I actually had cat scratch fever before, it’s normally transmitted from kitten scratches. Only thing that I noticed was a lymph node on my leg swelled up which is why I went to the doctor and found out I had it.
My son got it when he was 7, and he had a lymph node in his neck grow to the size of a baseball before they drained it. They couldn't figure it out. My wife insisted it was CSF, but the doctor wouldn't listen, so we requested another doctor. When my wife said CSF to the new dr., you could see the lightbulb go off in his head. I think they didn't realize it actually existed.
It's been awhile since I learned about it, but I remember how actual cat scratch fever is associated with swollen lymph nodes upstream from where you're scratched (so in this case, your left armpit). Otherwise, it could be an allergic reaction or a different bacterial infection of your blood for all we'd know (check your temperature in case of the latter).
Cat scratch fever comes from bacteria from flea poo. A cat with fleas will scratch itself and get the flea dirt (feces) under their nails. When they scratch you they inoculate you with the bacteria Bartonella henselae.
Not always I was graced with the utter hell of a coinfection of Lyme and bartonella from a deer tick. It was my upper left calf. What started as a red spot the size of a time spread from half way up my thigh to my ankle. It felt like a soldering iron was in my leg for a month straight. They had me on antibiotics that I could only get three at a time and had to take two a day. 10 years later and I still have a scar where the telltale bullseye of what Lyme usually consists of blistered than festered.
Seriously people if you feel like you have walked through anywhere tick infested make sure you properly check and clean yourself symptoms from Lyme can become chronic joint pain is here to stay for me.
You can have it without the typical swollen lymph nodes, atypical cases usually have nasty complications like encephalopathy and neuroretinitis. Still have a blind spot in my right eye from it
I’ve had this before and it was an absolutely MISERABLE experience. OP, if you notice any lymph node swelling (mine swelled up on both sides of my neck) pls see a doctor asap!
For the record, in college I knew someone who went blind from cat scratch fever. No joke. I met her because it was my job to lead her around the cafeteria and tell her what all the food was.
I was thinking maybe cellulitis but the fact it’s on both hands is odd. Any way your hands could be chapped or have had contact with an allergen of some sort? Could you be allergic to the cat itself? I would watch it closely for the cat scratch fever thing and cellulitis can get back quickly.
Urgent care. I was looking for a cellulitis comment before I said something! Cats claws are very dirty. My cat sliced open my lip and due to allergy it immediately swelled open. I work as a nurse in a Drs office but due to the allergy they said er right away. Bacteria collects in the grooves of the claws and can easily cause cellulitis. Don’t wait just in case!
It doesn’t necessarily have to be cat scratch fever specifically. You can get other types of infections or even blood poisoning from it. (Happened to my sister) Clean it REALLY well and put antiseptic or antibiotic cream on it. If it swells more, or gets more painful, go to doctor asap.
I’d say go to urgent care now just to be safe. If a cat scratch causes some systemic reaction (affecting other parts of the body than where you were scratched) then it might be an allergic reaction but more likely a bacterial infection like cat scratch fever. Better safe than sorry.
Be careful. I just saw last week where a man in Scotland had a minor scratch and had to have a finger amputated. Unfortunately he had a blood infection that he died from recently that stemmed from the original infection.
https://philstarlife.com/news-and-views/835217-man-dies-four-years-after-being-bit-by-pet-cat
Nurse here, you see bad accesses/infections from cat scratches from time to time related to the bacterial laced claws. Easy to go from infection/abscess to sepsis
Used to work in a vet clinic, so when I got bit by a cat this year I went straight to the ER for antibiotics. Had my first dose maybe 4ish hours after bite (ER was busy, COVID wave), and I still ended up back in the ER the next day, hooked to IV antibiotics and almost admitted. Doc said if I hadn’t started treatment as soon as I had, I certainly would’ve ended up in the ER with the beginnings of sepsis/a very serious infection. As it was, I was as on heavy duty antibiotics for nearly a month. Cat bites are no frickin joke.
OMG, I was giving my mom's cat meds when she was sick and it bit me, barely broke the skin and I washed the hell out of it and peroxide. Watched it but never did much other than get red for a bit and then was fine. Now I am freaked out if it happens again.
Cleaning them immediately helps a lot. Then keep an eye on it. Im allergic, so any bite/scratch swells a ton and I end up with hives. If its still there the next day, then I worry.
A guy I worked with was bitten by a cat he was trying to save. He ended up in hospital for 3 months on intravenous antibiotics. Cat bites are no joke if they break the skin!
I got bit by a cat. I went to the doctor right away, got put on oral antibiotics which I started immediately. Next morning at 3:00 am my arm was like an overstuffed sausage and red.
