What Is an Animal Bite?

An animal bite is any break in the skin caused by the teeth of an animal. Biting animals can be domesticated species, such as dogs, cats, guinea pigs, hamsters, or ferrets, or they can be wild animals, such as raccoons, squirrels, skunks, foxes, bats, or rats. Any animal bite, if left untreated, runs the risk of blood loss, infection, and the possibility of serious illness. The riskiest threat is rabies, a dangerous viral disease that is transmitted by the saliva and other secretions of an infected animal.

First aid is the first step for treating an animal bite. Treatment by a medical professional should follow promptly. If you or a loved one requires care for an animal bite, head to one of Baptist Health’s several area urgent care clinics. The most severe cases may require hospitalization.

Types of Animal Bites

Animal bites can be categorized by degree of severity. The primary types include:

• Minor wounds: If an animal bite only bruises or scratches the skin, but doesn’t break through, it is considered a minor wound. First aid and medical care remain critical.
• Open wounds: Open wounds, including lacerations and avulsions, result from the tearing action of teeth. Open wounds can lead to significant blood loss and muscle or nerve damage. Dog bites typically produce open wounds.
• Puncture wounds: A puncture wound occurs when long, thin teeth like a cat’s canines penetrate the skin. This type of wound is less bloody but can be slow to heal and carries the threat of infection.

The wound’s nature often depends on the dental structure and bite force of the animal.

Symptoms of Animal Bites

The most obvious symptom of an animal bite is bleeding. You should immediately clean the wound and then apply bandages or clean wraps to bring blood loss under control.

Bleeding is sometimes followed by symptoms of infection including:

• Redness
• Warmth to the touch
• Swelling
• Discolored skin surrounding the bite
• Pain
• Oozing
• Fever

Infection may be caused either by bacterial or viral agents or by foreign debris introduced during the bite.

What to Do Immediately After an Animal Bite

Any animal bite has the potential to be a serious health threat. Take the following steps if you or a friend or family member has been bitten:

• Make sure that the immediate danger has passed (the animal has left the area or has been subdued)
• Check for symptoms, such as bleeding or the initial signs of infection
• Apply first aid for wound care
• If the situation is dire, call 9-1-1 or transport the bite victim to the nearest emergency medical facility.

You may have additional steps to take following the bite victim’s delivery into professional care. For example, the medical team will evaluate the possibility of a rabies infection. If the biting animal was a pet, you’ll need to know whether the animal is current on all its immunizations.

Potential Risks of Animal Bites

Animal bites pose a number of potential medical risks:

• Severe blood loss
• Bacterial or viral infection
• Penetration of the wound by teeth fragments or foreign objects
• Damage to blood vessels, nerves, or muscle tissue
• Slow-healing injuries and scar tissue

The most serious health threat from an animal bite is rabies, a viral disease that attacks the brain and neurological system and is nearly always fatal to humans once symptoms appear. Rabies can infect both wild and domesticated animals, including pets. Signs of rabies in animals include strange or unusual behaviors, states of lethargy or seeming paralysis, and uncontrolled drooling (“foaming at the mouth”). Inform the individuals providing your care if you have reason to believe the biting animal was rabid.

Preventing Animal Bites

No one wants to be bitten by an animal, but it happens anyway, sometimes by accident and sometimes from carelessness. You can lower your risk of animal bites by:

• Never trying to feed or handle wild animals
• Avoiding contact with animals that are unknown to you (including the pets of strangers)
• Never poking at or teasing animals
• Limiting intensity of play with household pets
• Allowing nursing mothers to care for their young unmolested

Unprovoked bites are relatively rare and typically result from animal illness.

Treatment

Your physician or urgent-care team will take the following steps to analyze and treat an animal bite:

• Visual examination: A visual examination will evaluate the type and extent of the injury. Foreign debris or evidence of infection will be documented.
• X-rays: Some animals generate considerable bite force. An imaging scan can determine whether any bones were fractured during the animal’s attack.
• Irrigation: Irrigation is a medical method for cleaning wounds that reduces the possible infection. Your physician may give you a local anesthetic beforehand.
• Debridement: Debridement is the removal of unrepairable dead or infected skin from a wound. This procedure typically requires an anesthetic.
• Closure: To further prevent infection, open wounds must be closed. This can be done with sutures (stitches). Puncture wounds are usually left open to heal on their own. This is done to prevent the development of an infection inside the wound, hidden from view.
• Follow-up wound care: You will receive instructions on how to care for your wound after discharge from the medical facility.

Animal bites generally heal quickly, but complications occur from time to time. The latter include unusually resilient infections and joint or tendon damage (depending on bite location). Persons with diabetes, poor blood circulation, or a weakened immune system run a greater risk of complications from an animal bite than those without.

When to Seek Medical Attention for an Animal Bite

Animal bites can pose a serious, even life-threatening risk to your health. This is especially true when the biting animal is wild, unknown, or exhibiting strange, possibly illness-caused behaviors. First aid and prompt medical care are called for. Help is available at any of several Baptist Health urgent care centers located around the region. Find a local Baptist Health doctor near you today!