First aid for animal bites

Having a pet dog or cat can give us happiness and companionship. But there are some risks involved when one deals with animals, especially stray and wild animals.

According to statistics, dogs are more likely to bite people than cats. However, cat bites are more prone to cause infection. Bites from non-immunized pets and wild animals may carry a risk for rabies.

Because of this, we should be aware of certain basic principles in handling an animal bite.

1. Keep the victim calm. By assuring the person and making him comfortable, we can avoid any sudden surges in the blood pressure (from fear) and increase in heart rate. Also, a normal blood pressure and heart rate can slow down bleeding and the spread of infection. 

2. Check the wound area. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching the wound. Is it just a small scratch or a deep wound? For deep wounds, you can wear a disposable glove if available.

3. Treatment for minor wounds. If the bite does not break the skin (there’s no blood involved), then you can just wash the area with soap and water. You can place a dab of Povidone iodine on the scratch and cover it with a clean bandage. Usually, no further treatment is necessary.

4. Treatment for deep wounds. If the bite punctures the outer layer of the skin, especially if there is some bleeding involved, then you should be extra careful in handling the wound. Apply firm pressure on the bleeding area for around 10 minutes until the bleeding stops. Bring the victim immediately to the Emergency Room or the hospital’s Animal Bite Center. The doctor will clean the wound and apply antibiotic cream on the area.

5. Consult a doctor for deep wounds, swelling, redness and oozing from the wound.

6. Check the animal for rabies. Find out more about the animal that bit the victim. If it’s someone’s pet, then ask the owner if the pet has been immunized against rabies. If it’s a stray dog, you can let someone capture it and observe the animal for ten days in a cage.

7. For most animal bite cases, it is still best to seek medical help. Your doctor will focus on the three dangers of animal bites: (1) infection, (2) rabies, and (3) tetanus.

When To Give Rabies Shots

As mentioned, it is best to capture the animal and observe it for 10 days. If the animal does not turn rabid in 10 days, then it doesn’t have rabies and you don’t need anti-rabies shots.

However, if the animal has escaped, or especially for wild animals, we can assume that the animal has rabies and treat accordingly. Seek medical help.

When To Give Tetanus Shots

Aside from rabies, the tetanus bacteria can penetrate the body from any open wound. The recommendation for getting a tetanus shot is every 10 years. However, if your last tetanus shot was more than five years ago or if the wound is deep and dirty, your doctor may still give you an extra tetanus booster shot within 48 hours of the bite. For those with no previous tetanus injections or who can’t remember their immunization status, doctors may give two tetanus injections, a vaccine and an antibody.

Rabies: A Serious Disease

Rabies is a deadly disease caused by the rabies virus. A person gets rabies after being bitten by an infected animal. The usual culprits are stray dogs, cats, bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes. Animals that rarely transmit rabies are rats, rabbits, and squirrels.

Once a person develops the symptoms of rabies, the disease will be very hard to treat. Most cases of rabies are fatal. Symptoms include fever, headache, anxiety, confusion, difficulty swallowing and paralysis.

Vaccination Is The Treatment

Fortunately, there are vaccines available that effectively prevent rabies after an animal bite. Hence, if you see your doctor immediately after getting bitten, then your doctor can give you a series of rabies shots that will prevent you from getting rabies.

Your doctor needs the following information: (1) What animal bit you? (2) Was it a pet or a stray animal? (3) If it was someone’s pet, was the pet vaccinated against rabies? (4) Was the animal acting unusually, which means it could be rabid, or did you provoke the animal? (5) Can we observe the animal for 10 days to determine if it will turn rabid?

In addition, vaccination is especially needed in cases of bites near the head and neck areas. These are more sensitive because the rabies virus can reach and infect the victim’s brain in a shorter span of time.

Rabies shots usually consist of six injections given over a period of 28 days. The first injection is best given on the day of the bite itself.