How and what to treat a cat bite

Cats are one of the most popular pets. They are considered family members and are allowed to live in the yard, or even in a house or apartment and even sleep in the same bed with the owners. But, despite such mutual love, there are "disagreements" between pets and owners. The result of this is most often a cat bite or long scratches, which give a lot of experience to the owners, especially if the affected children turn out to be children. What you need to know about cat bites and complications after them? This and other questions will help to understand the following information.

Fluffy and muzzling

Domestic cats are very wayward animals. They completely depend on the person, but all their kind and behavior always prove the opposite and allow themselves to love. Those who start fluffy beauties, it's a pleasure to do, because purring creatures bring a lot of joy.

Advantages of cats in front of other domestic pets are obvious:

• They are perfectly trained - cats perfectly remember the "house rules" of an apartment or house, they know what is possible and what is impossible.
• Do not require walking outside. Cats can go to the toilet on the tray, and special fillers allow you to completely get rid of unpleasant odors.
• They are not difficult to feed. Most tailed darlings are unpretentious in food and eat dry food, which is sold in any store. They also perfectly carry the products from the owners' diet.
• Give positive emotions. It has been scientifically proven that stroking a cat under the sound of its mum causes calming nerves and normalizes the work of the heart rhythm. In addition, even with an adult beauty you can always play and watch how she sports, charging with a positive.

Why can a cat bite?

At first glance, it may seem that from life with a furry favorite one benefits. But do not forget that the cat - the animal is very independent and possessing character, besides the descendant of experienced predators.

If she does not like something or causes her fear, she can defend herself or warn the danger. For this, nature rewarded the purr with sharp claws and strong, thin teeth. In what situations do they use them?

It is fair to say that a normal healthy cat, especially a domestic cat, will never bite or scratch without reason.

Most often, such a problem as a cat's bite affects children: they mercilessly "play" with the animal, often ignoring their desires and mood. The pet can also bite if:

• He is impregnated with affection;
• The people they do not know want to take a cat;
• He is hurt or discomfort;
• Encroach on his food.

Yard cats are less predictable, but they can attack and bite a person for the same reasons. The exception is sick animals, which in case of rabies can bite without irritating factors.

Features of cat bites

Physiologically, a cat can not inflict dangerous wounds on the teeth, as it is capable of making another, larger pet. But from this, the cat's bite does not become more pleasant.

The cat family has very thin, but sharp enough teeth. Therefore, if the cat bites, the wound immediately becomes not extensive, but rather deep.

Another feature of cats is the large number of microbes and bacteria living in the oral cavity of the animal and its saliva. Hence the peculiarities distinguishing the bite of a cat: its consequences are much harder than the trauma itself. In the deep wound from the teeth penetrate various microorganisms along with cat's saliva. As a result, in more than half of cases, the bites of cats are accompanied by complications - inflammation of the wound of varying severity.

But severe consequences can be avoided if one knows what to do if the cat is bitten.

Correct wound treatment

The guarantee that the consequences will be minimal and the edema from the bite will not develop is the correct treatment of the injured place.

First of all, the wound should be washed with running cool water and soap, preferably with an economic soap. After that, carefully treat with a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide, and the procedure must be repeated several times. After a while, it is necessary to rinse the wound once again with running water and soap, and then lubricate the edges with a drying alcohol solution: iodine, fucorcin, brilliant greens.

Do not pour alcohol solutions into the wound - it will not bring any benefit, but will only burn damaged tissues.

Depending on how deep the cat's bite was, the consequences can be different: from redness and swelling to an extensive inflammatory process.

What does folk medicine offer?

Yarym opponents of traditional disinfectants folk medicine can offer natural antiseptics in case a person has received such an injury as a cat bite. Treatment in this situation should be under the constant supervision of a specialist, and at the first signs of worsening it is urgent to see a doctor.

For the initial treatment of the wound, you can use the alcohol infusion of herbs. An excellent antiseptic and wound healing effect has a tincture of calendula.