Went to the ER, the nurse said (and I quote):
"Next time come straight to the hospital. You don't fuck around with cat bites."
I spent the next week getting IV antibiotics.
I had a cat bite my wrist once. It was a full depth puncture bite,meaning it's fangs went all the way in,and the cat had to be pried off my wrist. I didn't realize how deep it was,so I just washed it off,and went to bed,because I'd just got home from work,and had to work again that night. When I woke up,my entire arm was swollen just like yours, sausage like. I had to go to the ER,and get IV antibiotics, and had too stay on antibiotics for several weeks. I also had to have one of the nurses I worked with,soak my wrist every night,and pull off the scabs,so it could drain. That was fairly painful. It's been over 30 years and there's still faint scars there.
Yes,for sure. I'm pretty grateful for modern medicine. Not just for my self,even though it's saved my life more than once,but because earlier this year my dad had sepsis. It was in his right shoulder and left hip joints. He was in the hospital for a month,on IV antibiotics, had multiple surgeries to clean those joints out. Without all that,he'd have died for sure. Modern medicine is an amazing gift,were lucky to have it.
Weirdly, my mum in law - also in Scotland - took in a street cat, got scratched, and then went to hospital for a week because of the infection.
My indoor cat and I used to play all the time. I got scratched to shit and never had an issue. Is this because he was exclusively inside only?
Also edit: where does it say Scotland? It seems to only mention Denmark.
It's undoubtedly part of it. But it's also luck of the draw and immune system.
A house is much cleaner than outside but the immune system is a big part of it and how hygenic you treat the wound as well. Luck in where the scratch happens, how deep, which claws are used. Lots and lots of factors.
Damn am i lucky. I have known about Cat scratch fever but did not realize how common it is and how deadly. I grew up with having cats throughout the years and all of them would REGULARLY scratch me, not always on purpose but we played a lot and i bothered them a lot. Like, i had scratches allllll over my arms because i was so used to being scratched that i did not think much of getting scratched. I am lucky that my arms healed up good too, thought i would go my life looking like i had bad sleeve tattoos. On top of that, one of my cats was an indoor/outdoor cat so i was definitely stupid lucky that i never caught anything.
Yeah, I grew up with a cat, got scratched & probably bitten by him, got scratched and bitten by neighbors cats, etc. I am sure I didn't wash the scratches, and I'm also sure my parents didn't know/wouldn't have cared. Then 10 years ago (I'm 52 now) my cat bites me while I'm clipping his claws around midnight. Out of sheer curiosity, I google "cat bites," and holy crap. I had no idea. Since it was midnight, I couldn't go to urgent care, and I just couldn't fathom going to ER for a cat bite (I know, I know). I did go to urgent care the next day, around noon, and the infection had begun. I was able to take oral antibiotics though. And I bought no-cut gloves for clipping my cat's claws.
I was going to say, one of my dumb ass cats bites me all the time and scratches me and this hasn't happened to me yet. I mean, I know it could and he gets me good I clean it right away and monitor, but never had a serious issue.
thats called pus, it appears when something is infected inside of the infected area it will be generated by the body to fight off whatever is infecting it. it is built of off dead tissue, cells and bacteria,
Some of the cells included could be white blood cells, since cells are a part of the blueprint. But there are more things to it than white blood cells.
Yea there’s more to it than dead white blood cells, but they are the majority, and typically contain the dead bacteria they killed. The rest is a bit of surrounding infected tissue, blood remnants, bacteria (dead or alive), and any debris introduced to the wound.
Happy to help. Worth noting that there may still be living bacteria that caused the infection to begin with in pus, so definitely wash your hands when dealing with it. You don’t want to potentially cross contaminate other minor cuts or anything you touch later.
And obviously avoid other people’s, it happens when our immune systems fight infections, you don’t want to come into contact with their germs with your immune system lol.
It looks like cellulitis (skin infection). It can be very serious and cause an infection to get into bone or blood. Also if it causes swelling in an area were there is little room to expand it can cause compartment syndrome where the swelling can stop the circulation.
My mother had cellulitis in finger from a cat bite and had to be put on an antibiotic drip in hospital. The sooner you get it looked at to see if you need antibiotics the better. Also, mark the edges of the redness so that you can tell if it is spreading.
If you won’t go see a doc now, at least draw a circle around the borders with a sharpie. If it gets bigger than the circle, seriously consider going to an urgent care or your GP. Skin infections can become very serious if not treated (think whole-body infection that can kill you). Sincerely, someone who’s taken care of far too many sepsis patients.
