Animal bites are stressful, especially if it’s your own pet. An estimated 2 to 5 million animal bites happen every year, accounting for 1% of emergency department visits. You might be surprised to learn that cat bites are the most common bite seen by medical professionals.
An elderly cat may suddenly bite as a response to pain. A stranger’s dog or cat may come into your yard and become fearful when cornered and bite you. You might get between your dog and another dog at a dog park and get bitten while trying to separate them. You could be out hiking and get bitten by a snake. There are many scenarios.
Animal bites require immediate medical attention. Your new kitten nipping you in play that only scratches the skin isn’t as urgent as a deep puncture from a dog bite, but you still need to wash the wounds, apply an antibiotic ointment, and bandage the wound to keep it sterile.
At-home treatments may not be enough. Here’s our step-by-step guide to treating animal bites and knowing when to go to Premium Urgent Care in Fresno.
Assess the Situation
Depending on where you are, you might need to think clearly and get out of danger. If you’re out hiking and encounter an angry mama bear, you’re in danger and need to do what it takes to save yourself from further harm.
If you’re bitten when trying to trim your dog’s nails or playing with your cat, you’re not in immediate danger, but it’s still stressful to have your pet bite you. Once you are safe and away from the animal that bit you, you need to:
Thoroughly Wash the Area
Animals’ mouths have a lot of bacteria. Before trying to seal the wound and stop the bleeding, you want to wash that wound as best as you can. Do not use hydrogen peroxide, even if that’s what you were taught as a kid. It actually damages the tissue and can impede healing.
Mild soap and water are best. Saline is another suitable option if you have it. Saline also helps flush out any particles, like dirt, pet food, or skin, that are in the wound.
Control the Bleeding
If the bleeding is bad, apply pressure with a clean cloth or sterile gauze to stop the bleeding. You can also control bleeding by elevating the area. If the bite is on your hand, raise your hand higher than your heart to slow blood flow.
Don’t remove gauze once bleeding slows: If you pull off gauze after bleeding slows down, you risk pulling out or disturbing the clot that’s starting to form, which leads to more bleeding.
Apply a Bandage and Antibacterial Cream or Ointment
After it’s clean and the blood flow has stopped, apply a coating of antiseptic cream or ointment like Neosporin. Cover the bite with a clean, waterproof bandage.
Know When to Seek Medical Attention
If your own pet bites you and the bite is no more than a scratch, you won’t necessarily need to go to urgent care. Keep the bite covered and clean. Monitor it for signs of infection, such as hot, red skin around the bite or noticeable pus. Here is when you should seek medical care.
1. Age and Overall Health
The age of the victim also plays a role in whether to go to urgent care. A doctor should examine an animal bite on a young child or an elderly person. If you have a chronic health issue, such as diabetes, go to urgent care to have your animal bite cleaned and dressed.
2. Bleeding Won’t Stop
If the bite keeps bleeding after 15 minutes, go to urgent care. Don’t risk losing too much blood.
3. Dangerous Bites
Certain bites carry higher risks. If a bat got into your house and bit you, the bite may seem tiny, but there is a chance that the bat carries rabies. You need rabies shots to keep you safe. The same is true for wild animal bites.
If a dog bites you and you don’t know if the dog is vaccinated or the owner won’t share that information, go to urgent care. Again, rabies can kill you, so you don’t want to chance it.
4. Deep or Puncture Wounds
Deep wounds and punctures need immediate medical attention. Bacteria from the animal’s mouth will grow and cause an infection. You need to have the wound professionally cleaned to prevent infection. Antibiotics may be prescribed for certain bites.
5. Troublesome Bite Location
Bites on the hand, foot, face, head, or neck are more serious and should be examined by a doctor. These areas are more likely to bleed heavily.
How the Doctor Examines and Treats Animal Bites
Once you’re in urgent care, the doctor will ask what bit you and what the situation was. California law requires animal bites to be reported to animal control and the health department. It’s necessary to identify potentially dangerous animals and to control the spread of rabies.
If another person’s dog or cat attacked you, file a report. It helps you know if their pet is vaccinated or not. Plus, they may be required to pay your medical bills.
1. Wound Examination and Cleaning
Once the doctor has you fill out a bite report, the wound is examined and cleaned some more. The doctor has equipment like syringes that can get saline deeper into the wound to remove bacteria and tiny particles.
If a wound is extremely large, it may need stitching. Sutures are used to close the ends of the cut and help with healing.
A drain tube may be placed in the wound to help it drain. This helps decrease the risk of an abscess forming and helps with healing.
2. Antibiotics and Shots
With a deep puncture wound, your urgent care doctor may prescribe a round of antibiotics to prevent an infection. Your doctor may hold off and see if the bite develops an infection instead, in which case a second visit or a telehealth visit might be required.
Urgent care also helps with snake bites. Fresno does have venomous Northern Pacific rattlesnakes, but less harmful gopher snakes and garter snakes are the most common. Snakes can also transmit bacteria in a bite. If the snake is venomous, an antivenom may be required to help keep your symptoms from worsening.
If you haven’t had a tetanus booster recently, that will be completed. If the animal that bit you is confirmed to have rabies or its status is unknown, you may need to go through the post-exposure rabies shot series.
Rabies is a viral, saliva-transmitted disease that is fatal if not treated. Wild animals like bats, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, and skunks are all common rabies carriers. A dog or cat that hasn’t gotten its rabies vaccinations is also a potential rabies carrier.
3. Monitor the Wound for Signs of Infection
At home, you need to follow your doctor’s instructions on cleaning the wound, keeping it covered, and applying an antibiotic ointment or cream.
You also need to watch for signs of infection every day. When you change bandages and clean the wound, check for:
- Drainage or pus
- Fever (100.4ºF or higher)
- Increased swelling or redness
- Red streaks from the bites
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Warm skin around the bite wounds
- Worsening pain
If you notice any of those signs, go back to urgent care.
Bite Prevention Is Best
When possible, know how to prevent a bite. We’re here if you need treatments for a bite, but prevention saves you anxiety and pain.
- Always leash your dog when it’s out in public.
- Carry bear spray when hiking.
- Keep your pets vaccinated.
- Leave an animal alone when it’s eating or taking care of its babies.
- Stay away from wild animals.
- Supervise children when they’re around pets or other people’s animals.
- Wear boots when hiking and listen for rattles.
Premium Urgent Care offers longer hours and weekend hours to accommodate people who can’t get to their doctor due to unavailability or inconvenient early closures. We also make it easy to check in before you arrive so that you’re seen as quickly as possible.
Come to us and have your bite cleaned and examined. If you need a tetanus booster or help treating an infected bite, we’re here for you.