What To Do If Your Dog Bites You And Breaks The Skin?
Post Date:
December 10, 2024
(Date Last Modified: November 13, 2025)
A dog bite that breaks the skin needs prompt attention and safe handling to reduce harm and allow proper medical evaluation.
Immediate actions and safety
Secure the dog and move both of you to a safe area; avoid further contact if the animal remains aggressive or unpredictable.
- Apply direct, firm pressure to control bleeding for at least 5 minutes[1] and keep the injured part elevated when practical.
- Remove obvious dirt or loose foreign material with gentle motion; do not probe deep wounds or remove embedded objects.
- Cover the wound with a clean dressing and maintain pressure until you can get professional care.
Assess bite severity and dog risk factors
Classify the wound by type and location and note any immediate functional loss or brisk bleeding to guide urgency.
Record the time since the bite and note that bites more than 24 hours old still require evaluation because delayed infections are common[2].
Determine whether the dog is owned, its vaccination status when known, and whether the bite was provoked or unprovoked, since ownership and behavior affect public-health steps and rabies risk assessment.
Immediate wound cleaning and basic first aid
Rinse the wound under running water with soap for 5–10 minutes to reduce bacterial load before dressing[3].
Gently remove visible dirt with tweezers or clean gauze; avoid forceful probing of deep punctures because that can drive contamination deeper and damage structures.
After irrigation, apply a sterile dressing and maintain pressure until a clinician or urgent-care provider can reassess the wound.
Tetanus, rabies, and antibiotic considerations
Check tetanus immunization status; for severe or contaminated wounds, give a booster if more than 5 years have passed since the last dose according to standard post‑exposure guidance[1].
Assess rabies exposure risk and contact public-health authorities for advice; domestic dogs observed for 10 days can be part of a local rabies assessment protocol when vaccination status is unclear[1].
Prophylactic antibiotics are commonly recommended for high-risk bites such as deep punctures, hand or joint wounds, or bites in immunocompromised patients; consider starting antibiotics within 24 hours for these presentations[4].
Typical prophylactic courses vary by provider and wound type; brief empiric courses or targeted durations such as 3–5 days for bite prophylaxis are described in clinical guidance, with longer courses used when infection is established[5].
When to seek urgent or emergency medical care
Seek immediate emergency evaluation for uncontrolled bleeding, exposed bone or tendon, suspected joint involvement, severe pain, or loss of function.
Systemic signs such as fever, chills, rapidly spreading redness or streaking, or escalating pain warrant urgent assessment and likely intravenous therapy and imaging.
High‑risk individuals — including people with diabetes, immunosuppression, or prior splenectomy — should seek early professional care even for wounds that seem minor because their risk of rapid progression is higher.
| Sign | Why it matters | Recommended action | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uncontrolled bleeding >15 minutes | Risk of hemorrhage or arterial injury | Emergency department evaluation and hemostasis | Immediate[1] |
| Visible bone, tendon, or joint exposure | High risk of deep infection and functional loss | Urgent surgical assessment and possible debridement | Within hours[3] |
| Hand or near a joint | Small wounds can track to deep spaces and joints | Early clinician evaluation; low threshold for antibiotics | Within 24 hours[4] |
| Signs of systemic infection | Possible bacteremia, septic arthritis, or osteomyelitis | ED assessment, blood cultures, IV antibiotics | Immediate[5] |
Clinical management and follow-up treatment
Clinicians decide between immediate wound closure and delayed closure based on wound age, contamination, and infection risk; many contaminated or puncture wounds are left open or closed after cleaning and observation.
Imaging such as plain radiographs or ultrasound is used when a fracture is suspected or a retained foreign body may be present.
When infection is present, targeted antibiotics are prescribed based on likely organisms; empiric agents commonly cover Pasteurella and Staphylococcus species and are adjusted with culture results when available[3].
Arrange scheduled wound checks so clinicians can reassess for spreading infection, abscess formation, or need for surgical debridement.
Monitoring for infection and complications
Monitor the wound for progressive redness, increasing swelling, warmth, formation of pus, or new systemic symptoms such as fever; these signs suggest infection and require re-evaluation.
Abscesses, septic arthritis, and osteomyelitis are deeper complications that may present with persistent or worsening pain and require imaging and specialist care.
If a bite wound is not improving within 48–72 hours or shows clear worsening, return for urgent reassessment and possible escalation of therapy[3].
Documentation, reporting, and public-health steps
Document incident details including a description of the dog, ownership and contact information if available, witness names, and photos of the wound to support medical, public-health, and legal needs.
Report the bite to local animal control or the health department when required by local ordinance; public-health authorities handle rabies risk assessment and quarantine or testing of the animal as indicated[1].
