A cat bit me and my hand is swollen - what to do and how to treat it?

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The dangers of cat bites should not be underestimated. Complications often arise from them and you need to know what to do if you are bitten by a cat and your arm, leg or finger is swollen. Most often, hands suffer from cat bites. A cat bite is much less common than a dog bite, but its consequences are much more serious due to the characteristics of the teeth, which can bite through tissue quite deeply; and also due to the presence of special microflora in the oral cavity, which provokes severe inflammation. A tumor at the site of the bite must be treated, as it is a complication and a sign of the development of a violent purulent process.

When to go to the doctor

In some cases, if edema develops, it is necessary to consult a doctor, since it is impossible to self-treat an injury from a cat’s teeth at home. If the bite was caused by an unknown cat or a domestic cat, but not vaccinated against rabies, then the help of a doctor is required even before swelling appears. If the cat definitely cannot be a carrier of rabies, then if swelling appears due to a bite on the arm, a visit to a medical facility is mandatory in the following cases :

pain in the joint and rapid increase in swelling - occurs if, when biting the fingers (this happens most often), the cat injured the joint capsule and inflammation began not only of the joint itself, but also of the periosteum. You won't be able to solve the problem on your own. The damaged area is very painful and red. Swelling of the hand increases quickly - 2-3 days after receiving the wound;
an increase in temperature starting from 37.2 is an indicator that the inflammatory process is extensive, extending beyond a limited area, causing intoxication of the body. The swelling quickly spreads over a long distance from the site of the bite caused by the cat, and without treatment leads to serious consequences, even death;
palpation of liquid contents - usually observed with large local edema, which most often appears if the cat has bitten between the hand and elbow. Thin wounds from the teeth begin to actively heal, but since the hand has become infected, inflammation inside causes the formation of a large amount of pus, which has no outlet. Without surgically opening the abscess, the risk of sepsis (blood poisoning) is high;
children under 3 years of age - due to the imperfection of the children's immune system, inflammation should not be left unattended or self-medicated. The deterioration of the condition due to the penetration of bacteria into the bloodstream can develop rapidly, and it will not be possible to save the child in such a situation.

Swelling at the site of the injury caused by the cat and slight redness are considered normal on the first day, when the injury has just been received and a rapid process of fighting bacteria and primary recovery is underway in the tissues. If the victim is immediately provided with high-quality care, then the swelling in the arm or other affected part of the body will subside on its own within 20-28 hours. When a cat has bitten, it is necessary to carry out initial treatment of the wound very competently.

How to Avoid Injury

In order to prevent an attack by a street cat and avoid many associated problems, it is enough to follow simple precautions.

These include the following rules:

avoid contact with stray animals;
do not try to pet or pick up the animal, especially if it clearly expresses its displeasure;
do not touch kittens in front of their mother;
do not take food from the cat;
do not show aggression towards the cat;
Do not expose your arms or legs while playing with the animal;
do not tease the cat (do not stroke him against the grain, do not pull his whiskers, tail, paws or ears).

You can get more information about outdoor cat bites by watching the video in this article.

Medicines to relieve swelling

If the hand is swollen significantly and over a large area, extending far beyond the area where the cat bit, it is necessary to use antibiotic therapy. Such treatment after a cat bite will stop the progression of inflammation and destroy pathogenic bacteria. In case of severe tissue swelling, external remedies are not enough and oral antibiotics are indicated. If it is possible to visit a doctor, then the site of inflammation is injected with antibiotics. In this case, the effect of the drugs will be observed in maximum concentration directly in the affected tissues.

For internal use, if a cat has bitten, broad-spectrum antibiotics are often prescribed, to which all bacteria that enter the wound from the cat’s mouth along with its saliva are sensitive. Preference is given to the following means :

amoxicillin,
lincomycin,
clavunate,
ceftriaxone,
ciprolet.

Take the medicine for at least 5 days and no more than 10. In most cases, a week of therapy is enough to relieve the inflammatory process and eliminate swelling of the hand after a cat bite. In severe cases, when the arm is swollen and painful, antibiotics can be administered through injections, but in such a situation the patient is usually hospitalized, since there is a serious threat to his health and life.

What not to do

Illiterate actions not only do not bring a beneficial effect, but can also aggravate the situation and provoke new complications.

If there is an inflammatory process in the tissues, the instructions strictly prohibit doing the following:

Warming up. Warm baths, paraffin, or applying a heating pad are strictly prohibited if bacteria are actively multiplying in the tissues and there is an accumulation of pus. Heat, on the one hand, can draw pus out, but more often it increases its amount and spreads the infection to healthy tissue.
Opening an abscess yourself. Even if the pus is visible under the skin, you cannot cut the abscess yourself. You still won’t be able to clean the wound properly, but you risk causing an additional infection. This procedure should only be performed by a qualified physician.
Application of healing agents. Until the purulent process is eliminated, there is no need to stimulate wound healing, since in this case all accumulations will be “sealed.”