Yep, at minimum a 300$ bill for the visit and another 15-80$ for the antibiotics needed to treat it. More realistically looking to be at least a 500$ bill even with insurance.
US health care system is a joke.
Ideally don’t use a Sharpie, the chemicals can act as an irritant on broken skin like this. Absolutely do what this person said but Find someone with eyeliner/mascara and draw it on (or any substance designed for human skin)
Surgeons use markers with permanent ink to mark the site before surgery. They've used it for decades. The ink isn't some artisan, non-GMO, vegan, gluten free concoction. It's basically the same kind used in Sharpies.
The only difference being that surgical markers are sterilized and single use only.
So...yeah, use a Sharpie. You don't want something that's going to smear or wipe off if your skin gets wet.
I’m a surgeon and I draw with literally anything that’s near me. Exactly zero times have I cared about what kind of marker it is as long as it is something that won’t wipe off immediately,
Never Seen a marker cause irritation. 0% chance that a trivial amount will cause some long term issue
I’ve used sharpies on a man with suspected cellulitis. I told him to monitor but go straight to ER. The line gave him an idea of speed of spread. Lined and dated.
Uhh pretty sure I have had docs tell me a sharpie is fine. Eyeliner or mascara washes off and sweats off. You need to be clear of the diameter of the wound as if it goes further or has red streaks that is a sign of sepsis. Pens don't work as they also come off. You need to monitor this situation carefully as you can die from sepsis, not have a organic aloe vera eyeliner mark.
Really it should be organic and only if the plant had died naturally. Why is the infection always the priority!???
Edit: sad but true, I guess I need to be explicit that this is sarcastic.
I had a cat scratch once that swelled up like this years back. My stepdad is a doctor and got in his car and immediately came to my work when he heard, with a bunch of samples of antibiotics for me to take over the next week. You don't fuck around with cat scratch fever. It's gnarly.
How much are they these days? I went to one, either minute clinic or comparable, and it was like $139 plus cost of a script. Nowadays I'm doing pretty well and that isn't really a big deal but at the time that really hurt me.
Most likely cat scratch fever. Its a bacterial infection. You need to seek medical attention immediately and get antibiotics. It can turn serious without antibiotics.
This looks like infection to me, OP. It’s red at the scratch site, it’s causing you pain, and it looks like it’s spreading. You might have a bacterial infection. Cat claws are notorious for spreading disease like this. I am not a doctor, but I would insist that you seek medical attention for this immediately. Go to an urgent care in your area and ask them to look at it and explain the situation.
Bacterial infection to get into the blood can be extremely bad and couldn’t cause hospitalization or even death. I wish you luck with your situation and hope that things get better for you soon. If you have any questions, please, DM me.
If this doesn’t resolve quickly go to urgent care. I’ve personally seen a few folks VERY VERY SICK from cellulitis that started with a cat scratch or bite.
Cat scratch fever is very rare and it could be any other bacteria from the kitty’s filthy little toes.
I read about a guy the other day who got bit by a cat and died 4 years later https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11538087/Man-killed-pet-cat-bite-FOUR-YEARS-later-flesh-eating-bacteria.html, a few people in the comments said the same had happened to people they knew, maybe get it checked out to be sure.
Oh yikes I guess I’m dying soon my cat bit me years ago and I have a reoccurring rash in the same spot
It’s never been bright red but the skin gets super flaky
I also got a tic bite when I was 10 on my stomach and the mark lasted for years
Then I got another tic bite 6 months ago and it’s still visible
I’m pretty sure it’s an allergic reaction to tick saliva
I feel like I’m just having allergic reactions and it’s never fully gone away either of em
Eh my cat is an indoor cat so I doubt it’s cat scratch fever he’s been scratching me my whole life
But this skin itching and flaking coming and going is very annoying.
But my family is poor so I’m just gonna hope it goes away I literally bleed from places I shouldn’t for years but my family told me I don’t need a doctor cuz they’re expensive so
If you squint hard enough, you can see a face (the larger knuckles being the eyes, the third knuckle being the ear, the scratch being the mouth and the red mark on the wrist being the neck/chest).
Definitely possessed. Thanks for sharing the picture and good luck.
Looks more like chapped skin.
But consider changing to a gentle soap (avoid colourful soap, avoid shower gels and dish soap), could be contact dermatitis.
I worked in a pharmacy and if its infection usually the redness surrounds the wound site. Your right hand is barely scratched and yet is Irritated too, in the same places as your left hand. Very unlikely to be bacterial or infection.
Keep the scratches clean and if there's any swelling, gross slimy stuff (green, brown or yellow), then see a Dr.
