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Animal bite
Animal bites is an injury in which a person's skin is damaged and usually cut open by the sharp teeth of an animal. Bites can lead to infections, usually bacterial infections. Rabies is quite rare in the U.S. (just 1 or 2 cases per year) thanks to animal control programs and vaccines for both animals and humans.
Dr. Robert Kwok reviewed this
35 year experience in Pediatrics
How long it usually lasts:
How common it is:
Baby 0-2 | Very common | ||||
Preteen 6-13 | Very common | ||||
Teenager 14-18 | Very common | ||||
Young adult 19-40 | Very common | ||||
Middle-aged adult 41-60 | Very common |
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Related questions
A 47-year old asked:
What are the tests for animal bite?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
A 30-year old asked:
What are the symptoms of an animal bite?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
A 44-year old asked:
Please tell me, are human bites the same as animal bites?
1 doctor answer • 4 doctors weighed in
A 40-year old asked:
What is the treatment for animal bite?
2 doctor answers • 6 doctors weighed in
A 45-year old asked:
What is the best way to clean animal bites, dirty wounds, and puncture wounds?
2 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in
A 38-year old asked:
What can happen if don't get the shot for rabies and an animal bites you?
2 doctor answers • 6 doctors weighed in
A 24-year old male asked:
Will tetnus shot after 15 hours of animal bite still prevent infection?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
A 36-year old asked:
When must I seek immediate help if I have marine animal bite or jellyfish sting?
2 doctor answers • 8 doctors weighed in
A 74-year old female asked:
I think I have angioedema from an animal bite. Can i take advil (ibuprofen)?
2 doctor answers • 6 doctors weighed in
A 42-year old asked:
Is it true that the rabies vaccine is effective only for one animal bite?
1 doctor answer • 4 doctors weighed in
A 45-year old asked:
Could animal bites need to break the skin in order to transmit the rabies virus?
2 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in
A 21-year old male asked:
Small brown patch under armpit.Itchy at times.Found 2wk ago in shower.Fungal infection,burn or animal bite?No bite mark,had scabs around circumference
1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in
A 42-year old asked:
Ive heard that exotic animals can turn on their owners. What do I do if my ferret bites me?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A 26-year old female asked:
If someone was bit by an animal with rabies and you touched their open wound can you get rabies?
1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in
A male asked:
If a person was bitten by a cat/dog and that animal is alive for 20days after that bite,will that person get rabies?Does he need to get rabies PEP?
2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in
A 27-year old female asked:
Ive come out in very itchy looking insect bites all over my body. Any ideas what it might be havent beenin contact with any other animal but my own.
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A female asked:
My boyfriend was bit by a possibly rabid animal yesterday. Last night we kissed quite a bit and I gave him oral sex. Could I contract it through him?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
A 28-year old asked:
An animal bit me. What should I do to prevent skin infection?
2 doctor answers • 6 doctors weighed in
A 43-year old male asked about a male:
My 2 year old got minor bit from wild cat. What are the chances of infection and rabies? I washed bit and animal control watching cat for 10 days.
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
A 19-year old female asked:
Can you get rabies from animal;that is not droolin, is not aggressive and is lying in water? my dad got bit by that kind of dog, any chance of rabies
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A 18-year old female asked:
If you get bit by a spider or animal will it make your birth control less effective ?
1 doctor answer • 4 doctors weighed in
A 25-year old male asked:
The first 4 days after being bitten by an unvaccinated dog, could my saliva be infective of rabies to people or animals?
1 doctor answer • 5 doctors weighed in
A 49-year old female asked:
Possible flea bites on legs&lower torso. have no animals. Visited very dirty house 3&10 days ago but wore trousers and didn't sit anywhere. ?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
A 23-year old female asked:
Do house dogs carry rabies if not infected by outdoor animal? Friends's dog snapped at me but left no bite/broken skin/wound. Should i worry?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A 22-year old male asked:
Is it normal to have remaining bit of stool on anal area, because sometimes i can't keep my anus very clean. I think of animal who poop but don't wash?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
A 49-year old asked:
What if someone bitten by an animal with rabies did not get rabies immunoglobulin, but only got therabies vaccines? Would they be okay?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A female asked:
I had a rabies vaccine in 2004 then had a booster in 2005 as I had contact (not bitten) with a rabid animal.would this booster still have validity?
1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in
A 25-year old male asked about a 60-year old male:
My Father ate a fruit which was already bitten by an animal. Is there a chance that he will be infected by rabies if it was a bat that bit the fruit?
1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in
A 25-year old male asked:
If i took post ex poser vaccine for rabies earlier. Do i need to take vaccination again if I am bitten by an animal?
1 doctor answer • 6 doctors weighed in
A 19-year old female asked:
Do i need rabies vaccine? it's not even a month yet since i got my 4 doses. last dose was 8 days ago i got bitten again by stray animal, acting weird.
2 doctor answers • 6 doctors weighed in
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