Human or animal bites
Date issued: May 2021
Review date: May 2023
Ref: D-354/JS/Learning Disability Team/Human or animal bites
PDF: Human and animal bites final May 2021.pdf [pdf] 712KB
Treating your wound:
Animal and human bites can get infected. You need to have the bite area properly cleaned.
The wound needs to be cleaned to stop damaged skin from causing an infection. Damaged or dead skin may have to be trimmed away.
Sometimes the doctor or nurse seeing you will wait a couple of days before closing up your wound with medical glue, paper strips or stitches. This is to stop any
possible infection from being trapped inside the wound.
If there is no infection your wound will be closed. Bites to the face or head may have to be closed sooner.
You may be asked to come back to see us in the ED Minor Injury Unit so we can check how your wound is healing.
Preventing infection:
If your wound is big or deep you may be given some antibiotics to take. It is important to take the whole course (all of the tablets).
You may also be given antibiotics for bites to your:
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Face
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Hand
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Foot
or if you have conditions that affect your immune system (how your body fights germs and infections)
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Diabetes
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Are having chemotherapy
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Have AIDS
You may need to be given an injection if you are not up to date with your tetanus vaccinations or the person/animal that bit you has an infection you could catch.
Looking after your bite:
Try to keep the wound elevated (up high) if you can.
If there is a dressing on it try to keep it clean and dry.
See your doctor if the skin around the bite becomes:
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Painful
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Swollen
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Red and puffy
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Smelly
If you get:
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a high temperature
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start to shake badly
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feel really unwell
come to the hospital’s ED Minor Injury Unit.
