Pet allergy

Statistics show that 80 percent of all cat bites get infected. The most frequent type of bite is a puncture wound. If a cat bite bleeds well, your chance of infection will be significantly reduced. The bleeding actually helps flush some of the infectious saliva out of the wound. But, with their long pointed teeth, a cat bite is often a puncture that doesn't bleed much, or if at all. If the bite is in a joint, such as a finger knuckle, your injury can be even more serious with the possibility of inflammation and bone infection.

The basic rule is to thoroughly wash the wound right away. You can do this with soap and hot water. Using an anti-bacterial soap is even better. Then, sterilize it with Beta dine solution. This is surgical soap that kills just about everything. It's for external use only, and keep it away from your eyes. You can get it at any pharmacy in a liquid or ointment. When you get home, soak the wound in Epsom salts or peroxide and warm water. The idea is to get it as clean as possible. This will lessen the possibility of infection and inflammation.

It has also been suggested that having a cat carrier nearby may save you from a cat bite. If you need to catch a cat, try having an open carrier in a place where the cat can just run into it.

It's recommended that you seek professional medical treatment for any cat bite. The bite can turn into a nasty, infection in less than 12 hours. Treatment includes an IV antibiotic and oral antibiotics. The most commonly used oral antibiotic is Augmentin, which is an amoxocillin and clavulanate mixture. Most cat bites contain Pasterella multocida bacteria, with some Staph thrown in, and these drugs best treat those bacteria.

A cat bites one in every 170 people in the U.S. each year. This includes children and people who don't even own a cat. So, everyone stands a fairly good chance of experiencing this trauma sometime. My suggestion is to treat it with respect*the cat too.