In general cat bites can be easily ignored, in part because cat bites often just look like a small wound compared to a larger bite wound from a dog.  Don’t let the size of the wound deceive you cat bites can be very dangerous.

The Mayo Clinic recently published a study about cat bites. The study showed that out of the 193 patients that were seen for cat bites between January 2009 and December 2011,  57 of those patients were hospitalized for care with 38 needing to have the wounds surgically irrigated.; Eight patients needed more than one surgery and some even needed reconstructive surgery.

Cat bites are especially dangerous because the sharp fangs can easily puncture into your joints and tissue where the bacteria can grow protected from the blood and immune system. The study also showed that majority of the bites occurred in the hand.

Dr Brian Carlsen M.D. a Mayo Clinic plastic surgeon and orthopedic hand surgeon,  senior author of the study says “Physicians and victims of cat bites to the hand need to take the wounds seriously and carefully evaluate them”. When patients have inflamed skin and swelling, aggressive treatment should be pursued.

For more information on how to treat an animal bite http://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-animal-bites/basics/art-20056591