Animal Bites

Animal Bites

Sometimes man's best friend doesn't act like one. Actually, when you consider that dogs cause more than one million bites each year--half of them to children--you have to figure that "sometimes" is more frequent than you may think. Now add those times when kitty acts catty, when the family bird gets his feathers ruffled, when your pet hamster tries to bite off more than he can chew ...

When to See the Doctor

Although small bites from household pets can be treated at home, you should see the doctor immediately if you have a deep bite or if the wound bleeds continuously, says the Advisory Committee on Immunization of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Also see the doctor for any kind of animal bite-even if it's from a household dog or cat--if you have any swelling, pain or redness around the area of the puncture.

Sometimes a doctor will recommend a tetanus shot as insurance against infection, particularly if you have not had a booster within the past five to eight years.

In rare cases, there is a danger of rabies from animal bites. As a precaution, you should see the doctor immediately if you are bitten by any wild animal, including a squirrel or raccoon. If the animal cannot be tested for rabies, the doctor may recommend that you have a rabies vaccine immediately as a precaution.

Animal bites should not be taken lightly. Many pets--dogs and cats in particular--have bacteria in their saliva that can cause infection, and deep bites can mangle tissues. For these reasons alone, a bite that punctures the skin, even if it's a bite from your household pet, should be seen by the doctor. But for those injuries where the bite is only slightly worse than the bark, here's what to do.

Thoroughly wash the wound. Once you control bleeding--by pressing firmly against the wound with your hand--cleanse the wound thoroughly with soap and water to remove saliva and any other contamination as soon as possible, advises George Shambaugh, Jr., M.D., professor emeritus of otolaryngology/head and neck surgery at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. Continue washing for five full minutes.

Cover it. A loosely applied bandage protects the wound from infection, so cover it with a sterile gauze pad or bandage, adds Dr. Shambaugh.

Take a pain reliever. Even bites that don't break the skin can be painful, so take aspirin or acetaminophen (Tylenol) to reduce pain, says Peg Parry, a certified emergency room nurse at the Lehigh Valley Hospital Poison Control Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Don't wait for swelling. Elevate the area, if possible, and apply ice or a cold pack wrapped in a towel. Remember: Don't give aspirin to children because of the risk of Reye's syndrome.

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