To call NHS 24 over a minor cat bite?

[JustAnotherThursday]

My friend just received a minor cat bite. He has washed the bite and intends to just leave it. I think he should check if he needs a tetanus shot, or something. He thinks this is overkill. Who's correct?

Cat bites are the dirtiest bites you can get. He will need a tetanus booster and if it broke the skin he will need prophylactic antibiotics

Edit - just saw the pic, yeah he needs seen at minor injuries for tetanus and antibiotics

If his tetunus is not up to date and he gets other symptoms, he is in trouble!

He will need antibiotics. Cat bites can be very dangerous. I knew someone who ended up admitted to hospital on IV antibiotics after they thought that just keeping it clean would be enough. Their arm blew up and they nearly lost it.

He needs to go to A&E or minor injuries. Cat bites are notorious for going septic and need preventative antibiotic shots.

Tetanus booster won't hurt but isn't really necessary.

He can always phone 111 or ask a pharmacist if he doesn't want to be turned away.

It might be a funny angle of the photo, but the area already looks swollen.

Jesus what an overreaction 😆 I have an arsehole cat and he's bitten me and other family members more times than I can even count and nothing bad has ever happened. Just wash in warm soapy water and keep an eye.

Actually NHS says call 111 if the bite is on the hand: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/animal-and-human-bites/

he definitely needs to be seen and his tetanus checked and antibiotics given. NHS 24 should be able to arrange an OOH appointment for tomorrow. I had a cat bite and phoned my GP surgery who slotted me in as an emergency. When I went into the appointment my GP had the tetanus shot ready because my records had been checked and there was no record of one. They will be treated very seriously.

This happened to DH when he was play fighting with the cat and she got a bit over enthusiastic. 111 triaged him to OOH immediately and he was given a tetanus booster plus antibiotics for the cat bite.

My mum’s cat also bit her accidentally when it was going for a bird and my mum got in the way. Ditto, GP immediately prescribed antibiotics and said that you don’t take chances with a cat bite. (Mum was up to date with tetanus so no need for an additional booster.)

I had a minor bite get infected and ended up in hospital for 2 weeks and having surgery under GA.

A few months ago I had a bite and rang 111 and they just sent a prescription for antibiotics straight to my pharmacy

That's what I thought!! Our late cat 🐈 was also an arsehole 😍🤣

I just googled and apparently you should only worry about a tetanus if it's deep and/ or dirty. This just looks like a small scratch tbh.

An animal (or human) bite that breaks the skin need to be checked and needs preventative antibiotics, so yes call 111.

His fingers look like blown up balloons

Puncture wound or scratched the skin?

I would have just put some sudocreme on thought no more of it. Clearly from the replies I am completely wrong 😂

I'd usually say overreaction to something like this, but my dad got sepsis from a cat bite and was incredibly ill in hospital for a few weeks (years ago in the 90s) so might be best to check.

I took the picture a few minutes after the bite. His hand and fingers aren't swollen they're just naturally podgy! It's not a scratch, her teeth definitely punctured the skin a bit.

I work with cats and recently got bitten on the same place . GP has no appointments but said to get to minor injuries asap for tetanus. I was also given antibiotics. The nurse said they automatically give antibiotics to bites to the hand , especially the meatier parts of the hand . It may not look much now but cat bites are nasty and this will become swollen and bruised over the coming days .

Keep an eye on it, and go to a walk in centre if it gets any worse.

I've had thousands of cat scratches with no issue over the years, but the one time I was bitten I got a nasty infection and needed two rounds of antibiotics to clear it. I've got permanent damage to the joint in my thumb from it too.

He bit me mid seizure while I was trying to get him in the carrier to take him to the emergency vet. They kept him in overnight but decided the next day to put him down as they couldn't get the seizures under control and with his brain cancer he wasn't going to recover. I had go go directly from that appointment to the walk in centre as the vet saw it and made me promise I would.

Same!

All cats carry nasty bacteria in their mouths so you have to be wary with bites, they can turn nasty very quickly.

My old girl bit me really badly earlier this year and it was worrying. But I kept an eye on it and it turned out to be just badly bruised. She was a fiesty torbico that made it to 20 🥲

I'm on drugs which means my immune system is none existent and I have been bitten and scratched by cats and ferrets hundreds of times. I'd be in A&E all the time! If it gets hot or inflamed then yes, but personally, no. I'd just keep clean and keep an eye on it

Antibiotics starting within two hours, I was told in hospital. Mine was a really deep bite from a panicked/injured cat.

if he gets any lines running off the bite or signs of illness he needs to be in a and e swiftly.

I'd ring 111 for advice.

Cat bites are notorious for turning into something much much worse it’s always worth getting them checked out its better to be safe than sorry.