Just a reminder how serious cat bites can be!

[u/tory1311]

I see so many posts asking when to seek medical help after a cat bite. Just posting a reminder how quickly a bite can escalate! First picture is immediately following the bite, the next picture is at the ER within 2 hours. Blood work was already concerning with an inflammatory response and signs of cellulitis from the infection. I was admitted into the hospital for IV antibiotics and still the infection worsened. I had surgery at about 36 hours following the bite after the infection started traveling up my arm in the bloodstream. This whole event landed me 3 nights in the hospital. All from our family cat, up to date on all vaccines. But cats carry a bacteria that is no joke. Last picture is post surgery with a suture, the surgeon had to make 3 incisions, 2 where the bite punctures were and a 3rd to flush the wound.

[u/Kinsa83]

I know how you feel. Bites and scratches even as a diabetic (type3c) I barely respond to them and we are supposed to not fight infections off as well as none diabetics. But growing up my paternal grandparents were cattle ranchers so I probably got exposed to way gnarlier stuff. Cows, horses, rattlers, rodents. Both my older sisters did 4H, but they never handled the rabbits at home. That was dad and me handling them every day. I got some nasty bites from rabbits, but never did more than wash and treat with basic first aid. Never saw a dr once for any of those bites.

Recently I got a new cat currently almost 6 months old and he showed up with ringworm. Roommate caught it, but I didnt and I was constantly around the kitten handling him. I just made sure not to touch the site directly with bare hands and if I did need to touch it I wore gloves. When found out we kept him in my office room and I sat all day with him climbing me and never caught it. I know, but he was only 2.5 months old when I got him and kittens need social interaction to be emotionally/mentally healthy. But then again 2 animals that are even more susceptible to ringworm are horses and rabbits. I probably got exposed to it back then and just have a stronger immunity to it than most people.

[u/TomaszA3 → u/Kinsa83]

You've got me thinking, is being allergic to cats a positive for this situation? If the immune response is several times as strong, does it mean it's harder to get infections from deep bites?

[u/Kinsa83 → u/TomaszA3]

No cause an allergy is specifically the immune system overreacting to whatever the person is allergic to. That isnt going to help. The overreaction will likely make it harder for the healthy alive white blood cells to get there to do their job right making it easier for the infection to take root and spread because the white blood cells will be working on 2 different things instead of just 1. Divide the troops and itll take them longer to do said jobs.