Cat’s nail disease is an infection that can occur when a person is scratched by a cat infected with the bartonella henselae bacteria, which can proliferate and inflame the lining of blood vessels, leaving the place injured with a red bulb characteristic of the disease and can complicate the formation of cellulite, which is a type of infection or adenite.
Although it is a cat-borne disease, not all cats carry the bacteria. However, since it is not possible to know whether the cat has the bacteria or not, it is important that the cat is taken to regular consultations with the veterinarian for examinations and deworming, thus preventing this and other diseases.
Symptoms of cat’s nail disease usually appear a few days after scratching, the main symptoms being:
This disease is suspected when the person has swollen lymph nodes after being scratched by a cat. The disease can be diagnosed by a blood test that detects specific antibodies against the bacterium Bartonella henselae.
Treatment of cat’s nail disease is done with antibiotics such as amoxicillin, ceftriaxone, clindamycin, according to doctor’s advice so that bacteria can be effectively removed. In addition, swollen lymph nodes and fluids can be drained with needles to relieve pain.
In the most severe cases, when the fever persists and a lump appears in a lymph node near the scratch site, surgery may be required to remove the lump that is forming and a biopsy is also performed to detect current changes. After surgery, you may need to place a drain to remove secretions that may continue to leave for a few more days.
Most people with cat’s nail disease recover a few weeks after starting treatment.
Stricter surveillance is needed with HIV-infected patients, who may have cat’s nail disease more severely due to a deficiency of the immune system. Therefore, they may need to be hospitalized to treat the disease.