Animal Bites

Animal bites are very common. Most of the time, they’re minor and easy to treat. But you almost always need professional medical care — even for minor bites — to prevent dangerous infections and complications.

Whether or not an animal bite is a cause for concern depends on many factors. The biggest factors are:

• What bit you
• How large the wound is
• How deep the wound goes
• How and why the bite happened
• Where the bite is on your body
• How long ago the bite happened

Bites can range from small scratches or punctures to deeper or larger wounds. But even minor-looking injuries can get infected.

When in doubt, it’s best to err on the side of caution. All bites that break skin or draw blood need medical attention. You can call your healthcare provider or visit an urgent care clinic for bites that don’t seem severe. But if you think a bite could be severe, go to a hospital or call 911 (or your local emergency services number).

Which animals are most likely to bite?

Any animal can bite, but most bites come from common pets. These include:

• Dogs (most common): Usually, these are larger injuries that can cause severe damage, like tearing and broken bones. Infections are also common.
• Cats (second-most common): Their bites are usually small, deep punctures. But they have a very high infection risk.

Rodents like hamsters, gerbils, mice and rats can also bite, usually causing small, shallow wounds. These wounds still carry an infection risk, so you need medical attention if there’s a break in your skin.

Wildlife, such as raccoons or foxes, may bite if they feel threatened or are protecting food. These bites need prompt care because of the rabies risk.

Symptoms of animal bites

Animal bites can startle you at best and injure you at worst. Most of the symptoms are hard to miss. Examples of bite symptoms include:

• Pain
• Bleeding
• Bruising
• Swelling
• Numbness in affected body parts, or trouble moving them

The symptoms depend mainly on what bit you, how large and deep the bite is, and where it is on your body. Your hands are the most likely spot to receive a bite. For younger children, their smaller size means bites to the head or face are also a major concern.

Snake bites come with an extra possible danger. Venomous snake bites can also cause symptoms from the venom itself. Those effects vary depending on the type of snake.

Risk factors for animal bites

The main risk factor for animal bites is being around animals. That’s most likely when you:

• Keep animals as pets or livestock
• Have a job where you might come in contact with animals
• Live near animal habitats
• Spend time in the outdoors, like camping, hiking, fishing or hunting

Age can also be a factor. Children between 5 and 9 years old have the highest risk of dog bites. Older adults have the highest risk of cat bites.

Complications of animal bites

Infections are the main complications with animal bites. These include bacterial, viral, parasitic or fungal infections. These infections can be severe or even deadly without fast treatment. They can also cause further issues, like:

• Abscesses
• Cellulitis and similar problems
• Necrosis and gangrene, which can lead to amputations
• Sepsis, which can be deadly

Rabies is the most dangerous infection from a cat or dog bite, but it’s rare and preventable with quick treatment. Tetanus is another possible risk if you’re not up to date on vaccines.

Cat bites also have a very high infection risk in general. Their bites are small on the surface but can go deep beneath your skin. That’s a perfect environment for bacteria to grow. That’s why cat bites that break skin have a 50/50 chance of getting infected. As a result, all cat bites that break skin need professional medical care.

How doctors diagnose animal bites

Healthcare providers diagnose animal bites by looking at your injuries and asking questions. Details about how the bite happened can guide treatment. Your provider may ask you to share:

• The type of animal: Different animals cause different kinds of injuries, and some carry a higher risk of infection.
• When the bite happened: Some infections can develop within hours, so timing helps guide care.
• How and why the bite happened: Animals that bite for no clear reason may have a disease like rabies.
• What you know about the animal: Your provider may ask if the animal was a pet, if you know its vaccination status or if it was a wild animal.

Remember, a bite can be severe even if it doesn’t look like it. Your provider will examine the wound closely to judge its severity. They may take photos of the injury for records. Your provider will also work with specialists to check for blood vessel and nerve damage around the bite.

