Antibiotic Treatment for Cat Bite Wounds

Cat bite wounds can be dangerous. While you are unlikely to get rabies from a cat bite, the wounds get infected easily. In fact, the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine reports that about 80 percent of all cat bites get infected. Tetanus is another concern.

Treatment for Cat Bites

• If you are bitten by a cat, you should immediately wash the wound with antibacterial soap. You should then see a doctor as soon as possible for prophylactic antibiotics. If you have not had a tetanus shot in the last five years, you should get one, according to Vetinfo4cats.com.

Best Antibiotics

• Several antibiotics can treat cat bite wounds, but Norm Auspitz, a Cat Fanciers' Association Allbreed judge, says that Augmentin and Zithromax are the most commonly prescribed. Most cat bites contain both staph and pasterella multocida bacteria, which are easily treated by those drugs.

Signs of Infection

• Antibiotics usually are recommended after a cat bite to prevent infection. If you have been bitten, even if you are taking antibiotics, you should watch for signs of infection. They include redness, swelling, pus and fever.

Oral Vs. IV Antibiotics

• Oral antibiotics for cat bite wounds are generally prescribed unless the wound is clearly infected and the infection is severe. In that case, the patient might need to be admitted to the hospital for intravenous antibiotics. Doctors might also recommend the use of topical antibiotics, but those are generally not a substitute for oral antibiotics.

Other Concerns

• If you know the owner of the cat that bit you, find out if the cat is current on its rabies vaccines. If the cat is not current on its shots, it can be tested to see if it has rabies. If the cat cannot be tested for some reason, your doctor may recommend that you take rabies shots as a preventive measure. Ask your doctor about any other precautions you should take.