Emergency

First Aid for Animal Bites

The most common animal bites in the United States are from dogs, cats and other humans in that order. Less common, but often more dangerous, are bites from skunks, raccoons, bats and other animals that live in the wild. The health risks of an animal bite depends on the animal and how severe the bite is. Risks include:

Rabies - a serious and often fatal viral infection of the central nervous system. The virus is transmitted to humans through the saliva of the infected animal. (Only warm-blooded animalscan carry rabies.)
Poison - from these snakes: rattlesnake, copperhead, coral, and water moccasin; from spiders - the worst ones being black widows, tarantulas and the brown recluse.
Bleeding
Infection
Lyme Disease - a bacterial infection spread by deer tick bites
Lockjaw - painful, persistent stiffness of the jaw due to a toxin which can be prevented with up- to-date tetanus immunizations

In the United States, particularly in the northeastern states, skunks, raccoons, bats and foxes are the main carriers of rabies.

Most house pets, though, are vaccinated for rabies and are unlikely to carry the virus. Rabid animals can show these signs:

strange behavior such as activity by day for animals that are normally active by night
agitation, lack of fear of humans
foaming at the mouth

Anti-venom treatment is available for poisonous snake bites at emergency medical facilities. It needs to be given within four hours after the bite.

Prevention

Here are some ways to prevent animal bites:

Never leave a small child alone with a dog or cat, even if it's a puppy or kitten. Teething as well as excited pets have been known to bite.
Teach children not to tease an animal. Tell them not to wave sticks, throw stones or pull a tail.
Do not move suddenly or scream around an animal. Don't rush up to a dog until you know for sure that it is friendly. Sudden movements and loud noises can scare animals and cause them to attack.
Leave pet dogs and cats alone while they are eating or sleeping.
Do not feed wild animals with your hands.
Do not pick up a sick or injured animal.
Do not run from a strange dog.
Do not keep wild animals as pets.
Wear heavy boots when walking in areas snakes live.

To prevent Lyme Disease:

Wear long pants tucked into socks and long-sleeve shirts when walking through fields and forests, when camping, hiking and the like. (Light colored, tightly woven clothing is best.)
Inspect for ticks after these activities.

Questions to Ask

Is the skin severely mangled by the animal bite or has the face been bitten?
	Get Emergency Care and give first aid before emergency care: Control bleeding if it is severe. Apply direct pressure on the wound and elevate the wounded area higher than the heart.
Does the person show signs of shock? These include: Pale or bluish lips, skin or fingernails Cool, moist skin Rapid or slow heartbeat and/or breathing Weakness, trembling Restlessness, anxiety, confusion Enlarged pupils Vomiting Unconsciousness
	Get Emergency Care and give first aid for shock before emergency care (see "Shock" ).
Has the victim been bitten by a snake known to be poisonous or are you unsure whether or not the snake is poisonous?

Get Emergency Care - (Do so within four hours of the bite) and do first aid before emergency care:

Carefully move the victim (or yourself) away from the snake. Carry the victim if necessary.
Calm the victim and have the victim rest as much as possible. Moving about can help the venom spread.
Gently wash the bite area with soap and water.
Keep the limb of the bite site level with or just below the level of the heart.
Apply a splint to the limb of the bite site to keep it from moving.

Don't:

Apply cold or ice to the bite
Cut the fang mark
Try to suck out the venom
Apply a tourniquet or a bandage

Has the victim been bitten by a spider known to be poisonous or are you unsure whether or not the spider is poisonous? Are any of these symptoms present?

Tiny red bite marks, swelling at bite site
A dull, numbing pain in the area of the bite
Painful cramps and muscle stiffness in the abdomen or shoulders, chest and back
Nausea, vomiting
Restless, dizziness, problems with breathing, convulsions
Fever, chills, heavy sweating

	Get Emergency Care and give first aid before emergency care: Perform rescue breathing, if needed. If you can, keep the bitten area lower than the rest of the body. Calm the victim and keep him or her warm. Gently clean the site of the bite with soap and water or rubbing alcohol. Put an ice pack over the bite site for pain relief. If you can, catch the spider in a closed container for identification.
Has the skin been punctured?
	See Doctor and give first aid before seeing doctor. If bleeding is not severe, let the wound bleed, then wash the area with soap and water. Rinse for 10 minutes. (See "Cuts, Scrapes and Punctures".)
Is the animal wild or a pet that has not been immunized against rabies?

Are there any signs of infection 24 hours or more after the animal bite? These include: Fever Severe swelling Redness Pus

First Aid

For Dog and Cat Bites:

Wash the bite area immediately with soap and warm water for 5 minutes to remove any saliva and other debris. If the bite is deep, flush the wound with water for ten minutes to protect against infection. Dry the wound with a clean towel.
If the wound is swollen, apply ice wrapped in a towel for ten minutes.
Check your records or call your doctor or health department to see the date of the last tetanus shot. Have the victim get a tetanus shot if not up-to-date.
If the bite hurts, take acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen sodium to relieve the pain.
[Note: Do not give aspirin or any medication with salicylates to anyone 19 years of age or younger unless a doctor tells you to.]
Observe the wound for a few days, checking it for infection.
Report the incident to the animal control department.
If you know the pet's owner, find out the date of the pet's last rabies vaccination. It should be given yearly. If its immunizations are not current, arrange with the animal control department for the pet to be observed for the next 10 days to be sure it does not develop rabies.

For Non-Poisonous Snake Bites:

Gently wash the site with soap and water.
Treat the bite as a minor wound. (See "Scrapes and Punctures")
Consult a health care provider if you notice signs of infection.

For Deer Tick Bites:

Remove any ticks found on the skin. Use tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible. Pull gently and carefully in a steady upward motion at the point where the tick's mouthpart enters the skin. Try not to crush the tick because the secretions released may spread disease.
Wash the wound area and your hands with soap and water after removing ticks.
Save the tick in a closed jar of alcohol. It could help in diagnosing Lyme Disease.