Animal Bites: First Aid

We have selected the following expert medical opinion based on its clarity, reliability and accuracy. Credits: Sourced from the Mayo Clinic, Minnesota. Please refer to your own medical practitioner for a final perspective, assessment or evaluation.

Overview

Animal bites are common. Most are caused by dogs and cats. Cat bites can look minor, but they can be serious because a fang puncture can leave bacteria deep in the wound.

These guidelines can help you care for a minor animal bite, such as one that only breaks the skin:

• Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water.
• Apply an antibiotic cream and cover the bite with a clean bandage.

Seek prompt attention if:

• The wound is a deep puncture or you're not sure how serious it is.
• The skin is badly torn and bleeding significantly ? first apply pressure with a bandage or clean cloth to stop the bleeding.
• You notice increasing swelling, redness, pain or oozing, which are warning signs of infection.
• You have questions about your risk of rabies or about rabies prevention. If the bite was caused by a cat or a dog, try to confirm that its rabies vaccination is up to date. If the bite was caused by a wild animal, seek advice from your doctor about which animals are most likely to carry rabies.
   

  Bats often carry rabies. And people have been infected without obvious signs of a bite. This is why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people in contact with bats ? or even those who are sleeping and awaken to find a bat in the bedroom ? seek medical advice about rabies shots, even if they don't think they've been bitten.

• If you haven't had a tetanus shot in the past five years and the wound is deep or dirty. You may need a booster shot.

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