the case in summary Cecilie Fosse was bitten by her cat and ended up with five operations and 17 days in hospital. Fosse was initially sent home from the emergency room with penicillin, but her condition worsened and she was later admitted to hospital. Veterinarian Sigmund Storli warns that cat bites can be dangerous because of the bacterial flora in the cat’s mouth. At one point, Fosse was afraid that she would have to amputate her hand. She now has sensation in four out of five fingers on her left hand, but her index finger is stiff and numb. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – It felt like the hand was about to explode. It was such a huge feeling of pressure. It was bright red and glowing, describes Cecilie Utaker Fosse. The background is that her usually kind and cuddly cat, Jesper, saw a strange dog while Cecilie was holding it. Then he snapped with his teeth to get away. See pictures of the hand here. Be aware of strong images: This is what Cecilie Utaker Fosse’s left hand looked like after she was bitten by the cat Jesper. Photo: Cecilie Utaker Fosse / Private Hand with several rows of surgical stitches in several places, both in the palm and up along the fingers. The front of the hand after surgery. Image of the hand bandaged after surgery. – I thought that this was deep, hurt quite a bit and bled quite a lot, Fosse says about when she saw the bite. But after washing the wounds, the Åsgårdstrand woman went to bed. Sent home from emergency room. The next morning the whole hand was swollen. Fosse called the emergency room, but did not go there until the evening. Due to long queue, she went back home. She tried the queue again the next day, was given penicillin and sent home. Cecilie is just as fond of Jesper as before. Photo: Robert Hansen / news – Then it only got worse and worse over the next few days. Then I went to the doctor. And she sent me straight to the emergency room, and I was immediately admitted, says the cat owner. She ended up being in the hospital for 17 days. According to Fosse, she was close to blood poisoning. This is how Cecilie lay with the operated hand in the hospital. Photo: Cecilie Utaker Fosse / Private – In the first 24 hours I had two operations under anesthesia. Then three operations a day after that. And intravenous antibiotics, she says. – Potentially very dangerous Veterinarian and animal dentist Sigmund Storli at the Veterinary Clinic in Sem, says that cat bites in particular can be scary. Veterinarian and animal dentist Sigbjørn Hesthammer Storli with a colleague at the Veterinary Clinic. Photo: Robert Hansen / news – It can potentially be very dangerous. Among other things, it can cause infections, inflammation, blood poisoning and cause meningitis and inflammation of the pericardium, he points out. If you are bitten, you must first try to wash the wound and try to disinfect it, and then Storli recommends seeing a doctor. – If the bite is deep, then you usually have to take antibiotics, he says. The cat Jesper describes as very nice and kind. Photo: Cecilie Utaker Fosse / Private The reason why it can be so dangerous to be bitten by a cat, according to the vet, is the bacterial flora they have in their mouths, which is somewhat different from that of dogs. – If it is only a superficial tear, it is usually harmless. But cats occasionally transmit a rather nasty bacteria that can cause a disease called feline chlorine fever. It is a feverish condition that can last for three to four months, he says. Fear of amputation At one point in the hospital, Fosse was afraid that she might lose her entire hand. – It was so swollen, it looked bad and hurt so much that I couldn’t understand how to get repaired again, she says. This photo was taken by Cecilie in the hospital, with her arm in a sling and intravenously connected. Photo: Cecilie Utaker Fosse / Private She hopes others will learn from her accident, and has posted a warning on Facebook. – So both for healthcare personnel and ordinary people: In the event of an animal bite, especially from a cat, go straight to a doctor, get treatment immediately. Or it could go very wrong, she urges. Now the cat lover has feeling in four out of five fingers on his left hand. The index finger is stiff and numb. She needs to go to physiotherapy and follow-up. But the cat Jesper does not blame Fosse: – No. I love him and I know it was the self-defense instinct in him. Published 09.11.2024, at 07.51
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Ended up in hospital for 17 days after cat bite – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
