KITTY'S KORNER
by Deborah Hansen
“JUST” A
W
hen I began grooming cats I understood how serious a bite could be because of the amount of bacteria in a feline’s mouth. I washed every bite out and saw the doctor if a bite exhibited any of the warning signs my doctor advised me on. I never imagined any problems, as long as I took care of my bites immediately. I couldn’t tell you how many bites I've had over the years, but I can tell you, before June 2014, I would groom almost any cat an owner could physically hand to me. In June 2014, I was finishing a groom on an older cat. On the final touch, I came at her from the front and CHOMP, she bit my finger. It was a friendly “I am done now” warning bite, but my life changed at that moment. I knew it was my fault for putting my finger in front of a cat’s mouth. Immediately I knew this bite was different. Within 20 minutes I had
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Groomer to Groomer • Vol 40 Ed 2 • Febuary 2021
It was a friendly “I am done now” warning bite, but my life changed at that moment. I knew it was my fault for putting my finger in front of a cat’s mouth. an emergency call in for my doctor. When the nurse returned my call, she informed me that the course of antibiotics I just finished for another concern would take care of the cat bite. I explained this was much different than any bite I've had before. She replied with what we have all heard so many times; “If there is any streaking go right to the emergency room, otherwise let the antibiotic do its work.” I went home and did everything I knew to do to ease the pain and draw the bacteria out. Thirty–six hours later, at 2 GroomertoGroomer.com
a.m., I could not tolerate the pain. There was no streaking, but my hand was swollen and the pain was unbearable. I drove to the emergency room in hopes they might give me something for the pain. The pain was so intense I could not wait until 8 a.m. to see my doctor. When I arrived at the emergency room, I told the person at the desk I had a cat bite and it was very painful. I don’t know much about hospital emergency rooms, so when they rushed me right to the back, I didn’t understand the severity of the situation. The