Cat Scratch Leads to Full Body Dog Infection

[joesailor61]

Please help. Educated or experienced dog and cat owners - need some interpretation. My brother brought his unicorn cat to visit with our other brother and sister n law who have a dog. Dog unknowingly stepped over cat, startling the cat. Cat swiped dog’s nose in response/defense. No one noticed any damage to dog’s nose for first 24hr or so. Now dog has harsh rash across front of nose and top of snout. Sis in law rushed dog to ER in which she was told it was an infection, but vet could not guarantee source. Vet said it could have been cat scratch but could not say definitively. Sis in law purchased antibiotics for dog. Since ER visit, sis in law is saying infection has spread down dog’s belly down to his man parts. This would mean cat scratch caused an all over body infection in dog in less than 48hrs. Sis in law is now asking my brother for $150 to pay for ER visit and antibiotics. Does this seam realistic? I’m sure cat scratch could lead to infection but not an all over body infection in less than 2 days. Plus, dog startled cat by stepping over it, both unleashed roaming around closed door house. Is my brother really responsible for reimbursement?? Added context: sis in law is hypochondriac who mothered her last dog to a level of multiple medications a day and spent thousands of dollars w/ vet to cure problems that were incurable because problems didn’t really exist in first place. This is causing a rift in our otherwise close l, functional family. Any thoughts?

 

[notw530]

@joesailor61 Cat claws are so tiny and thin that they can reach DEEP inside the tissue. The bacteria from a cats claws goes deep as well. This is why if you’re bit or scratched by a cat you should go to the doctor to be on antibiotics. Bacteria is a killer.

 

[joesailor61]

@notw530 Thank you for the input! I have no doubt cat claws carry bacteria. But in your experience, could such a scratch cause an all over rash that spread all over nose and underbelly, down to groin in less than 48 hrs? Seems unusually fast to me. I wish I could post pictures here.

 

[notw530]

@joesailor61 Yes 100%. You see it in humans all the time with cat bites. Always go to urgent care yourself if you’re bit or scratched by one. The tiny claws and teeth can puncture DEEP down and spread bacteria even deeper which will rapidly spread.

 

[joesailor61]

@notw530 Thanks again for the input. Everyone seems in agreement the quick spread is possible. The dog is getting treatment.

The situation is just unfortunate for family harmony. It may mean my brothers won’t be visiting one another for quite a while. But all this feedback may help mediate.

 

[stewlincoln]

@joesailor61 yes. scratches/puncture wounds from other animals/anything really leave a place for bacteria to get inside the animal.
someone within our rescue actually just had her dog in and out of the vet for over a week due to the same issue.

 

[joesailor61]

@stewlincoln Thank you for the input! I have no doubt cat claws carry bacteria. But in your experience, could such a scratch cause an all over rash that spread all over nose and underbelly, down to groin in less than 48 hrs? Seems unusually fast to me. I wish I could post pictures here.

 

[stewlincoln]

@joesailor61 yes it definitely could depending on the type of bacteria, the dogs immune system, the dog in general, many factors come into play. i’m sorry this happened, but it seems that your sister in law is right.
and like another comment mentioned, $150 is extremely cheap for an emergency visit.

 

[joesailor61]

@stewlincoln My brother is going to pay the $150 to keep the peace, for sure.

I appreciate the outside feedback. I suppose I’m just struggling with the scenario because our sis in law has concerning history of overmedicating her animals, purporting mystery diseases, outlandish number of vet visits… please don’t get me wrong, careful observation of loved pets is critical, active intervention when there is cause of concern, my family is all for it. But sis in law makes her dogs visibly miserable by administering unnecessary treatments for issues that are questionably present.

In this situation, the dog definitely has a rash that needs attention. It’s just muddled in my mind that a cat scratch could cause such outbreak in such a short timeframe. It’s further contentious in half the family’s view because I don’t want to see this dog (a relative puppy) live the sad, isolated lives of her precious pets. So there is more context here that has me at pause.

But I do see other commenters are in agreement on this cat scratch infection spread. So perhaps I’m overthinking this one.

Thank you all for the feedback. This has been very helpful.

 

[manasseh_]

@joesailor61 $150 is cheap for ER visit. Cat scratches and bites can cause a lot of damage. Take responsibility for your cat’s actions. If the dog bit your cat I’m sure you would ask for the vet bills to be reimbursed too

 

[joesailor61]

@manasseh_ Thank you for the input! It’s not my cat and I have no doubt cat claws carry bacteria. But in your experience, could such a scratch cause an all over rash that spread all over nose and underbelly, down to groin in less than 48 hrs? Seems unusually fast to me. I wish I could post pictures here.

 

[manasseh_]

@joesailor61 Here is an article on it that seems to line up with this:

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/cat-scratch-disease#:~:text=These%20are%20the%20most%20common,on%20the%20foot%20or%20leg)

 

[joesailor61]

@manasseh_ Thank you for this! I will pass it on to my brother.

In fact, that article lead me to a related article from CDC that if cat could cause such a quick rash spread in dog, cat might be carrying infection itself that has no external symptoms but can cause damage internally. This cat is brother’s pet-child. So I’m passing this other article on too. He may want to get his cat checked for infection. Perhaps if he does, and infection is present, not only can he take preventative action, it may ease the family tension.

So again, thank you.

 

[manasseh_]

@joesailor61 You are welcome!