It's very common for cats to get into tussles with one another, so pet parents sometimes mistakenly think that cats can handle themselves when it comes to the injuries that they get during that time. Unfortunately, this isn't the case. If you know or suspect that your cat has a bite wound, you should seek help from a vet immediately. This is why.

Spit and Bacteria

With a bite wound comes the risk of infection. The average cat - or any other animal that could have bit your kitty - has a mouthful of bacteria that can be quite harmful to the body if it gets into the bloodstream or tissues. These bacteria should ideally never come into contact with your cat's body, but when a bite occurs, just that happens.

Deep Wound

Another problem is that bite wounds can go extremely deeply into the body. While a scratch or laceration might only damage the top layers of the skin, bites can go very deep, even making it to the bone or muscle tissue. This means that problems can develop under the skin where a pet parent isn't able to see it. As a result, your cat could already be developing an issue, and you might not even know it.

Potential Effects

Bite wounds are a serious problem for cats. Their bodies do a good job of fighting off foreign invaders, but sometimes with a bite wound, there's just too much bacteria that invades. When this happens, an infection can develop.

Infections can often go unnoticed because they're hidden under fur and not visible. This means that pet parents can easily overlook problems like discharge, redness, and heat coming from the wound. In some cases, pet parents don't even know that their cat has a wound until it becomes severely infected.

Another problem facing your cat is the risk of swelling. When infections occur, they tend to create a large amount of inflammation in the body, and sometimes blood can get trapped under the surface. Both of these factors can cause extreme swelling in the area of the body that was bitten. This is a problem because it can cut off the circulation of blood, which can lead to cell death. If that weren't enough, depending on where the wound is, it could also cause problems like limiting the cat's ability to eat and drink, if it was on or near the throat, or reducing their ability to breathe, if it was near the lungs or throat.

If you think that your cat was bitten - regardless of what kind of animal did it - you need to seek help from a vet's office. If caught early, these kinds of injuries can often be treated by being cleansed and with regular doses of antibiotics. Don't leave your cat's health to chance and time. Get to an emergency vet right away.