Cat Scratches on Dog's Face

[cin]

Our visiting neighbor possibly feral cat hates my dog. Rocko so wants to befriend the cat, but the cat won't have any of it. Well this cat has a mean left hook, and has put several scratches on Rocko's face. I didn't look bad at first, and I didn't think anything of it. It's been about a week now, and the scratches have turned to crusty black and yellow scabs on his muzzle. I have been cleaning with peroxide twice a day, but haven't noticed any improvement. This morning I put polymicin on the scabs.

There isn't any oozing of pus, or swelling that I can see. He acts fine and is eating normally. I don't think at this point that a trip to the vet is necessary.

Has anyone dealt with this, and what works for you? Thanks.

 

[Herbmountain]

I cannot seem to get my computer to show origonal picture. All I see is a picture that is like a negative. Hold off with the peroxide. It is necessary for the inital cleaning of the wound but will slow the process of healing if you keep using it. Neosporin will help heal the raw tissue.

 

[cin]

Thanks Herbmountain.

It looks like the ointment I put on it has softened the scabs and they are beginning to slough off. This is good. I will put more on in the morning. Poor baby, it's itching him so bad. Maybe another good sign that it's healing.

Man, cats have some nasty bacteria on their claws.

Another one of those cats must have scratched or bitten my sweet Felix cat several weeks ago. He had a huge lump on his hind quarters and just kept growing and became painful to the touch. I put a hot compress set on it (a hot washcloth wrung out), and withing 20 minutes or so, it burst. It was really gross, but he began to feel better almost immediately. The worst of it is that he wouldn't let me clean it as it was tender, and he just kept licking at it. Nasty.

 

[Herbmountain]

Remember the old song "Cat Scratch Fever?" Well that is what it is. Those little nails are sharp as a new razor blade.

The cat had an abscess. This is called pasturella bacteria and it is one nasty critter. The hot compress was a great idea. When a cat bites another cat the bacteria is sealed in the sac as cats skin heals from the outside in. This happens really fast and traps the bacteria in. It festers and swells as it multiplys. Really gross smelling when it pops.

 

[summerthyme]

Yep. and this is why you NEVER want to be bitten by a cat... especially a stray or one which hunts for itself.

Rotting meat that sticks in tiny quantities to the teeth can make a horrific mess when the bacteria are forced into a puncture wound those teeth cause.

A friend was taking their tom cat to the vet years ago, because he'd been in a fight and was ripped up pretty bad. He got loose in the parking lot, and when they cornered him, friend's husband reached down to grab him. The cat was panicked by then, and grabbed the husband instead! Punctured his middle finger right at the middle joint.

Within a week, he had a horrific infection that damned near cost him his hand. The finger joint was destroyed- it turned completely around easily for the rest of his life.

Those abscesses can kill a cat, especially if they get near the face or neck.

Rocky is going to have to learn that some animals just aren't friendly!!

Summerthyme

 

[Herbmountain]

No kidding Summerthyme!

Dog bites are pretty bad too. I have a finger that was bitten by a sheppard. Her canine went completly down through the middle of my right ring finger. The doctor had to leave it open to drain and I had to flush it 3 times a day. Talk about painful! To this day the scar in the cuticle makes my finger nail not adhere to the bed of my finger. Gross. And the ass said his dog does not bite. Shotsie McArdel. Never forget her name.

I still have the kitty scars all up and down my arms from trying to restrain a frightened cat. And every one of them did their best to get away. I hated the front arms that would come over their head and nail you. Dang things are slippery critters. Can bend ways no one thought possible.

 

[CrossCreek]

Pine salve will draw the poison and kill the infection. I always use it on the cats and they heal right up. Put it on my thumb when my cat, Amos bit me (my fault, I had my thumb in his mouth) had four deep punctures. Never got infected at all.

 

[cin]

Where would one acquire pine salve?

 

[CrossCreek]

i make it myself from pine tar and shortning. Pretty easy to do and cheap. Or you can sometimes find it online but pricey.

http://www.naturallist.com/herbals1.htm

 

[cin]

Thank you! Unfortunately I don't have any pine trees on my property. However I will certainly keep this in mind.

 

[cin]

Looking at this photo again, it looks like the main scratches are finally healing up, but these scabs have spread up his face. Also I noticed this morning that he was licking at his leg, just above his front paw. It looks like the same scabby things there, and red irritation. He has been scratching at his face with that leg, and I wonder if it's spread from contact. Weird. Well unfortunately its Saturday, and I don't think the vet's in. I will call at 10, to see.
Meanwhile I'll have to watch it, put more ointment on his leg, and get him in on Monday if it hasn't improved. {sigh}

 

[cin]

Yesterday morning, I noticed that some sores had spread to his foreleg/paw where he has been using it to scratch at his face. I am now thinking quickly-spreading bacterial infection. I broke out oregano oil capsules and after cleaning with some peroxide, rubbed a few capsules of oil over all broken skin and scabs, face and leg. I then found some augmentin (amoxicillin and some other chemical, potassium clavular?) in a box of meds I have saved, and began that, giving two doses yesterday morning and evening. By this morning, the sores look much better, less red and raw looking. I gave him another dose this morning of the augmentin, and will continue for a couple of days, perhaps tapering the dosage gradually.

Meanwhile I have a deaf dog that we adopted, who was just spayed a couple of days ago, and she keeps going after my cat. I have to watch very closely.
I also have a stray cat, the sweetest loving little old guy, who I have been feeding because he looked like he would die any moment. He is putting on some weight now, but he has what I think might be feline rhinotracheo virus, or whatever you call that - sinus infection, runny nose and eyes. Not good. I am trying to keep my cat from eating from the same dish, thought I believe he was vaccinated for this. Thank goodness.
I have some cephalexin and amoxicillin coming in the mail within a day or two, and will probably try to treat the cat with one or the other. After he is better, I am considering taking the wild cats around here, two in particular, to be neutered. Those two have probably fathered several litters between them, and there are way to many sickly starving looking cats around here.
I am taking Petey to the vet today to get her incision checked, and I will ask the vet about the cat neutering.

 

[cin]

I had Rocko to the vet yesterday, as the antibiotics and the oregano oil didn't seem to be doing much anymore. They checked with a fluorescent light for ringworm which was negative but I was told that it doesn't always show up? They did a scraping and looked for mites and that was negative. They took some hair/skin samples and are sending it to the lab for a more diagnostic test for ringworm. In the meantime, the vet says that since the antibiotics didn't work, to purchase some anti-fungal topical cream and apply that twice daily to see if any improvement. That lab culture will take two weeks, sheesh. He also said that Rocko could have gotten ringworm from the cat, although the cat doesn't show any signs of it. He also said that it is sometimes contagious to humans, but we haven't noticed any sign of it on us. {sigh} Crap!