Does this cat scratch look infected

[Carycach4]

I've put savlon on but not done much. Sorry forgot picture-posted below

Pic here

It doesn’t look good! I’d take it to a pharmacy first & see if they have anything to recommend.
(obviously, also draw a time-stamped line round the redness so you can see if there’s any change over time.)

It doesn't look very happy does it?

I'd pop into the chemist definitely. Germoline would probably be better then savlon when it first happens but it might be past that and need looking at.

Don’t fuck around with cat bites/scratches. They carry a lot of nasty stuff in their teeth. Definitely see a pharmacist as you might end up needing antibiotics.

Depends when it happened. Less than 36 hours ago more likely standard inflammatory response. More than that, could be an infection.

Keep an eye on whether the red bit is getting bigger and if it gets warm to the touch.
If worried pop along to your local pharmacy.

Could you go to a local walk in or urgent care centre.
failing that ring 111 for advice.
Do not ignore.
All the best.

Rgat looks infected so probably needs antibiotics. When my friend got scratched by her cat the nurse told us that cat scratches cannot be left to see how they are as too much risk of infection.

Best to go to pharmacy or minor injuries to get it looked at and get the right treatment now.

I’d get that seen to. Pharmacy first if that’s what’s available rn

Depends when it happened.

When I had an infected cat bite I knew immediately as the pain was overwhelming in minutes and by the time I got to Urgent Care my hand had doubled in size.

Yours could be infected or just normal healing.

Cat bites can be really quite serious (I had one that put me in hospital for several days - not much fun), but scratches somewhat less so. It definitely needs to be seen though, pharmacist as a first call. I'm not entirely sure but I think they can prescribe antibiotics these days.

@Carycach4 Cat scratches can transmit tetanus - is your booster up-to-date?

Mine was hard to tell - it was a bite and scratch disaster area!

However most cat owners have had enough scratches and bites, usually well-intentioned on the part of the cat, to know when something is different.

My cat likes to show his love by having a nibble - unfortunately he doesn't know his own strangth but it's definitely not the same as when he bit me and meant it.

Thanks for your help. Been given antibiotics and tetanus booster, as many suggested!

Thanks for the update. Hope you recover soon.

A friend who is a retired vet told me to take ibuprofen, clean with rubbing alcohol, and repeatedly soak a cat bite in hot salt water (as hot as I could tolerate). It worked, and I avoided antibiotics. I now do this for minor scratches and bites. Things like this are what people did before antibiotics. (Of course many cat bites will need antibiotics, but not everyone died or had amputated limbs before these wonderful drugs were invented.)