I saw Dr. P, an infectious disease specialist, yesterday regarding my swollen right hand. First off, he told me that cat bites are worse than dog bites, because dogs have flat teeth whereas cats have sharp incisors that dig deep into the flesh and inject bacteria. “Cats are like tigers,” he said.
In defense of cats, I’ll say that dogs (e.g., pit bulls) can bite your hand off, whereas cats can’t.
Then he examined my hand, which was still swollen and painful, but not as red as before. Dr. P told me to increase the dosage for Augmentin to three times a day. When that medicine is finished, I am to start taking Cipro (a third antibiotic) twice a day and continue to take Doxycycline twice a day. He said Cipro is more powerful than Augmentin and will lead to a quicker cure. However, he prescribed 60 tablets of the Cipro and 60 tablets of the Doxycycline. Does he expect my infection to last 30 more days?
I am to see him again next Wednesday.
But, guess what, Kitty’s paw seems to have healed itself, because he is no longer limping! All of that effort to put him in the cage, so we could take him to the vet, turned out to be completely unnecessary. Kitty is well; I am not. Who said life is fair?
July 9, 2009 at 5:30 am |
Glad you went to the doc. He has a good plan. You’re lucky he’s not putting you in the hospital. So, yes, you may be on antibiotics for 30 days. Small task compared to the options or possible problems. Eat yogurt, because you’ll need to keep taking the antibiotics even if you do get gassy, etc. Use / get one of those little one-month pill boxes if you need, to keep track of whether you took the antibiotic or not.
Be a good patient Gigi — My coming to Hawaii as your personal nurse would be very expensive!
Aloha, DrumMajor
July 9, 2009 at 6:07 am |
Yes! Eat yogurt!
You need to re-stock your probiotic. Better yet, get a probiotic supplement. An overload of yeast in your system is a lousy condition and can lead to other problems.
The only way I was able to get rid of chronic asthma was to go on a 3 month yeast-elimination diet of mostly brown rice and veggies. Nothing yeast-friendly including wheat, shoyu, gimchi and the rest of my favorite foods.
It was the logical alternative to a lifetime of prednisone.
Get well soon!
HiHo!
July 9, 2009 at 6:50 am |
One thing for sure…. this is making me want to stay away from cats. I’ve heard of several people who had the same problem you’re having. It’s really bad to get bit or scratched by cats. Granted I don’t want a dog either. If I had my druthers, I take a teeny tiny dog with no teeth. I’m so sorry you’re going through all this.
July 9, 2009 at 8:26 am |
Gigi – do probiotics too, if you like, as they’re always good.
Here’s the goary explanation of the need for yogurt. Your intestines have a natural flora. Antibiotics rip some of them out. Active yogurt cultures replace them.
Everyone also has c-diff in their intestines, but when alot of antibiotics are taken (yes, you need the antibiotics) sometimes the c-diff can multiply beyond what’s needed and you get very runny, very frequent (like 3x an hour) diarrhea, and that’s called “getting a c-diff infection,” and we have to give you a different antibiotic–Flaygl–by pill or IV to get rid of that.
Eat your yogurt with every pill. Even if your hand gets better, keep taking the antibiotics until the doctor says to stop. Hopefully your hand will get well and your innards won’t protest.
Good Luck! — DrumMajor
July 9, 2009 at 8:47 am |
Thanks for the advice, folks. Yes, I have been eating yogurt twice a day and it seems to be helping. The first few days on meds, I was running to the bathroom constantly. This morning has been calmer and quieter. Hope it stays that way.
July 9, 2009 at 8:55 am |
I once stopped a regimen of antibiotics when I got better. My doctor told me I should have taken the full course of pills and not just stop when I got better. Something about the nature of antibiotics requires you to take the whole 30 days.
July 9, 2009 at 12:17 pm |
My neighbors pitbull bit me when I tried to stop him from attacking my dog. It bit me on my forearm and I had 4 puntures from the dogs fangs. I cleaned up the wounds myself and never went to the doctor and it heal up fine.
July 9, 2009 at 1:48 pm |
Ditto what everyone has said about the antibiotics. Don’t stop taking them just because you feel better. Keep on taking them until they are all gone, or until your doctor tells you it’s okay to stop.
Hope you start feeling better soon!
July 9, 2009 at 8:26 pm |
What an ordeal! I hope you’re better soon!
July 11, 2009 at 7:10 am |
Oh, I had a cat bite get infected a few years back. I had to open it daily and drain yellow and green pus from it for at least 2 weeks. I was on antibiotics & steroids for at least a month. It was not good. I hope you heal quickly!
July 12, 2009 at 8:47 am |
I’ve been in your shoes regarding getting a cat into a cage like that. I had to disguise the pet carrier by covering it up then backing the cat into it and slamming the door. Sometimes, it’s easier and less painful to put yourself in the pet carrier!
September 9, 2009 at 4:45 am |
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog.
Cheers! Sandra. R.