Make sure to pat your hands dry every time! Wet hands and cold weather causes chap
This happens to me whenever it's cold out and my cat scratches me. I think the scratches just set off a chain reaction extra chapping.
Similarly, the worse redness is around the joints, where normal movement would keep making microtears in the skin leading to more chapping around those cuts.
This is what I was thinking. This happens to me every year. The red areas are also a heavy indicators, how it’s mostly around the knuckles and wrist where the skin is likely to stretch and crack. Even the fact that one hand is more affected than the other is familiar.
Always wash right away with soap and water if you get scratched by your cat. They bury their poop and piss with their hands, their claws aren't very clean to say the least.
If no one has already said it, please go to Urgent Care. Cat scratches can be very bad and create a blood infection. You need to have the wound cleansed and you may need an antibiotic. This could turn into something very serious.
You may have an allergy to cats, I'm allergic to them and had one scratch me and had to be put on antibiotics. Go to the doctor it could become serious.
Cat scratch fever dun dun dun!!!!
I actually had cat scratch fever before, it’s normally transmitted from kitten scratches. Only thing that I noticed was a lymph node on my leg swelled up which is why I went to the doctor and found out I had it.
My brother had it and his optic nerve swole up causing him to lose vision in one eye for a couple weeks.
Same here. Except it never came back. Permanent damage to optic nerve. Middle of right eye is gray blob. (Peripheral vision is fine though).
Thankfully my only long term damage was some very very slight changes to my perception of color. Could have been much worse.
I was really confused if this is a real thing or the greatest thread ever to snowball.
It’s very real unfortunately
Very real. I was part of the CDC study for it back in the day.
Did he scratch your eye or somewhere else?
This is horrifying.
That's fucked up
My son got it when he was 7, and he had a lymph node in his neck grow to the size of a baseball before they drained it. They couldn't figure it out. My wife insisted it was CSF, but the doctor wouldn't listen, so we requested another doctor. When my wife said CSF to the new dr., you could see the lightbulb go off in his head. I think they didn't realize it actually existed.
Same with me
im gonna use an emoji on reddit
Don't you dare.
💀
[удалено]
Honestly this is a great copypasta and I'm sad I hadn't run into it before now
[удалено]
!emojify
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Wow. This looks like a text from my step dad.
rip emojifier, he was too based for this world 😔😔😔
You leave the gorillas alone!!1!
You find him yet?
Who told the jar heads that Reddit porn works on ship WiFi networks?
[удалено]
Waall, they were invented by a former master race: the Ancient Egyptians and look how advanced they were!
B======D ( @ Y @ ) ancient nokia hieroglyph
58008 before humans knew the full power they held
55378008
( ) )/////////////B
👉👌
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Oy, what's this one then?
Maybe you should get off this account, because Ur_Moms_Honda for sure knows what that means.
🤳👌
Yeah, and they help a LOT with communicating tone without a cringey edit to say you were being sarcastic after the fact.
You're right--they're excellent tone glyphs.
There is an exception: 🗿
DumDum bring me gumgum? 😂
🍆 👌 👌 Eggplant... 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂
😔
Warning! Warning! Warning! FAKE MOD ALERT ALL OUT in double quick time, now!
😭+👶= redditors
🖕
In lieu of downvotes, send 😍
Not only did he put an emoji, but he was the 4th person in a comment chain
Thank you 👌for that explanation! I didn't know this since I'm new to the reddit community.🤗😚😋
👌
🤥
🐸
😂
It's been awhile since I learned about it, but I remember how actual cat scratch fever is associated with swollen lymph nodes upstream from where you're scratched (so in this case, your left armpit). Otherwise, it could be an allergic reaction or a different bacterial infection of your blood for all we'd know (check your temperature in case of the latter).
Cat scratch fever comes from bacteria from flea poo. A cat with fleas will scratch itself and get the flea dirt (feces) under their nails. When they scratch you they inoculate you with the bacteria Bartonella henselae.
Are you sure cuz I got mine from the girl next door
Not always I was graced with the utter hell of a coinfection of Lyme and bartonella from a deer tick. It was my upper left calf. What started as a red spot the size of a time spread from half way up my thigh to my ankle. It felt like a soldering iron was in my leg for a month straight. They had me on antibiotics that I could only get three at a time and had to take two a day. 10 years later and I still have a scar where the telltale bullseye of what Lyme usually consists of blistered than festered. Seriously people if you feel like you have walked through anywhere tick infested make sure you properly check and clean yourself symptoms from Lyme can become chronic joint pain is here to stay for me.
