Animal Bites and how to deal with them

Everyone goes through an injury or accident at one point in their lives. This is normal as there is no way of predicting and preventing accidents. These may be due to collisions with objects, carelessness, or Spring animal bites. Animal bites are one of the least talked about types of injuries. This has led to the widespread awareness of the topic, discussed further below.

What are Animal Bites?

These are injuries that come about from harm by an animal. They may happen when a wild animal you pass by decides to seek protection for itself or when a pet hurts you by mistake when playing with it. Family pets give out the most animal bites to both children and adults. Some other animals that may bite you include:

·         Ferrets

·         Raccoons

·         Rats

·         Squirrels

Signs and Symptoms

Once an animal bites you, you should have your physician check it immediately. They will check up on any signs of disease or infection. Some of the signs and symptoms include:

·         Warmth around the bite site

·         Redness surrounding the wound

·         Fever

·         Red streaks coming away from the injury

·         Swelling

·         Pus

·         Pain

Some animal bites can happen because an animal is provoked. This may not always be intentional, as trying to remove food while your dog is eating may be viewed as a provocation by the dog. Teasing the family pet may also bring similar results.

However, most animal bites situations are usually unprovoked. This can be around your house as a squirrel or raccoon may come at you for no reason. This can be a result of the animal being diseased.

Once you get bitten, you should see your physician for multiple reasons, like the risk of contracting:

·         Broken animal teeth stuck in the wound

·         Rabies or bacterial infection

·         Possible blood vessel and nerve damage

·         Foreign substances stuck in your wound

The animal bites that require swift evaluation as they carry the highest risk of getting infected include:

·         Cat bites

·         Dog bites

·         Wild animal bites

Diagnosis and Treatment

Your physician checks for other wounds and assesses your risk of infection while trying to inhibit scarring. The exams and tests they perform for diagnosis and treatment include:

·         Inspection

The injury is treated with a numbing agent before it is checked out for debris

·         X-rays

An x-ray identifies bone fractures and debris in the wound that can not be seen. This includes substances like grass or dirt.

·         Irrigation, Debridement, and Closure

Irrigation on the wound cleans it well, while debridement is to get rid of infected, dead, or tissue that can not be fixed from the site using an anesthetic.

Closure of these puncture wounds does not usually involve stitches, although some may require suturing immediately after the incident.

Animal bites are not typically life-threatening, especially since the animal causing them are mainly family pets. However, infections can occur and may need some antibiotics. Check our website for animal bite inquiries, or call our offices in Houston, TX.