Providers may want to do lab or imaging tests. Blood tests and wound cultures can help find signs of infection. Imaging tests like an ultrasound, X-ray, CT scan or MRI may show internal injuries.

How bites are treated

Animal bite treatment depends on how deep the wound is, where it is on your body and the infection risk.

First aid for any animal bite includes:

• Washing the wound with soap and water for at least five to 10 minutes (longer for wild animals or animals you don’t know)
• Applying pressure to stop bleeding
• Covering the wound with a clean bandage

After a provider examines you, they’ll determine your treatment based on the bite’s severity.

Your provider may:

• Clean the wound and surrounding area.
• Remove dirt, debris or dead tissue.
• Prescribe medications — especially antibiotics to prevent infections.
• Give you shots for diseases like rabies or tetanus.
• Close the wound with stitches or staples (depends on infection risk).
• Use imaging tests to look for deeper injuries, like broken bones.

Sometimes, bites are severe enough to need surgery. That might be to repair damage from a bite or hide scarring. Because the treatments can vary so widely, your provider is the best one to tell you about your options.

Before you go home, your provider will give you instructions on caring for your injuries.

Recovery time

Recovery time for animal bites varies widely. Minor bites can heal within several days. Severe bites can take much longer. Your provider will talk with you about your recovery time and what to expect.

When should I seek medical care?

Animal bites almost always need medical attention. But the type of care can vary.

You should assume bites are severe and need emergency care when they’re on your:

• Head
• Face
• Neck
• Hands
• Near your genitals
• Torso (for children)

You should also get emergency care for bites that are:

• Deep enough to see tissue underneath, like subcutaneous fat, muscle or bone
• More than 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) long
• Jagged or uneven
• So painful that you can’t use the affected body part
• Showing signs of infection (like a wound that has a foul smell, is oozing blood or pus, or has warmth or discoloration around it)

Bites that aren’t an emergency but still need care ASAP

Urgent care clinics or primary care provider offices can often treat animal bites that aren’t severe enough to need emergency care. Bites that break the skin and need care ASAP include:

• All cat bites that don’t fall under the emergency criteria above (they have a very high infection risk)
• Dog bites that are small, shallow and don’t involve a lot of bruising or swelling
• Bites from pet rodents or rabbits
• Bites from wildlife, like raccoons or opossums
• Bat bites

When it comes to bats, seek care ASAP even if you just had contact and don’t notice a bite. There’s a high risk of getting rabies from bat bites or even just contact.

What can I expect if I have an animal bite?

As long as you get proper medical care, minor bites tend to heal quickly and easily. More serious bites can take longer to heal, depending on the details. Your healthcare provider can tell you what to expect in your case.

As your wound heals, remember to:

• Follow your provider’s wound care instructions. Keep the wound clean, change bandages as directed and watch for signs of an infection.
• Take any medications exactly as prescribed. Don’t stop taking them unless you talk to your provider first.
• Call your provider or get care right away if you notice symptoms of an infection. Infections from bites, especially from certain animals, can spread fast and cause severe — or even deadly — complications.

Can animal bites be prevented?

Most animal bites are preventable. Here are some key prevention tips:

• Stay away from wild animals. This includes teaching children to keep their distance, too. You should also avoid feeding wildlife, especially animals with a reputation for biting.
• Don’t give pest animals a reason to be around you. Make sure they can’t get into trash or other places they might want to go.
• Don’t leave younger children alone with an animal. Severe bites and injuries can happen in seconds. That’s why supervising children when they’re around animals is so important.

Teach children that they should:

• Respect animals’ personal space and treat them carefully. They should learn not to tease or startle pets, and not to pull on their ears, whiskers or tails. They also should not approach any animal while it’s eating.
• Never grab an animal’s food or toys. Animals that are highly motivated by these things may accidentally bite if they get excited or overstimulated.
• Recognize warning behaviors from animals. For example, teach your child that a dog wagging its tail isn’t always a friendly sign.