Animal Bites

Also called: Cat bites, Dog bites

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Basics

Summary
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Prevention and Risk Factors
Treatments and Therapies

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Summary

Wild animals usually avoid people. They might attack, however, if they feel threatened, are sick, or are protecting their young or territory. Attacks by pets are more common. Animal bites rarely are life-threatening, but if they become infected, you can develop serious medical problems.

To prevent animal bites and complications from bites:

Never pet, handle, or feed unknown animals
Leave snakes alone
Watch your children closely around animals
Vaccinate your cats, ferrets, and dogs against rabies
Spay or neuter your dog to make it less aggressive
Get a tetanus booster if you have not had one recently
Wear boots and long pants when you are in areas with venomous snakes

If an animal bites you, clean the wound with soap and water as soon as possible. Get medical attention if necessary.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Start Here

Cat and Dog Bites (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Treatment for Animal Bites (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

Dog Bite Prevention (American Veterinary Medical Association)
Travelers' Health: Zoonotic Exposures -- Bites, Stings, Scratches, and Other Hazards (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Treatments and Therapies

Animal Bites: First Aid (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Jellyfish Stings, First Aid (VisualDX)
Snakebites: First Aid (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Images

Animal bite - first aid - series--Procedure, part 1 (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Venomous snakes - series -- Rattlesnake (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Bites and Stings (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Snake Bites (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Find an Expert

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

Animal bites - self-care (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Marine animal stings or bites (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Snake bites (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish