatory (Advil or whatever) is probably fine. As oaf said, she shouldn't get stiff. Also, and this is gross but whatever, if you can make the sites bleed a little more, the blood will help to wash out any stuff in the wound. You sort of need to try this with puncture wounds, as they don't necessarily bleed and bleeding cleanses the wound.
posted by Medieval Maven at 7:44 PM on December 18, 2006

Be sure to keep an eye out for Ted Nugent's Warning....
posted by keep it tight at 7:45 PM on December 18, 2006

"I'm peroxiding the hell out of them"

STOP. Pouring hydrogen peroxide on wounds is something that you really don't want to do any more. It used to be thought of as a great antiseptic, but modern research has shown that it actually does more damage by killing good tissue than it does with the cleaning. Here is a nice link from the Mayo Clinic for those that think I'm full of cow chips. I've also talked about it with nurses and an emergency physician I know in Oregon.

Soap & water is fine. Neosporin is good. Keep the area clean, and change the dressings every day. If it's a deep cut, consider a Steri-Strip if you absolutely cannot go to a doctor to get stitches.

If the area around the cut turns red and starts to spread, go to a doctor immediately.

Is there a free clinic in the area? If so, see if you can get an appointment. Have the scratches looked at in a few days so they can see how the healing process is going.
posted by drstein at 7:50 PM on December 18, 2006

This is all fabulous information. Thank you. She'll be Neosporining the hell out of them (vs. more peroxide, as i've now been taught.) I know cat scratches are meant to look and feel like hell; it's more the location than anything else, probably. Don't think she's allergic, but will keep an eye out.

Thanks thanks thanks!
posted by atayah at 8:00 PM on December 18, 2006

If she's allergic to cats, she'd know by now. My girlfriend is allergic to the little furballs and she's sniffling, sneezing, and generally all miserable and stuffed up when she spends more than 15 minutes around a cat.
posted by drstein at 8:15 PM on December 18, 2006

If she hasn't had a tetanus shot in the last five years, she really should get one. Also, look out for acute lymphangitis, one symptom of which is red streaks on the skin. This can lead to septicemia (blood poisoning), which is really bad news. Actually, I'd be glad to watch for that, just send a photo of the affected areas every day for the next month or so. Don't cover any of the areas near the wound, because it's important to see how far the streaks (if any) extend. No, don't thank me, I'm just happy to help!

Also, you might want to switch from Neosporin to Betadine after a couple of days. I find that it speeds up healing (ymmv). I had lots of cat scratches when I was young and no scars to show for them. Good luck.
posted by Crabby Appleton at 9:13 PM on December 18, 2006

Cat scratches hurt like a mofo. And it doesn't matter where they are. I'd suggest giving it a good, through cleaning and leave it out in the air to dry (which is difficult, considering where it is) and keep an eye on it for any potential weirdness.

(This may seem strange, but it's worked for me when I've gotten strange injuries, is to take pictures of the wound right after it's been cleaned, and every day or so. Sometimes that can help when you can't really get a good look at the wound itself. That way it can give you some sort of benchmark as to the healing process: "Oh, those little red streaks keep getting bigger/nastier.")

I never knew that hydrogen peroxide was bad for wounds and whatnot. In my house, we usually used rubbing alcohol for the bad ones with soap and water for the minor ones.
posted by sperose at 12:47 AM on December 19, 2006

For the record, Cat Scratch Fever is very, very rare. It's carried mostly by kittens and infects children. The infection usually doesn't show until 1 to 2 weeks after the scratch.

That's not to say there won't be another kind of infection, but redness and swelling is normal for cat scratches. I've played rough with all my cats for 25 years or more and I've never had a scratch get infected. Cats are rather clean creatures.
posted by kc0dxh at 7:34 AM on December 19, 2006

sperose: it's ok. There are still folks that put butter on burns, and douse children with rubbing alcohol to try to reduce a fever. Neither of those work, and are not recommended these days. The miracles of modern medicine. :-)

Soap & water is good. If it's a deep cut, you're probably going to want stitches anyway. Have a physician clean the wound out properly.
posted by drstein at 1:58 PM on December 19, 2006