My cat bit me in the palm of my hand. It turned bright red and swelled up big time. I went to the ER. They gave me a tetnus (sp?) shot and a shot of some antibiotic, i think it was penicillian and a script for Keflex. They said to keep my hand elevated and to soak it in cold water. My hand looked like a boxing glove. They said to return if it continued to swell for the iv antibiotic. It took about 4 days for the redness and swelling to show even a slight improvement. But it didnt get any worse so I didnt have to go back.