What Should A Person Do When They Are Bitten By A Wild Animal Or Unknown Animal?

Animal bites - self-care

Bites - animals - self-care

Causes

Most animal bites come from pets. Canis familiaris bites are mutual and most often happen to children. Compared with adults, children are much more than probable to be bitten on the confront, head, or neck.

Cat bites are less common merely have a higher take a chance for infection. True cat teeth are longer and sharper, which tin can cause deeper puncture wounds. Most other animal bites are caused by stray or wild animals, such as skunks, raccoons, foxes, and bats.

Bites that crusade a puncture wound are more probable to become infected. Some animals are infected with a virus that can cause rabies. Rabies is rare but can exist deadly.

Symptoms

Hurting, bleeding, numbness and tingling may occur with any fauna bite.

The bite may as well result in:

Breaks or major cuts in the peel, with or without bleeding
Bruising (discoloration of the skin)
Crushing injuries that tin crusade severe tissue tears and scarring
Puncture wounds
Tendon or joint injury resulting in decreased motion and function of the injured tissue

Wound Care

Because of the take a chance for infection, you should come across a health care provider within 24 hours for whatsoever seize with teeth that breaks the peel. If you are caring for someone who was bitten:

Calm and reassure the person.
Launder your hands thoroughly with lather and water before treating the wound.
If the wound is bleeding, put on latex gloves if yous take them.
Launder your easily again after.

To care for the wound:

Finish the wound from bleeding past applying straight pressure level with a clean, dry out fabric.
Wash the wound. Employ mild soap and warm, running water. Rinse the bite for 3 to 5 minutes.
Use an antibacterial ointment to the wound. This may assist reduce the risk for infection.
Put on a dry, sterile bandage.
If the bite is on the cervix, head, face up, hand, fingers, or anxiety, telephone call your provider right away.

For deeper wounds, you may need stitches. The provider may give you a tetanus shot if you have not had 1 in the terminal 5 years. You may also need to accept antibiotics. If the infection has spread, y'all may receive antibiotics through a vein (IV). For a bad bite, you lot may need surgery to repair the harm.

When to Call Animal Control

Yous should phone call brute control or your local police if y'all are bitten by:

An animal that behaves in an odd way
An unknown pet or a pet that has not had a rabies vaccination
A stray or wild animal

Tell them what the animal looks like and where it is. They will make up one's mind whether the creature needs to exist captured and isolated.

Possible Complications

Most animal bites volition heal without developing infection or decreased tissue part. Some wounds will require surgery to properly clean and close, and even some modest bites may need stitches. Deep or extensive bites may result in significant scarring.

Complications from seize with teeth wounds include:

An infection that spreads quickly
Damage to tendons or joints

An animal seize with teeth is more than likely to become infected in people who take:

Weakened allowed systems due to medicines or disease
Diabetes
Peripheral arterial disease (arteriosclerosis, or poor apportionment)

Getting a rabies shot right afterward you are bitten can protect you from the illness.

How to Prevent Animate being Bites

To preclude animal bites:

Teach children non to arroyo strange animals.
Do not provoke or tease animals.
Do non go near an animal that is acting strangely or aggressively. It may accept rabies. Practise non try to catch the creature yourself.

When to Call the Doctor

Wild animals and unknown pets could exist carrying rabies. If you lot have been bitten by a wild or stray animal, contact your provider right abroad. See your provider inside 24 hours for whatsoever bite that breaks the skin.

Call your provider or go to the emergency room if:

There is swelling, redness, or pus draining from the wound.
The bite is on the head, confront, neck, hands, or anxiety.
The bite is deep or big.
You lot see exposed muscle or bone.
You are not sure if the wound needs stitches.
The bleeding does non stop after a few minutes. For serious bleeding, call 911 or the local emergency number.
You have non had a tetanus shot in v years.

References

Eilbert WP. Mammalian bites. In: Walls RM, Hockberger RS, Gausche-Hill G, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 54.

Goldstein EJC, Abrahamian FM. Bites. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 315.

Version Info

Last reviewed on: 3/28/2020

Reviewed by: Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Emeritus, Virginia Mason Medical Middle, Seattle, WA. Besides reviewed past David Zieve, Doc, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.Thou. Editorial team.