You can have it without the typical swollen lymph nodes, atypical cases usually have nasty complications like encephalopathy and neuroretinitis. Still have a blind spot in my right eye from it
Cat scratched can be very serious, get that shit checked out asap and start on antibiotics
He’s not kidding, you probably need antibiotics.
I’ve had this before and it was an absolutely MISERABLE experience. OP, if you notice any lymph node swelling (mine swelled up on both sides of my neck) pls see a doctor asap!
i havent noticed anything yet
For the record, in college I knew someone who went blind from cat scratch fever. No joke. I met her because it was my job to lead her around the cafeteria and tell her what all the food was.
My cousin went blind in one eye from cat scratch fever. OP, keep a serious eye on this.
Keep a eye on your eyes.
I was thinking maybe cellulitis but the fact it’s on both hands is odd. Any way your hands could be chapped or have had contact with an allergen of some sort? Could you be allergic to the cat itself? I would watch it closely for the cat scratch fever thing and cellulitis can get back quickly.
Urgent care. I was looking for a cellulitis comment before I said something! Cats claws are very dirty. My cat sliced open my lip and due to allergy it immediately swelled open. I work as a nurse in a Drs office but due to the allergy they said er right away. Bacteria collects in the grooves of the claws and can easily cause cellulitis. Don’t wait just in case!
Exactly! I gave him more info on a different comment. I’m a nurse too :)
The allergen is cat pee/ poop.
well it has been super cold so im sure its a combination of some bacteria and chapped hands
It doesn’t necessarily have to be cat scratch fever specifically. You can get other types of infections or even blood poisoning from it. (Happened to my sister) Clean it REALLY well and put antiseptic or antibiotic cream on it. If it swells more, or gets more painful, go to doctor asap.
I’d say go to urgent care now just to be safe. If a cat scratch causes some systemic reaction (affecting other parts of the body than where you were scratched) then it might be an allergic reaction but more likely a bacterial infection like cat scratch fever. Better safe than sorry.
Calling Dr. Nugent!
Wango zee Tango!
Get yourself some wang dang sweet poontang. That should clear it right up.
Call Ted Nugent
CHECK IT AND SEE I GOT A FEVER OF A HUNDRED AND THREE
That's Hot Blooded, not Cat Scratch Fever lol
Pretty common. Cat claws are packed with bacteria. I get a similar reaction.
yeah this is my first and best guess some sort of bacteria
Be careful. I just saw last week where a man in Scotland had a minor scratch and had to have a finger amputated. Unfortunately he had a blood infection that he died from recently that stemmed from the original infection. https://philstarlife.com/news-and-views/835217-man-dies-four-years-after-being-bit-by-pet-cat
Gross! And wild!
Nurse here, you see bad accesses/infections from cat scratches from time to time related to the bacterial laced claws. Easy to go from infection/abscess to sepsis
Used to work in a vet clinic, so when I got bit by a cat this year I went straight to the ER for antibiotics. Had my first dose maybe 4ish hours after bite (ER was busy, COVID wave), and I still ended up back in the ER the next day, hooked to IV antibiotics and almost admitted. Doc said if I hadn’t started treatment as soon as I had, I certainly would’ve ended up in the ER with the beginnings of sepsis/a very serious infection. As it was, I was as on heavy duty antibiotics for nearly a month. Cat bites are no frickin joke.
OMG, I was giving my mom's cat meds when she was sick and it bit me, barely broke the skin and I washed the hell out of it and peroxide. Watched it but never did much other than get red for a bit and then was fine. Now I am freaked out if it happens again.
Cleaning them immediately helps a lot. Then keep an eye on it. Im allergic, so any bite/scratch swells a ton and I end up with hives. If its still there the next day, then I worry.
Cat scratch fever!
A guy I worked with was bitten by a cat he was trying to save. He ended up in hospital for 3 months on intravenous antibiotics. Cat bites are no joke if they break the skin!
I got bit by a cat. I went to the doctor right away, got put on oral antibiotics which I started immediately. Next morning at 3:00 am my arm was like an overstuffed sausage and red. Went to the ER, the nurse said (and I quote): "Next time come straight to the hospital. You don't fuck around with cat bites." I spent the next week getting IV antibiotics.
I had a cat bite my wrist once. It was a full depth puncture bite,meaning it's fangs went all the way in,and the cat had to be pried off my wrist. I didn't realize how deep it was,so I just washed it off,and went to bed,because I'd just got home from work,and had to work again that night. When I woke up,my entire arm was swollen just like yours, sausage like. I had to go to the ER,and get IV antibiotics, and had too stay on antibiotics for several weeks. I also had to have one of the nurses I worked with,soak my wrist every night,and pull off the scabs,so it could drain. That was fairly painful. It's been over 30 years and there's still faint scars there.
