Spring is the season when everything is revived, and it is also a wonderful time for us and our pets to enjoy the sunshine and nature. However, accidents often happen. On such days, what should I do if I am unfortunately bitten by a dog? This is not only a problem that pet owners may face, but also an emergency that everyone may encounter when they are outdoors. Below is a detailed explanation of how to correctly handle dog bites to ensure that the damage is minimized.

Part 01Water

When a dog bite is encountered, it is key to deal with it immediately. First, wash the wound with a lot of water as soon as possible, and rinse for at least 15 minutes. The flow of clean water can help remove contaminants from the wound and reduce the risk of infection. If possible, use soapy water to clean the wound, but make sure to rinse thoroughly afterwards to avoid soap remaining in the wound.

Part 02 Disin

After rinsing, use iodine, alcohol or other disinfectants to disinfect the wound. Note that pouring strong disinfectants, such as high concentrations of alcohol on the wound may cause severe pain. You can use a cotton swab to gently apply it around the wound to avoid the wound from getting worse.

Part 03 Medical treatment

Level I exposure: No skin breaks, clean the exposed area, no medical treatment is required.

Level II exposure: Break the skin but no bleeding, the virus may enter the body. Rinse with soapy water and running water, and use special rinsing fluid and rinsing equipment if possible. Rabies vaccine is needed to prevent rabies virus infection.

Level III exposure: Single or multiple penetrating skin bites or scratches, or broken skin is licked, or open wounds and mucosa are contaminated by saliva or tissue. The wound is immediately treated, rabies immunoglobulin or anti-rabies serum are injected, and tetanus vaccine is required if necessary to prevent viral infection.

1. People who are exposed again within 3 months after the entire vaccination generally do not need to strengthen vaccination.

2. Those who are exposed again after the whole vaccination for more than 3 months should be strengthened for one dose each within 0 or 3 days: there is no upper limit.

3. Except for those with severe immune hypofunction, there is no need to use passive immune preparations after re-exposed.

Even if the wound does not appear to be serious, the potential risks cannot be ignored. Rabies is a fatal disease that is almost incurable once symptoms appear. Therefore, it is crucial to get rabies vaccination in time, and even pet dogs may carry the virus.