Keep copies of immunization records, clinical notes, and receipts for medical care in case follow-up vaccine doses, public-health follow-up, or insurance claims are needed.
Preventing future bites and behavior interventions
Identify triggers such as fear, guarding of resources, or pain that led to the bite and modify interactions to reduce recurrence, including avoiding identified triggers and teaching safe approaches to animals.
Practical steps include close supervision around young children, consistent leash control in public, and using a properly fitted muzzle during high‑risk handling situations when recommended by a professional.
Consider referral to a certified animal behaviorist or a veterinarian for medical evaluation when a dog’s behavior changes or when there is concern for underlying pain or neurologic disease.
Legal, workplace, and insurance considerations
Understand local laws about owner liability and dangerous-animal ordinances; these vary by jurisdiction and affect reporting and follow-up requirements.
For workplace bites, notify your employer and follow employer reporting procedures; workers’ compensation or occupational health policies may apply and require specific documentation.
Retain medical bills, photographs, and official reports to support any insurance or legal claims related to the incident and its treatment.
Expanded clinical details on tetanus and rabies post-exposure steps
For rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), human rabies immune globulin (HRIG) is given once at a dose of 20 IU/kg with as much as possible infiltrated around the wound and any remaining volume administered intramuscularly[1].
Rabies vaccine for previously unvaccinated persons is given as four doses on days 0, 3, 7, and 14, with the first dose given as soon as possible after exposure[1].
For tetanus, give a booster when a person with an uncertain or incomplete primary series sustains a severe or contaminated wound and more than 5 years have passed since the last tetanus immunization[1].
Antibiotic selection and practical prescribing considerations
Amoxicillin–clavulanate is the usual first-line oral agent for dog-bite prophylaxis or early therapy in adults, commonly dosed as 875/125 mg twice daily or 500/125 mg three times daily depending on clinician preference and patient tolerance[4].
For patients with severe penicillin allergy, doxycycline 100 mg twice daily is a frequently used alternative for adults, with clinicians adding metronidazole or a separate anaerobic agent when broader anaerobic coverage is desired[4].
Typical prophylactic oral courses for uncomplicated high‑risk bites are often prescribed for 3–5 days when used empirically, with longer courses (7–14 days or more) used for established infections or deep-tissue involvement[5].
Surgical, imaging, and closure principles
Primary closure decisions balance cosmetic outcome and infection risk; facial wounds may be closed primarily within 24 hours because facial vascularity lowers infection risk, while heavily contaminated puncture wounds are often delayed[3].
Obtain plain radiographs when a retained foreign body or fracture is suspected; radiographs detect many radiopaque foreign materials and are typically available immediately in urgent or emergency settings[3].
Surgical irrigation and debridement are performed when there is gross contamination, devitalized tissue, or deep structural involvement; many clinicians use high‑volume irrigation, often hundreds of milliliters, during operative washouts to reduce bacterial burden[3].
Outpatient follow-up, monitoring schedules, and escalation thresholds
Arrange an early wound check within 24–48 hours for high‑risk wounds such as hand injuries or deep punctures to reassess for infection and need for surgical intervention[3].
If a patient is started on oral antibiotics, advise returning for reassessment if there is no improvement within 48–72 hours or sooner if systemic symptoms develop[5].
Hospital admission for intravenous antibiotics and observation is indicated when systemic toxicity, spreading cellulitis, or high‑risk host factors are present; duration of IV therapy before switching to oral agents commonly ranges from 24 to 72 hours depending on clinical response[5].
Special considerations for high-risk sites and patient groups
Hand and periarticular bites carry a higher likelihood of deep‑space infection and septic arthritis; clinicians frequently have a low threshold for specialist consultation, imaging, and early surgical washout for these wounds[3].
Patients who are immunocompromised, diabetic, or asplenic warrant early aggressive management; many providers start prophylactic antibiotics and schedule prompt re-evaluation within 24 hours for such individuals[5].
Practical advice for documentation and working with public-health authorities
When reporting to animal control or public-health authorities, provide as much detail as possible including the date and time of the incident, a description of the animal, the owner’s contact information when available, and clear photographs of the wound taken at presentation and during follow-up[1].
If public-health authorities recommend quarantine or testing of the animal, note that a 10‑day observation period is commonly used to assess for signs of rabies in domestic dogs that can be observed by the owner or animal-control officers[1].
Practical prevention steps and referrals
Reduce bite risk by supervising interactions between animals and children, avoiding direct contact with unfamiliar animals, and addressing known behavioral triggers; consider professional behavior referral when a dog demonstrates repeated aggression or unexplained behavioral change[2].
Workplace bites should follow employer incident protocols and may require occupational-health evaluation; retain copies of medical documentation and any official reports for workers’ compensation or insurance claims[5].
