If you get bitten by an animal, you should:
- clean the wound immediately by running it under warm tap water for 10 minutes
- encourage the wound to bleed by squeezing it gently, unless it’s already bleeding freely
- use painkillers, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol, to help relieve the pain and inflammation
Unless the bite is very minor, you should also get medical advice because the wound could become infected with bacteria.
You can find more information about animal and human bites in the Health A-Z, including:
Tetanus
It’s possible to catch tetanus from an animal bite.
In the UK, tetanus vaccination is part of the national childhood vaccination programme. Your GP will check if you’ve had the full course of tetanus vaccinations. If you haven’t, you’ll be given another vaccination.
Other complications from animal bites
Infected animal bites rarely cause any serious problems as long as they’re treated straight away with antibiotics.
If an infection is not treated, it can develop into a more serious infection such as blood poisoning. However, complications like this are uncommon.
Rabies is caused by a bite from an infected animal, usually a dog. Rabies is not currently found in the UK.
The Health A-Z has more information about complications from animal bites.
Infections passed on by animals
Another way people can catch infections from animals is by swallowing food or water contaminated with the animal's stools (faeces). The medical name for human infections passed on from animals is zoonoses.
For more information, see:
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