Animal Bite

Animal Bite (broken skin or puncture wound caused by the bite of an animal)

Emergent Care - Have you identified one or more of the following symptoms?

Animal is stray, wild, looks sick or vaccination is questionable
Bites to the head or face
Deep tears or lacerations
Bleeding that will not stop after 10 minutes of direct pressure

Yes No

Seek Immediate Medical Attention!
These symptoms can be life-threatening.

Some animal bites should be left open due to increased risk of infection if closed

Cat bites have the highest risk of infection

Ferret bites may be severe and can potentially transmit rabies

Due to the increase in rabies, notify the police, animal control or the local health department when the bite is from any animal where there is no proof of animal immunization or if the animal behavior is unusual

Symptoms of rabies can appear as early as 10 days or as long as 1 year after an animal bite

Rabies symptoms include pain, tingling at the site of the bite, fever, chills, headache, muscle spasms, delirious behavior and coma

Urgent Care - Have you identified one or more of the following symptoms?

History of diabetes or poor immune system
Last tetanus shot 5 years ago or longer
Symptoms of infection (pain, redness, swelling, fever and/or drainage)
Bites greater than 1/2 inch long, 1/4 inch deep which need cleaning and stitching

Yes No

Contact Your Health Care Provider.

Self-Management - You can help in the following ways:

Wash hands before starting self-management
Wash bite immediately with large amounts of antibacterial soap and warm water
Apply direct pressure to bite if bleeding
Cover with clean dressing

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Call Your Health Care Provider If:

You do not get better, new symptoms appear, you are concerned in any way or you have questions.