If you have diabetes or are immunocompromised , your infection risk is even greater. Your doctor will want to know more about the dog that bit you and how it happened. While a tetanus immunization is good for 10 years, Dr. Depending on the wound, your doctor may also recommend stitches. Generally, though, dog wounds are left open to heal unless they are on the face or if they could leave particularly severe scars if left unsutured.
Unvaccinated and feral dogs can also potentially carry — and transfer — rabies , so your doctor will want to know details about the dog that bit you. Ultimately, Dr.
Sayles says, caring for a dog bite is about keeping bacteria from causing an infection. In some cases, an infection can spread to other parts of the body. People will need antibiotics or vaccinations to treat these types of infection. To help prevent infection from a dog bite, people should wash the wound as soon as possible. People can treat minor wounds by:. People may be able to use at-home treatments to prevent a dog bite from becoming infected.
Cleaning minor wounds immediately is often sufficient. However, people should see a doctor for more serious wounds. A doctor may use a syringe to apply water and a cleaning solution to the wound. Doing this helps flush out bacteria from the wound. The doctor may then prescribe antibiotics to fight off any bacteria that have entered the body and prevent infection.
A doctor will also be able to examine the wound to look for any damage to structures in the body, such as nerves or bones. If the person has not had a tetanus vaccine in the last 5 years , they may need to have one to reduce the risk of tetanus.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics , people with a dirty wound should have a booster tetanus vaccine if more than 5 years have passed since their last shot. For a clean wound, people should have a booster vaccine if it has been more than 10 years since their last shot.
In cases of severe or facial wounds, people may need stitches to close the wound. 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. If people have a Capnocytophaga infection from a dog bite, they may have the following symptoms:.
Symptoms can appear between 1 and 14 days after a dog bite. Untreated animal bites can sometimes lead to sepsis. Do not stop taking your medication even if the infection appears to subside completely. Inoculating your own dog for rabies and staying away from unknown dogs is your best defense against dog bites and their complications. Also avoid roughhousing or playing aggressively with dogs, including those you know. Domestic animals, like dogs and cats, are responsible for the majority of animal bites.
Read more about types of bites, symptoms, and treatments. Rabies is caused by a virus and can be transmitted by bites and scratches from an infected animal, often a dog. Learn more about rabies in humans here. You can contract cat scratch fever from cats infected with Bartonella henselae bacteria. Learn about symptoms in cats and humans, and get facts on…. Cynophobia can affect your everyday life. We explain this fear of dogs and how you can treat the condition. Dogs come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and temperaments.
This diversity also means a variety of different health conditions among the different…. If you have swelling in just one eye or have found a spider in the area where you were bit, it's safe to assume a spider or similar bug is to blame. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect.
How to Treat a Dog Bite. Medically reviewed by Vincent J. Administer first aid. When to seek help. What are possible complications from a dog bite? Do you need a rabies shot? How to prevent infection. Read this next. Animal Bite.
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