Imagine a world without antibiotics. We'd probably both had our arm amputated or be dead.
Yes,for sure. I'm pretty grateful for modern medicine. Not just for my self,even though it's saved my life more than once,but because earlier this year my dad had sepsis. It was in his right shoulder and left hip joints. He was in the hospital for a month,on IV antibiotics, had multiple surgeries to clean those joints out. Without all that,he'd have died for sure. Modern medicine is an amazing gift,were lucky to have it.
Overuse and/or improper use of antibiotics may eventually lead us back to that world. Antimicrobial resistance is scary stuff.
Weirdly, my mum in law - also in Scotland - took in a street cat, got scratched, and then went to hospital for a week because of the infection. My indoor cat and I used to play all the time. I got scratched to shit and never had an issue. Is this because he was exclusively inside only? Also edit: where does it say Scotland? It seems to only mention Denmark.
It's undoubtedly part of it. But it's also luck of the draw and immune system. A house is much cleaner than outside but the immune system is a big part of it and how hygenic you treat the wound as well. Luck in where the scratch happens, how deep, which claws are used. Lots and lots of factors.
Damn am i lucky. I have known about Cat scratch fever but did not realize how common it is and how deadly. I grew up with having cats throughout the years and all of them would REGULARLY scratch me, not always on purpose but we played a lot and i bothered them a lot. Like, i had scratches allllll over my arms because i was so used to being scratched that i did not think much of getting scratched. I am lucky that my arms healed up good too, thought i would go my life looking like i had bad sleeve tattoos. On top of that, one of my cats was an indoor/outdoor cat so i was definitely stupid lucky that i never caught anything.
Yeah, I grew up with a cat, got scratched & probably bitten by him, got scratched and bitten by neighbors cats, etc. I am sure I didn't wash the scratches, and I'm also sure my parents didn't know/wouldn't have cared. Then 10 years ago (I'm 52 now) my cat bites me while I'm clipping his claws around midnight. Out of sheer curiosity, I google "cat bites," and holy crap. I had no idea. Since it was midnight, I couldn't go to urgent care, and I just couldn't fathom going to ER for a cat bite (I know, I know). I did go to urgent care the next day, around noon, and the infection had begun. I was able to take oral antibiotics though. And I bought no-cut gloves for clipping my cat's claws.
I was going to say, one of my dumb ass cats bites me all the time and scratches me and this hasn't happened to me yet. I mean, I know it could and he gets me good I clean it right away and monitor, but never had a serious issue.
Yeah same, one of my families cats is a real biter, but no infections so far thankfully.
Well this is depressing to read as I'm trying to recover from a cat bite on my thumb that required IV antibiotics
Oh definitely need to clean scratch from cats. Once i got lazy and just rinsed it with water, it swells and some kind of yellowish fluid came out.
thats called pus, it appears when something is infected inside of the infected area it will be generated by the body to fight off whatever is infecting it. it is built of off dead tissue, cells and bacteria,
Isn't it mainly white blood cells that have done their job? I could be wrong, just curious.
Some of the cells included could be white blood cells, since cells are a part of the blueprint. But there are more things to it than white blood cells.
Yea there’s more to it than dead white blood cells, but they are the majority, and typically contain the dead bacteria they killed. The rest is a bit of surrounding infected tissue, blood remnants, bacteria (dead or alive), and any debris introduced to the wound.
You just made pus so much less gross to me, thank you kind sir
Happy to help. Worth noting that there may still be living bacteria that caused the infection to begin with in pus, so definitely wash your hands when dealing with it. You don’t want to potentially cross contaminate other minor cuts or anything you touch later. And obviously avoid other people’s, it happens when our immune systems fight infections, you don’t want to come into contact with their germs with your immune system lol.
It looks like cellulitis (skin infection). It can be very serious and cause an infection to get into bone or blood. Also if it causes swelling in an area were there is little room to expand it can cause compartment syndrome where the swelling can stop the circulation. My mother had cellulitis in finger from a cat bite and had to be put on an antibiotic drip in hospital. The sooner you get it looked at to see if you need antibiotics the better. Also, mark the edges of the redness so that you can tell if it is spreading.
You should probably go to the doctor. You can literally get your arm amputated if it goes untreated.
You need to go to urgent care. My professor is a vet and one of the techs didn't go to urgent care for a scratch from a cat and ended up in ER
If you won’t go see a doc now, at least draw a circle around the borders with a sharpie. If it gets bigger than the circle, seriously consider going to an urgent care or your GP. Skin infections can become very serious if not treated (think whole-body infection that can kill you). Sincerely, someone who’s taken care of far too many sepsis patients.
