One Cat – One Bite – Off To The Emergency Room

From Rick Owens – PEN

9/13/20 – I’m certain many of you may have been wondering what the heck happened to PEN’s daily news  this past Friday and Saturday – well, I’m blaming it on our cat…we call her Mama Cat.

To make a LONG story short – she lovingly bit me on my hand last Tuesday and this bite sent me to the emergency room and resulted in a 3 day stay with antibiotics being administered by IV and orally.

She bit me on my right hand and just one tooth went deep inside the tissue. At first I did not think much of it, but I soon found out that this was no ordinary bite. By Wednesday morning my hand had swollen up like a balloon and was very painful. I could not sleep at all Wednesday night due to the pain being so excruciating. I had went to my doctor Wednesday morning and he prescribed azithromycin. I found out later that this was the wrong antibiotic for a cat bite.

I went back to my doctor on Thursday and he recommended I go to the ER because the hand had swollen so much ,was real red, and the pain was way above a level 10. The ER doctor told me that he was admitting me because this bite could be extremely dangerous due to the infection spreading.

Well, I was hooked up to IV and administered 2 antibiotics – I also was given a third antibiotic by mouth. I could not do anything with my right hand and still can’t make a fist without terrible pain.

I finally was able to talk the hospital doctor into letting me go home late yesterday and take the antibiotics at home.

This bite has taught me a few things; (1.) Cat bites and cat scratches are too different animals and are treated differently, and (2.) a bite from just a common house cat could possibly kill or debilitate you. A cat bite is extremely infectious and can be very painful.

So, if you deliver mail and get bit then get immediate treatment for the bite. Even if you get bit by your own pet you must get immediate treatment.

Stay safe everyone,

Rick Owens – PEN

One Response to "One Cat – One Bite – Off To The Emergency Room"

  1. I knew something was up. I am glad you are recovering and I never would have guessed a cat bite! I do know their bites are full of bad stuff.

    THANK YOU! Bad stuff, that cat bite. Hand is still very painful…still on 2 antibiotics. Rick

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