my cat bit me quite hard. should i go to the doctor?

Question

it bled..
whats the worst that could happen if i dont go to the doctor?
i dont like going to the doctors...

Answer 1

First of all, let's not be "silly" about biting the cat back! Sometimes when they're just being playful, they don't realize how hard they've bitten you. #1 of course, is to wash it with warm soapy water, dry, apply neosporin (or if you have an anti-bacterial cream) & COVER with a bandage. If it doesn't look "bad" the next day, clean it again (hydrogen peroxide with a bit of water is good) & re-apply the neosporin. You will KNOW if it's infected, & this usually happens quite soon. Not only does it hurt, but the area all around gets inflamed, & the wound looks pretty YUCKY>YOU HAVE AN INFECTION. If you wait until there's a red line up your arm, it's kind of late, sweetie, because this means blood poisoning. NOT funny. I'll tell you a little secret. When I got infected by a kitty bite, I did NOT tell the doctor that I knew where the wound came from, because they'd come & quaranteen (spell check doesn't work) my cat, & since she's 100% indoor, I had nothing to fear but the bacteria from her mouth. So, an infection is an infection, right? I was on an antibiotic for ten days, & also used warm, wet compresses. I HATE to go to the doctor, but all she did was look at it, swab it & prescribe the antibiotic. Actually, it's good if it bleeds. You need to keep it "open" so it doesn't heal from the inside, & cause an absess. (That's why the compresses.) I'm not going to put the fear of God in you, but it CAN be very serious, depending on a lot of factors that I don't know in your case. Do take care of it, will you? Going to the doctor will be lots worse if you let it go. Good luck!

Answer 2

Well, let's see here---you ask "What's the worst that could happen", right? The VERY worst is: you could die! I don't believe anyone loves the idea of going to the doctors office, but sometimes we have to. First, is this an indoor or indoor/outdoor cat? If strictly indoor (like mine), there are fewer chances that anything except the bleeding (and let it bleed), and a little soreness will happen. If this is an outdoor cat, a lot of things could happen. A lot of this also depends on YOU, and the location of the bite. If you are diabetic, by any chance, and the bite was on a foot or ankle (anywhere below the knee), YES--get to your doctors office ASAP! If you have any type of compromised immune system such as Lupus, Herpes, HIV/AIDS, the flu, an infection of any kind at this time--YES, get to the doctors office. If you have NOT had a tetnus shot within the past 5 years you can most likely get that at your local health dept., or your doctors office. Or, if you have had this cat for a long time and have been bitten by him/her before and nothing happened, you're most likely fairly safe if you clean the wound well with warm soapy water, rinse, apply hydrogen peroxide for a few minutes and wipe clean and lightly bandage. Check it in the morning to see if there is any further redness or swelling. If so, you MUST go to your doctors or risk losing a body part. Good luck to you with this.

Answer 3

No it is OK i have worked in the animal industry for years and have bitten lots of times. And badly too. First off all make sure you clean it really well will disinfectant and keep apply something like Betadine ointment on it. If you feel lousy then take some paracetamol. If your muscles get sore and you feel shivery go to a doctor. the other thing to watch out for is a red line starting from your wound going up you arm. It looks like someone is drawing a red line up your arm with a texta, if this happens you do need to see a doctor as it can be a toxic infection.

See how you go over the next 24-48 hours, cat bites do really hurt and can make you muscles around the area feel quite sore. You will know more over the next couple of days

Good luck

Answer 4

some bad things can happen with cat btes, the'yre on of the worst. I've seen people lose the use of a hand because they didn't see a doctor in time. i've also seen people that had to get multiple surgeries because of a cat bite. They get infected very, very easily. If you think it's serious, I would go see a doctor, even if all that happens is you get put on antibiotics.

Going to the doctor noe may prevent many, many more visits to the doctor in the future.

Answer 5

Go to the doctor. Chances of infection from a cat bite are quite high. If the cat roams outdoors, rabies is also a possibility.

Answer 6

Cat bites are dangerous, they can easily become very infected... You should clean it VERY well with peroxide or alcohol, put some medicated ointment on it and go to the dr tomorrow. Don't like the doctor either, but I also don't like the idea of losing an arm..

Answer 7

I work at a vet and if a cat bites you hard enough to cause a good bit of bleeding, you should see a doctor. Cat saliva has a ton of germs in it and it could get into your bloodstream and cause you problems. If you are swelling up where you were bit, see a doctor. If it's just a tiny nick, wash it out as best as you can and treat it with peroxide.

Answer 8

There are two types of herpes simplex virus: HSV-1 and HSV-2. Both virus types can cause sores around the mouth (herpes labialis) and on the genitals (genital herpes). Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV).
Cold sores sometimes called fever blisters, are groups of small blisters on the lip and around the mouth. The skin around the blisters is often red, swollen, and sore. The blisters may break open, leak a clear fluid, and then scab over after a few days. They usually heal in several days to 2 weeks.
The herpes simplex virus usually enters the body through a break in the skin around or inside the mouth. It is usually spread when a person touches a cold sore or touches infected fluid—such as from sharing eating utensils or razors, kissing an infected person, or touching that person's saliva. A parent who has a cold sore often spreads the infection to his or her child in this way. Cold sores can also be spread to other areas of the body.
Luckly there is a cure for herpes https://tr.im/9ba52

Answer 9

The worst that could happen is it will get infected and you will have to take medicine.
Now for the advice.
Soak the bitten body part (hand?) in hot soapy water (as hot as you can stand) for five minutes. Then quickly switch to cold water for one minute. This will marshal your immune system to the spot. Then bandage the bite with triple antibiotic ointment, such as neosporin. Keep it clean and bandaged until it looks like it is really mending.
If it gets infected and doesn't heal properly, you may have to go to the doctor. This often happens with cat bites. But you may be able to prevent it by following my instructions.

Answer 10

The worst?
You could get an infection (cats have dirty mouths) and potentially that infection could spread and you could lose a finger, hand, arm, life, etc.
I would flush it with water and if it is swollen tomorrow, go to a doctor. Any time that a cat breaks the skin, you want to go see a doctor.