Important! Before making any changes to therapy, as well as using folk remedies, it is recommended to consult your doctor in advance to avoid undesirable consequences.

A remedy to relieve the condition before visiting a doctor

When, after a cat bite, the hand is very swollen, and according to all signs it is necessary to seek medical help, but for some reason it has to be postponed, the patient needs to use a special bandage to improve the condition, which will slow down the spread of the inflammatory process. The use of such temporary treatment is possible for no more than 2 days and only as a last resort before visiting a surgeon.

To improve the patient’s condition, it is necessary to apply a bandage to the damaged area, previously washed with laundry soap, heavily soaked in ointment with the antibiotic levomekol and alcohol, or in extreme cases, vodka. During the day, the bandage should be re-moistened with alcohol regularly. It promotes the opening of pores and, as a result, the rapid penetration of the ointment into the tissue. The bandage also reduces heat at the site of swelling. The sore arm must be rested and secured in a sling.

Reason for attack

Street cats can be more affectionate than purebred apartment pets, so you should not be biased towards them. However, self-defense instincts often work in such a way that a person receives scratches and bites.

A bite can be caused by the following factors:

human aggression, animal self-defense;
interference in the cat’s personal space;
fear;
territory protection;
trying to pet a cat;
character traits of the animal;
protection of offspring;
a person's attempt to separate fighting animals;
unpleasant sensations (for example, if you pull a cat’s tail);
passion for the game;
disease.

If you are bitten by a cat on the street for no obvious reason, you should seriously think about the need for rabies vaccination, since such behavior of the animal may well be provoked by this dangerous disease. The cost of delaying seeking help is death in 100% of cases.

Home treatment for swollen hand

If your hand is swollen after a cat bite, but there is no indication for an urgent visit to the doctor, you can treat the complication of the injury at home. It is important to constantly monitor changes and if swelling and redness further increase, seek medical help. Usually, with a timely reaction, it is possible to cure the consequences of a bite on your own.

A good result is obtained by treating the bite site with inflammation that causes swelling of the hand with a composition of calendula, eucalyptus and chamomile. It is prepared in water so that prolonged exposure to alcohol does not burn the skin. For the composition, brew 1 tbsp in 1 cup of boiling water. with a pile of all components. Infuse the medicine until it cools completely, wrapping the container in a terry towel. After this, a sterile gauze bandage is soaked in the liquid and applied to the bite site. It is fixed at the top using a mesh. The gauze is changed several times a day.

If the bitten hand is not very swollen and the general condition does not worsen, you can draw out the pus and clean the wound with the leaves of agave, which is found in almost every home. A paste is prepared from its leaves, which is applied to the bite and covered with polyethylene on top, secured with a bandage. This is the only remedy that is used as a compress for inflammation of a cat bite. If there is no result from its use within 2 days, this means that the use of antibiotics is required.

Washing the bite with laundry soap helps with open wounds that have not yet begun to heal. If the bite is very painful and the swelling dissipates quickly enough, this method is not suitable. If there is slight swelling of the hand, the cat bite is washed with laundry soap up to 8 times a day. The sore spot is not just rubbed with soap, but also left for 5-10 minutes to act.

A solution of soda and salt helps remove pus and cleanse wounds. It can only be used if the hand is not very swollen. For treatment, dissolve 2 tsp in 1 glass of water. soda and salt and then keep the sore hand in such a bath. It requires cool water, since thermal exposure will only worsen the condition of the bitten person.

Prevention of bites

Healthy indoor cats usually control the strength of their warning or playful bites. A deep wound from a pet can be obtained in the following cases:

the cat was angry or hurt;
the cat was fighting with another animal, and the owner tried to separate them;
she was offended by something and decided to take revenge on the owner (this is typical of exotic breeds, such as Siamese cats);
the cat was frightened, for example, by the noise of a vacuum cleaner or water;
leg bites can occur because the cat is “hunting” or playing (this is typical for young animals); If a person's skin is thin and sensitive, the bite may be painful.

It must be remembered that cats are independent animals that have their own boundaries. Unlike dogs, they do not obey their owner one hundred percent and can show character, so in order to avoid bites, you should not tease the cat or try to play with it when it is not inclined to do so. This is especially true for Siamese cats or those with an admixture of Siamese blood. The author of the article lived with a Thai-Siamese cat for many years, which regularly made quite strong bites, not only on the hands, but also on the face, neck, and legs of the owner. The reason for this could be fear from loud noises, resentment (for example, when the owner was absent for many days) or a bad mood of the pet, which, with the help of bites, tried to protect itself from the advances of a person and show that it was not in the mood to play.

