Animal Bites:
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.
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) - also in Spanish
- Travelers' Health: Animal Bites and Stings (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
Specifics
- Dog Bites (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Images
- Animal bite - first aid - series--Procedure, part 1 also in Spanish
- Venomous snakes - series--Rattlesnake also in Spanish
Clinical Trials
Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Forensic microbiology and bite marks: a systematic review.
- Article: US Adults' Perceptions of Dog Breed Bans, Dog Aggression and Breed-Specific...
- Article: Increased shark bite survivability revealed by two centuries of Australian records.
- Animal Bites -- see more articles
Find an Expert
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
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