How to Treat a Cat Bite
As many as 50 - 60% of cat bites become infected and require medical care.
If you are bitten by a cat please follow the steps below:
Clean the wound immediately with soap and water, rubbing alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide.
If your wound bleeds well, your chance of infection will be greatly reduced. The bleeding flushes some of the infectious saliva out of the wound. Cats have sharp teeth though and you might experience a small but deep puncture wound. Cats carry a bacteria in their mouths called pasteurella. When they bite hard, their sharp teeth act almost like a needle puncture pushing the pasteurella deep into the muscle.
Apply an antibiotic ointment or a Betadine solution, and place a clean bandage over the wound.
Frequently check the wound for signs of infection: unusual redness or swelling, increasing warmth in the area, red streaking, or fever. See a doctor if signs of infection develop.
Get a tetanus shot if your primary series is incomplete or if it has been more than five years since your last shot.
Determine the rabies vaccine status of the cat. The cat should be observed for 15 days to see if it develops signs of rabies if its vaccine status is uncertain.
Warnings: Rabies is a virus that is almost 100% fatal for humans if a vaccine is not administered in time.
Seek medical care if the wound is gaping, if bleeding does not stop within 15 minutes, or if you have specific medical conditions or concerns. Same if you are bitten and think the wound is rather deep. It will save you a lot of pain.
How to Treat a Dog Bite
More than 5 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year; about 15% of the cases are severe enough to require medical attention.
Clean the wound immediately with soap and water, rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. You can also soak the bitten area in a solution of water and Epsom salt. The purpose is to clean the bitten area as much as possible.
Put pressure on the wound to stop bleeding.
Hold the wound above your heart if the bite is larger, heavily bleeding and on your hand or arm.
Put antibiotic ointment on the wound and cover it with a clean bandage.
Frequently assess the wound for signs of infection: unusual redness or swelling, increasing warmth in the area, red streaking, fever. See a doctor if an infection develops.
Get a tetanus shot if your primary series is incomplete or if more than five years have elapsed since your last shot.
Determine the rabies vaccine status of the dog. If its vaccine status is uncertain, the dog should be observed for 15 days to see if it develops signs of rabies.
Warnings: The rabies virus is 100 percent fatal if you do not receive a vaccine in time.
Seek medical care if wound is gaping, if bleeding does not stop within 15 minutes, if you were bitten on the face and the skin is broken, or if you have specific medical conditions or concerns. Dog bites are to be considered a serious hazard of infection. In addition, dog bites should be reported to authorities, especially if you are bitten by a dog that does not belong to you.
Disclaimer: This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.
