Photography ©Nynke van Holten | Getty Images. Clean the Cat Scratch Out Cat paws are cute - but can inflict cat scratches. Know that point and heed your body’s signals. While at-home cat scratch treatment is great for tiny cuts and as a first line of defense against pain and infection, there’s a certain point where you should call in the pros. If you’re concerned about your cat scratch or it shows signs of infection (such as swelling, a ring of redness around the site, foul odor and discharge), please speak to your doctor or another qualified health care professional. Wounds, even superficial ones like cat scratches, can be more complex than they seem. At-home cat scratch treatment can take the sting out of a cat scratch and help promote healing with minimal scar formation.ĭisclaimer: I am not a doctor. And if not properly taken care of, like any wound they can become infected and cause even more problems for you. Mostly, cat scratches hurt, sometimes they sting and itch, and sometimes they just bleed. A cat scratch, though it is a mild wound, is annoying. There is no human-to-human transmission of CSD.Your cat could be the most gentle, loving cat on the planet and there will still be that one time where you suffer from an accidental cat scratch during play or in the middle of the night when she takes off running like a banshee and uses you as a launching pad. henselae between cats and it is believed that transmission to humans occurs through contamination of bites or scratches with flea excrement. Therefore it is impossible to know which cats can spread CSD to you.įleas are responsible for transmitting B. Cats are the natural reservoir for the bacteria that causes CSD, and generally do not show any signs of illness. Kittens are more likely to be infected and therefore able to pass the bacteria to humans than adult cats. Most people get CSD from cat bites or scratches. Yes, it is possible to get CSD from your cat. How is CSD diagnosed?Ī diagnosis is made based on appropriate exposure history, symptoms, and a blood test that can detect antibodies to B. Recovery occurs spontaneously within 2 to 4 months. How is CSD treated?Īntibiotics may be used to speed recovery in cases of acute or severe illness but most people do not require treatment. These complications are rare and include Parinaud’s oculoglandular syndrome, an eye infection that causes inflammation of the optic nerve and can lead to blindness, and bacillary angiomatosis, a systemic illness characterized by lesions on the skin, mucosal surfaces, liver, spleen and other organs. People with a weakened immune system due to disease or medication are more likely to have complications from CSD. Symptoms usually begin 3 to 14 days after being bitten or scratched by an infected cat. skin pustule at site of the bite or scratch usually develops 1 to 2 weeks before lymph nodes begin to swell.swollen lymph nodes near the site of the bite or scratch. Most healthy people do not develop any symptoms, but those with a mild infection usually get better without any treatment. Generally people who get CSD are either bitten or scratched by a cat before they get sick. Download a print version of this document:Ĭat Scratch Disease Fact Sheet (PDF) What is Cat Scratch Disease?Ĭat Scratch Disease (CSD) is an uncommon infection caused by the bacteria Bartonella henselae.
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