First Aid For
Animal Bites

Animal bites most commonly occur from household pets. On rare occasions a child can come in contact with wild animals or vicious dogs. These bites can be more serious in nature causing puncture wounds or rabies.

You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this file, you can download it here.

First Aid Treatment

For minor bites that do not break the skin:

• Clean wound with soap and water
• Apply a topical antibiotic like Neosporin
• Apply a Band-Aid or wrap in gauze if needed

For major bites that break the surface of the skin:

• Stop the bleeding. Apply pressure to the wound to stop bleeding
• If the wound is on the neck or face or covers large sections of the body—seek immediate medical help
• Cleanse the wound with soap and water
• Make sure the wound is clear of dirt and foreign material
• The edges can be held together by using a butterfly bandage
• If edges of the wound cannot be brought together stitches will be required

For puncture wounds

• Puncture wounds can appear small or harmless, but are notorious for getting infected. A puncture wound can drive bacteria and germs deep into the tissue. The narrow opening of the wound makes cleaning and removing the bacteria difficult
• Wash wound with soap and water
• If the wound is bleeding slightly it is best NOT to stop the bleeding. Allowing it to bleeds is one of the best ways to flush foreign material from the wound.
• Closing the wound can lead to infection. Instead cover the puncture with a loose gauze to keep dirt and debris out of the wound
• Clean punctures several times a day for the first 4 or 5 days
• Watch for signs of infection which can include redness, swelling, pus, and fever

For bites from wild animals or stray animals:

• With wild or stray animals your main concern is rabies
• If possible and if it's safe capture the animal so it can be tested for rabies
• Call animal control in your area and notify them of the bite. They will test the animal for you if the animal cannot be captured. They will want to know if you develop symptoms so they can find the diseased animal
• Use the treatment guide above to treat wild animal bites
• Seek immediate medical treatment