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How to take care of Cat Scratches

How to take care of Cat Scratches

Owners may get cat scratches because of their affection. Awareness may result to take care of these cat scratches. Cats are loved and respected by people all over the world. These fluffy creations support their owners in times of stress. However, sometimes they can injure themselves by scratching or biting us with their nails and teeth. Cat scratching is a habit, but sometimes it is called cat scratch disease (CSD). CSD is a bacterial disease caused by the bacterium Bartonella henselae. B.henselae is a famous intracellular bacterium that directly attacks red blood cells. Humans and other animals become infected with B. ensemble when a feral or domestic cat scratches them or licks a wound. CSD causes very dangerous consequences in humans.

How cats become infected

Cats are affected by CSD (Cat Scratch Disease) for three reasons which are listed below:

  • From fleas
  • Fighting with other pets
  • By blood transfusion
  • From flea

Fleas make a cat feel nervous and irritable, so scratching is a well-known indicator of whether your cat has fleas. A cat scratching, biting or licking its body is part of grooming, not a flea. However, if your cat becomes infested with fleas, it is possible that the cat may exhibit scratching behaviour. When the cat starts scratching, the flea under the nail will die. This allows the B. henselae bacteria to attach to the bottom of the cat’s paw. So, when the cat scratches or caresses your wound, then these bacteria enter your body and cause CSD.

  • Fighting with other pets

Fighting with other cats causes many diseases. Cats have a lot of bacteria in their mouths and on their paws. When one cat fights another cat, and they bite or scratch each other, they inject each other with bacteria. So, when a cat infected with CSD fights your cat, you can also be infected by passing on the B.henselae bacteria.

  • Blood transfusion

Blood transfusion is also responsible for spreading CSD from an infected cat to a healthy one. So make sure that the cat carrying blood with you is infected or not. When the blood of an infected cat is transferred, the bacteria causing CSD is also moved into the blood.

How does a person becomes infected

Cat-scratch disease (CSD) is spread when an infected cat scratches a person, opens wounds, or chews or scratches and cuts the body’s skin. This is how the cause of CSD entered the human body. When a person becomes infected, their health slowly deteriorates.

Symptoms

  • In cat

Generally, cats do not get sick from this scratching disease, and no one suffers from infection except pyrexia from 3 to 4 days, blisters in the mouth, some swollen glands and some muscle spasms. A cat’s mouth is full of germs (especially bacteria), so symptoms also appear in the mouth in the form of blisters, pus and other infections.

  • In humans

CSD is a zoonotic disease. A zoonotic disease is a disease transmitted from animals to humans. When an infected cat bites a human, the cat squeals with a fever transmitted to the human host. It is also transmitted through saliva as a result of cat licking. Most people affected by the disease are people over the age of twenty. And the cats that spread CSD are mostly kittens under one year of age. In humans, CSD has the following symptoms;

  • A small, red, and round spot or bump appears at the site of the scratch or bite
  • The swollen lymph node is located near the scratch site.
  • Swelling occurs on the infected side
  • Successive stages of chills and fever
  • Abdominal cramps
  • Muscle stiffness
  • Fatigue and sleepiness
  • Lack or reduction of appetite

Treatment and diagnosis of cat scratches

  • Keep your home and cat clean and free of fleas and other germs. This is related to the hygienic condition of the house. Trim your cat’s nails regularly, almost twice a week. This will reduce the possibility of bacteria entering the mouth.
  • Use anti-flea products (especially oral medication) as recommended by your veterinarian. Also, apply hair brushes to remove fleas from cat fur.
  • Do not allow the cat to fight with other cats or pets. This will reduce the transmission of bacteria that cause scratching and oral diseases. And it also saves your cat from injury.
  • Whenever your cat becomes ill as a result of CSD, go to your vet and tell him about your cat’s condition. The doctor will also check the cat’s fever and suggest the appropriate medicine according to the state of the fever.
  • Since this disease does not cause any symptoms, a preliminary test can also be done to check for cat fever and bacterial infection. PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is an advanced method for detecting bacterial DNA. This is done only by taking a tissue sample from the lesion.
  • You also used some antibiotics to remove bacteria from the cat’s skin at the vet’s recommendation.
  • In humans, the doctor advises the infected person to wash the wound and avoid contact with young cats for 5 to 7 days.
  • The affected person usually requires specific tests to identify and remove the causative bacteria. The doctor treated the painful and swollen lymph node by suctioning extra pus.
  • Complete bed rest is also recommended to prevent further symptoms. Usually, these cases can recover within a month. Antimicrobial treatment can take a long time.

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