When a dog bites someone, bacteria from the animal’s mouth can enter the body and lead to an infection.
Infection can be avoided by thoroughly washing the wound and removing any bacteria from the body. If the bacteria are allowed to remain inside the body, they may result in an infection like tetanus, rabies, or sepsis.
An infection can occasionally spread to different body parts. Antibiotics or vaccinations will be required for people to treat these infections.
People who have been bitten by a dog ought to wash the wound as soon as they can to help prevent infection. People can treat minor wounds by:
People may be able to use at-home remedies to stop an infection from a dog bite. Cleaning minor wounds immediately is often sufficient. However, people should see a doctor for more serious wounds.
A doctor might inject water and a cleaning agent into the wound using a syringe. Doing this helps flush out bacteria from the wound. In order to combat any bacteria that have entered the body and prevent infection, the doctor may then prescribe antibiotics.
Additionally, a medical professional can examine the wound to check for any harm to bodily tissues like bones or nerves.
To lower their risk of contracting tetanus, they might need to get vaccinated if they haven’t in the previous five years.
If more than five years have passed since their last dose, people with a dirty wound should receive a booster dose of the tetanus vaccine, advises the American Academy of Pediatrics. People who haven’t had a booster shot in more than ten years should get one for a clean wound.
People might require stitches to close wounds if they have facial or severe wounds. A postexposure rabies vaccine is required to protect someone from the possibility of contracting rabies if they are unaware of the dog’s history of rabies vaccination.
There is a greater chance of infection from bites on the hands or feet. Some infections brought on by dog bites can be extremely serious and cause complications. Without treatment, these infections can be fatal.
People who contract a Capnocytophaga infection after being bitten by a dog may experience the following signs:
After a dog bite, symptoms may appear anywhere from 1 to 14 days later. The following factors can increase a person’s risk of infection:
Untreated animal bites can sometimes lead to sepsis. A severe response to infection known as sepsis can be fatal. Signs of sepsis include:
One should get immediate medical help if they think they may have sepsis. A doctor will treat sepsis with antibiotics and intravenous fluids.
If a dog with rabies bites a person, they could contract the disease. The first symptoms of rabies are:
Rabies is fatal if a person does not receive treatment. If a person suspects a dog they were bitten by may have rabies, they should visit their doctor right away. Postexposure rabies vaccination can treat the infection.
Tetanus is a serious infection. People with any symptoms of tetanus need immediate medical attention. They will need to take medications, like antibiotics, and get a tetanus shot.
A person should seek emergency care if they believe a dog bite has injured their nerves or bones. If an infection has spread to other body parts, urgent care is also required.
Additionally, individuals should seek medical attention if the dog that bit them displayed unusual behavior or if they are unsure whether the animal has received a rabies vaccination.
If people wash the bite wound right away after a dog bite, they might be able to prevent getting an infection. Before applying a bandage to keep the wound clean, they can wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water or hold it under running water.
A doctor should be consulted for any deeper wounds so they can apply a dressing and clean out the wound with saline solution.
Any signs of infection near the wound, such as: should prompt people to consult a doctor right away.
A doctor may suggest antibiotics to treat the infection if the patient is at risk of getting sick from a dog bite. Some people may require a tetanus or rabies vaccination to guard against contracting these infections.
7 steps to treating a dog bite
If a dogbites you, take these steps right away:
The dog that bit you and how it happened will be more information that your doctor will want to know. If there is a concern about infection, they will also probably clean the wound once more, apply an antibiotic cream, and prescribe antibiotics like Augmentin.
After any bite, you should confirm that you are current on your tetanus shots and know when your last one was given. While a tetanus immunization is good for 10 years, Dr. According to Sayles, if the wound is dirty and it has been more than five years since your last shot, your doctor might suggest a booster.
Depending onthe wound, your doctor may also recommend stitches. Dog wounds are typically left unstitched to heal unless they are on the face or if they could leave particularly bad scars if they weren’t.
Most often, nothing terrible will happen to you from contact with a dog, even if they take a nip at you. But if a bite breaks the skin, you should still see a doctor. Serious infections may be rare, but proper prevention is key to keeping that rate low. Here’s what else you should look out for if you get a dog bite—or even a simple kiss.
Capnocytophaga bacteria live in dogs’ mouths naturally, causing no harm to the canine hosts, but they’re pathogenic to humans. There are plenty of these types of bacteria, and yet the majority of dog bites aren’t hazardous, apart from the puncture marks themselves. And licks, of course, are even less likely to cause infection. It’s only when a dangerous microbe gets into a deep wound that folks get sick. Even Capnocytophaga infections mostly cause minor symptoms—the patient in Ohio was an extreme anomaly. It’s generally only people with weakened immune systems who get truly ill from Capnocytophaga.
You might think your dog’s mouth is gross, and in some ways it is—but it’s not much worse than you own. A moist, warm climate means human and pup maws are both attractive homes for many species of bacteria, and the constant flow of nutritious substances keeps those microbes thriving. But any kind of bite—including one from another human—can prove dangerous, so it’s no surprise that canine-inflicted wounds sometimes turn nasty. Even a simple lick from your precious pup can cause trouble.
Additionally, think about preventing your dog from slobbering all over you until any open wounds—scratches, gashes, bug bites you’ve scratched into a bloody mess, or anything else—heals. If that’s a fate too tragic to bear, then using antiseptic and bandages to treat wounds properly should reduce any risk.
Rabies is effectively 100 percent fatal. Let that soak in for a second. With the advent of widespread immunization it’s now exceedingly rare—there were only 125 cases in the U.S. between 1960 and 2018—but it’s still a major concern simply because just about everyone who gets rabies dies, unless they’re given a vaccine dose within a day or so of exposure. That prophylactic measure can save your life, which is why most doctors will give people who come in with dog bites a shot just in case. That’s why you should go see a doctor if you get a skin-puncturing bite, no matter how serious you think it is.
If people wash the bite wound right away after a dog bite, they might be able to prevent getting an infection. Before applying a bandage to keep the wound clean, they can wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water or hold it under running water.
A doctor should be consulted for any deeper wounds so they can apply a dressing and clean out the wound with saline solution.
Bites on the hands or feet carry a higher risk of infection. Certain infections from dog bites can be very serious and lead to complications. Without treatment, these infections can be fatal.
Tetanus is a serious infection. People with any symptoms of tetanus need immediate medical attention. They will need to take medications, like antibiotics, and get a tetanus shot.
One should get immediate medical help if they think they may have sepsis. A doctor will treat sepsis with antibiotics and intravenous fluids.
FAQ
What to do if you are bitten by a puppy?
- Wash the bite area with soap and water. Apply pressure to the bite if it is bleeding with sterile gauze or a clean cloth.
- Once the bleeding has stopped, apply an antibiotic cream to the affected area.
- Cover the area with a bandage or sterile gauze.
- If your child has pain, give acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
Can puppy bite give you rabies?
Domestic dogs are to blame for the rabies virus’s spread to humans in up to 99% of cases. Yet, rabies can affect both domestic and wild animals. Through bites or scratches, usually through saliva, it is transmitted to both humans and animals.
What if my puppy bites me and draws blood?
Every day, wash the wound and look for infection symptoms like redness, swelling, warmth, an unpleasant odor, or whitish-yellow discharge. If the victim is bleeding heavily from numerous wounds, call 911 and get emergency help. If: The bleeding does not stop following 15 minutes of pressure