I have a question (perhaps a very dumb one) Why are even modest scratches from a leopard so prone to infection? Would any injury that broke the skin be just as prone to infection (if incurred in the same area of Africa? Just curious?

I believe it its the bacteria and other "bugs" that live in the retractable claws and mouth of the leopard that cause the infection. The wounds are usually deep, kind of like an "injection" of this mix of bad bugs.



I believe even house cats can cause similar problems.



"Cat bites are associated with a higher rate of infection than dog bites. The reason for this is that a dog bite usually bleeds a lot and the bacteria is washed out of the wound. Cat bites are usually a puncture type wound that is deep and does not bleed much. This type of bite is hard to clean. In addition, cats carry more infectious types of bacteria in their saliva than dogs."



Regards,



Terry



P.S.

Just one of the many reasons why I hate cats.

Because leopards don't wash their hands after eating putrid warthogs.

Well said. My wife, who is a 4th-year veterinary student, says that it is indeed is the punture type wounds and the particular baterial flora of the cat's mouth that leads to increased infection rates for cats vs. dogs. Of course, one rarely gets scratched deep enough from a dog to get infected but it isn't unusual for cats.

I don't hate cats though.