Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
Hello.... I have two worries about this. The first is that I can't see the eye. Can you see the eye? Is the patient holding her eye open normally? If there is an ulcer or infection affecting the eye then a week may be too long - if this is the case, can your team see her as an emergency? Are they able to speak on the phone / assess the pictures or history in case?
But assuming, for sake of argument, that the eye is fine and that the skin around the outside of the eye is the main problem..... cat-scratches, whether self-inflicted or otherwise, can get badly infected. Cats have certain bacteria living under their nails which unfortunately thrive unpleasantly when transferred to damaged skin. Therefore waiting for a week may lead to deterioration of the area and again, it's worth talking through the signs specifically with your team in case they want to see you sooner. There may be some topical antibacterial treatments available for skin infections in the meantime, but this site is very close to the eye so even that wouldn't be a good idea without the vets' say so.
In short, cases with scratch wounds on or near the eye may benefit from being triaged, in order to ensure that the allocated appointment is appropriate.
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