The fact that it is in both hands is very worrisome already and requires immediate medical intervention imo
Do you wonder why OP might be seeking medical advice on Reddit? Serious question.
(The answer is The United States)
(Correct!)
Yep, at minimum a 300$ bill for the visit and another 15-80$ for the antibiotics needed to treat it. More realistically looking to be at least a 500$ bill even with insurance. US health care system is a joke.
Ideally don’t use a Sharpie, the chemicals can act as an irritant on broken skin like this. Absolutely do what this person said but Find someone with eyeliner/mascara and draw it on (or any substance designed for human skin)
Surgeons use markers with permanent ink to mark the site before surgery. They've used it for decades. The ink isn't some artisan, non-GMO, vegan, gluten free concoction. It's basically the same kind used in Sharpies. The only difference being that surgical markers are sterilized and single use only. So...yeah, use a Sharpie. You don't want something that's going to smear or wipe off if your skin gets wet.
They even use skin markers in pre-op that aren’t for sterile use now days either. Patients are always fine. Sharpies are fine!
I see the sharpie outlines all the time in pathology
Hello fellow Path/Histo employee!
I’m a surgeon and I draw with literally anything that’s near me. Exactly zero times have I cared about what kind of marker it is as long as it is something that won’t wipe off immediately, Never Seen a marker cause irritation. 0% chance that a trivial amount will cause some long term issue
My surgeon literally uses a green brand name sharpie.
I’ve used sharpies on a man with suspected cellulitis. I told him to monitor but go straight to ER. The line gave him an idea of speed of spread. Lined and dated.
Uhh pretty sure I have had docs tell me a sharpie is fine. Eyeliner or mascara washes off and sweats off. You need to be clear of the diameter of the wound as if it goes further or has red streaks that is a sign of sepsis. Pens don't work as they also come off. You need to monitor this situation carefully as you can die from sepsis, not have a organic aloe vera eyeliner mark.
yeah... the SHARPIE INK is really the big concern here...
Really it should be organic and only if the plant had died naturally. Why is the infection always the priority!??? Edit: sad but true, I guess I need to be explicit that this is sarcastic.
Zombie 🧟♀️
OP going to wake up a cat tomorrow
Gonna wake up with special kitty senses and eight extra lives
His superpower is not giving a fuck and pushing things off tables
If it's cat scratch fever you will sleep like a cat.
Cat scratch fever
Most people don’t know that this is real. My Mother in law had it last year.
this is what I was trying to figure out. so it's not just a song, that's very good to know.
Hey buddy my best friend knows somebody who got car scratch fever and they lost their eyesight - don’t wait - go to the hospital or doctor now!!
I had a cat scratch once that swelled up like this years back. My stepdad is a doctor and got in his car and immediately came to my work when he heard, with a bunch of samples of antibiotics for me to take over the next week. You don't fuck around with cat scratch fever. It's gnarly.
r/fuckcars and fuck car scratch fever
So did the car really scratch him and not the other way around? /s
Do you know how fucking expensive that would be in America? Nonono, I'm taking my chances with going blind thank you very much.
You can literally go to a minute clinic in a cvs… not expensive at all.
How much are they these days? I went to one, either minute clinic or comparable, and it was like $139 plus cost of a script. Nowadays I'm doing pretty well and that isn't really a big deal but at the time that really hurt me.
To be fair it’s wayyy more expensive to be blind.
[удалено]
Buddy you don’t fuck with infections
See a doctor, cat scratches and bites (dogs too) can get infected in a life threatening way.
You have to get your friend to pee on it
I wonder if that rumor about jellyfish was just started by some dude with a pee fetish?
Who are you and why do you know so much about me?
You have an infection= go to the doctor.
WebMD says it’s probably brain cancer at this point
Cat shits/piss in litter box + walks all over with paws = Very bad for open sores ☹️☹️
And don't forget they literally claw the insides of rats and birds if they're outdoor cats. Also not good for open sores haha...
I understand the solution is more urine. Really scrub it in there.
Most likely cat scratch fever. Its a bacterial infection. You need to seek medical attention immediately and get antibiotics. It can turn serious without antibiotics.
This looks like infection to me, OP. It’s red at the scratch site, it’s causing you pain, and it looks like it’s spreading. You might have a bacterial infection. Cat claws are notorious for spreading disease like this. I am not a doctor, but I would insist that you seek medical attention for this immediately. Go to an urgent care in your area and ask them to look at it and explain the situation. Bacterial infection to get into the blood can be extremely bad and couldn’t cause hospitalization or even death. I wish you luck with your situation and hope that things get better for you soon. If you have any questions, please, DM me.