Also, in order to decontaminate the site of the bite, the tincture of chlorophyllipt is excellent - this remedy perfectly fights with a large number of staphylococcal bacteria that can easily penetrate into the wound with the saliva of the animal.

In order to remove the swelling from the bite, you can apply warm compresses or baths of chamomile, marigold, oak bark. These herbs have a wound-healing and soothing effect.

What are the possible complications?

The danger of injuries of this kind depends most often on their source - the cat. If there was a bite of a domestic cat that undergoes regular inspections of a veterinarian, clean and healthy, the consequences of the incident will be minimal. In this case, a minor inflammation and a prolonged and sometimes debilitating wound healing process can be a complication of the injury.

If the cat's bite happened in an unfamiliar environment - on a visit or on the street, then the matter may be much more serious. Street animals are carriers of various microbes and infectious diseases, the most serious of which is rabies.

If you have such a trouble, you do not need to panic and remember what to do if the cat is bitten.

When is medical care needed?

After the cat has bitten, it is necessary to conduct independent processing of wounds and to conduct supervision over them. Emergency medical care should be addressed in the following situations:

• It is impossible to stop the bleeding at the site of the bite yourself.
• Large vessels, muscles or ligaments are injured. A characteristic sign of this can be severe pain while walking in the affected area.
• Significant swelling, cyanosis in the place of bite.
• Increase in body temperature and worsening of general condition against a background of non-healing wound.

If over time the wound does not heal, and the soreness and inflammation only progress, there are signs of purulent inflammation, then the likelihood that the infection has joined is high. What to do with this development of events? How to treat a cat bite? Treatment in this case should also be prescribed by a doctor. For our part, we note that in such situations, it is rarely possible to avoid the appointment of a course of antibiotics.

Can I get rabies?

In a situation where a pet is simply showing character and biting its masters "for order", one can not worry about rabies.

But if on the street for no reason you attacked, bitten or scratched a cat, you need to be worried. Aggressive individuals who rush at people can not focus the eye, do not control salivation, are very similar to those affected by rabies. The disease is rare, only animals act as carriers, but its danger to man should not be minimized.

Rabies after a cat bite can not be diagnosed immediately. The task of the person after the attack of a stray animal, especially one that looks unhealthy, consists in an immediate referral to the doctor.

The specialist will not only correctly treat the wound, but also offer serum against rabies, which is injected by a course of three vaccines at monthly intervals. Such a precautionary measure will avoid a serious ailment.

Do I need to examine a cat?

Usually, after an animal attack, a person is concerned about his own state of health and does not think about the source of his problems. And in vain!

A cat that showed aggression and attacked a person must be isolated and safely delivered to the nearest vet. It is this specialist who must examine the animal for rabies and decide its fate. The veterinarian is given ten days during which the cat is placed in quarantine.

After this time, the specialist decides whether a healthy animal is or is not. In the latter case, the cat has to be put to sleep to protect others.

Can I avoid cat bites?

Any danger can always be prevented with less effort and health. In order not to suffer from the cat's teeth and claws, it is necessary to follow simple rules, and in particular to teach them children.

• You can not touch, iron, tease homeless animals. Unfamiliar cats and dogs need to be avoided.
• Do not take the food from the cat.
• Do not fret and do not yank the animal beyond measure.

Domestic cats usually do not show aggression without objective reasons. And more often such a cause, and later a victim of a bite and a scratch become small children. Kids do not understand that the pet does not want to indulge, dress up, play with the tail. The task of parents is to tell the children that the animal can not be tormented and forced to play, no matter how fluffy and sweet it may look.

Injuries from pets are a frequent occurrence. Usually they do not represent a danger. Much more serious are the injuries received from homeless animals.

Man is stronger than cats and dogs. But he must not forget that animals also have their own character, feelings, experiences. They need to show due respect, and then the problem of bites and scratches will disappear by itself.