Siamese beauties are often biters

Young children who are in contact with the cat should be closely supervised. By trying to play or cuddle the furry cat, they may unintentionally cause pain to the cat, to which the cat may react with deep bites and scratches.

Based on the above, bite prevention involves proper behavior with your pet, which must correspond to the situation, breed and temperament of the cat. Your cat should also be vaccinated against rabies. This must be done if you plan to take it to nature, if the pet walks on the street or comes into contact with other animals that can carry the disease.

The above is also relevant in order to reduce the risk of deep scratches. If the nails are too long, the cat may cause deep damage to the skin by accident. That's why your pet needs a scratching post. You can also have your nails trimmed by your veterinarian; You can do this yourself, but the procedure is responsible, so it is advisable to learn from an experienced person.

Home treatment using pharmaceutical drugs

When a victim of a cat’s teeth has a swollen bite site, you can also use pharmaceutical ointments, which, in case of mild inflammation, quickly solve the problem. Good results are obtained by combining an antibiotic agent with an ointment that draws out pus and cleanses the wound, which, moreover, will hurt less from their influence while the healing process is underway.

The most effective combination is a mixture of ichthyol ointment with levomekol, which are taken in a 1:1 ratio. The composition is applied in a thick layer to the sore spot, covering the healthy skin around it by 1 cm. A cotton pad is placed on top of the ointment. Afterwards they make a bandage. If the hand is slightly swollen, leave the ointment on for a day. When the swelling is severe after a cat bite, change the bandage and apply a new portion of ointment after 12 hours. Before applying a new portion of the medicine, be sure to rinse the bite with chlorhexidine or hydrogen peroxide.

If there is no ointment with antibiotic action, but streptocide powder is available, you can treat the bite with it. It is important to prevent the formation of a crust on the surface of the wound, which will not allow the pus to drain . To do this, mix the powder in a 1:1 ratio with crushed agave leaves or natural honey. The first option is preferable. The mixture is applied to wounds from the cat’s teeth every 12 hours. The swelling in the arm should begin to subside after the first day of therapy.

Furacilin solution is destructive to most of the bacteria that cause inflammation after cat bites. Lotions with it, which are done 4 times a day, help to eliminate swelling and inflammation, as well as speed up tissue regeneration and prevent the appearance of severe scars. Use the product according to the instructions. It does not cause burning or pain, which is why it can be used even in children.

Types of wounds

The classification of injuries in cats is varied and depends on the following factors:

1.According to the method of production, wounds in cats are:

combed (usually independently);
bitten (by a relative, other animal, insect, snake);
torn (when the edges are uneven);
cut (injury with a sharp object);
firearms (obtained when shooting at cats);
postoperative (with licking of seams and divergence of edges).

2.The depth of a cat’s wound can be:

superficial (the upper layer of the epidermis is damaged with slight bleeding);
deep (when the wound penetrated and affected the muscle layers and tissues).

3.By openness:

open (damage to the integrity of the skin is visible on the surface of the body and can be assessed with the naked eye);
closed (internal organ injuries with parenchymal bleeding due to falls from a height or blows with a blunt object).

Open wound in a cat
4. According to the complexity of the healing process, wounds can be divided into:

not contaminated with bacteria and healing by scarring;
purulent (when the wound is caused by teeth, claws, or the surface of the abrasion is contaminated with bacteria, suppuration begins, and an unpleasant odor occurs).

Any violation of the integrity of the epidermis in cats causes bleeding, which also depends on the depth and method of injury. When providing first aid to an animal, you must first differentiate the type of bleeding and stop it, and then begin antiseptic treatment of the wound.

Bleeding from wounds in cats can be:

capillary (small blood loss occurs with superficial wounds, quickly stops with tamponade);
venous (dark-colored blood flows intensely and for a long time, occurs with deep or internal wounds, to stop it is necessary to apply a pressure bandage or tourniquet);
arterial (the most dangerous type of bleeding, since the blood spurts out and flows out very quickly, occurs with gunshot wounds, accidents, open fractures, deep wounds of the neck, a tourniquet or squeezing the edges of the vessel is needed to stop).

According to veterinary statistics, cat owners most often encounter two types of wounds:

received by cats during fights with each other during the determination of dominance in the territory (as a result of deep bites with fangs and scratches with dirty claws, cats develop purulent wounds, the treatment of which is longer and requires the intervention of a veterinarian);
deep bites and lacerations received during a fight between dogs and cats (it is these injuries that can make an animal disabled, lead to the loss of a limb or tail, or threaten the life of a kitten).

If the animal’s injury is not deep and fresh, then the first thing the owner needs to do is carry out antiseptic treatment. In other cases, you need to stop the bleeding and immediately go to the doctor's clinic.