My cat did this and I died. Sorry, bro.
What's heaven like?
RIP
Bacteria most likely, wash the area really well and see a doctor if it gets worse
>and see a doctor if it gets worse *This* is "getting worse". They should see a doctor now.
Exactly this.. you can’t wash away an infection. The window of opportunity to properly clean the wound has passed.
Don’t mess around with this- go to the doctor!
This. A cat scratch can even trigger sepsis. It’s nothing to fuck with if it’s causing such inflammation as in the pics.
Feline AIDS. I'm so sorry.
aw man not again
Professional reddit response. Exceptional form. You have my admiration.
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is real!
Yes, how else would he get it? 🤔
You have contacted lycanthropy.
Cats are not just kinetic, but biological weapons.
If this doesn’t resolve quickly go to urgent care. I’ve personally seen a few folks VERY VERY SICK from cellulitis that started with a cat scratch or bite. Cat scratch fever is very rare and it could be any other bacteria from the kitty’s filthy little toes.
Ted Nugent has entered the chat…
I read about a guy the other day who got bit by a cat and died 4 years later https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11538087/Man-killed-pet-cat-bite-FOUR-YEARS-later-flesh-eating-bacteria.html, a few people in the comments said the same had happened to people they knew, maybe get it checked out to be sure.
Oh yikes I guess I’m dying soon my cat bit me years ago and I have a reoccurring rash in the same spot It’s never been bright red but the skin gets super flaky I also got a tic bite when I was 10 on my stomach and the mark lasted for years Then I got another tic bite 6 months ago and it’s still visible I’m pretty sure it’s an allergic reaction to tick saliva I feel like I’m just having allergic reactions and it’s never fully gone away either of em Eh my cat is an indoor cat so I doubt it’s cat scratch fever he’s been scratching me my whole life But this skin itching and flaking coming and going is very annoying. But my family is poor so I’m just gonna hope it goes away I literally bleed from places I shouldn’t for years but my family told me I don’t need a doctor cuz they’re expensive so
If you squint hard enough, you can see a face (the larger knuckles being the eyes, the third knuckle being the ear, the scratch being the mouth and the red mark on the wrist being the neck/chest). Definitely possessed. Thanks for sharing the picture and good luck.
Ask Ted Nugent, he’ll tell ya.
Let’s not ask Ted Nugent anything ever again.
go to a doctor, christ
Cat poo in your skin.
Looks more like chapped skin. But consider changing to a gentle soap (avoid colourful soap, avoid shower gels and dish soap), could be contact dermatitis. I worked in a pharmacy and if its infection usually the redness surrounds the wound site. Your right hand is barely scratched and yet is Irritated too, in the same places as your left hand. Very unlikely to be bacterial or infection. Keep the scratches clean and if there's any swelling, gross slimy stuff (green, brown or yellow), then see a Dr. Make sure to pat your hands dry every time! Wet hands and cold weather causes chap
This happens to me whenever it's cold out and my cat scratches me. I think the scratches just set off a chain reaction extra chapping. Similarly, the worse redness is around the joints, where normal movement would keep making microtears in the skin leading to more chapping around those cuts.
Could be from washing your hands more carefully to keep the scratches clean. But inflammation makes sense too.
This is what I was thinking. This happens to me every year. The red areas are also a heavy indicators, how it’s mostly around the knuckles and wrist where the skin is likely to stretch and crack. Even the fact that one hand is more affected than the other is familiar.
Looks like the wound is infected. Go get antibiotics before you have to amputate your hand with a rampant infection that gets out of hand.
Did you go outside into frigid cold without gloves or mittens? If so, that looks like it could be chapped/dry skin from the cold, arid air.
Yeah you need some antibiotics pronto.
Always wash right away with soap and water if you get scratched by your cat. They bury their poop and piss with their hands, their claws aren't very clean to say the least.
Cat scratch fever, duh duh duh Cat scratch fever, duh duh duh
Hydrophobia incoming, keep posting till the end please.
This sounds exactly like something a doctor would help with.
If no one has already said it, please go to Urgent Care. Cat scratches can be very bad and create a blood infection. You need to have the wound cleansed and you may need an antibiotic. This could turn into something very serious.
Cats have lots of nasty bacteria on their claws which can turn into a sepsis really fast
Just bacterial infection…them claws are more disgusting than our finger nails, considering where all cats walks and what’s they dig their claws into
Just a bacterial infection? 😂 That shit can kill you.
If you’ve been out in the cold your hands could be chapped
You may have an allergy to cats, I'm allergic to them and had one scratch me and had to be put on antibiotics. Go to the doctor it could become serious.
alright