Also called: Cat bites · Dog bites
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Animal Bites
Wild animals usually avoid people. They might attack, however, if they feel threatened, are sick, or are protecting their young or territory. Attacks by pets are more common. Animal bites rarely are life-threatening, but if they become infected, you can develop serious medical problems.
To prevent animal bites and complications from bites:
- Never pet, handle, or feed unknown animals
- Leave snakes alone
- Watch your children closely around animals
- Vaccinate your cats, ferrets, and dogs against rabies
- Spay or neuter your dog to make it less aggressive
- Get a tetanus booster if you have not had one recently
- Wear boots and long pants when you are in areas with venomous snakes
If an animal bites you, clean the wound with soap and water as soon as possible. Get medical attention if necessary.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
It sits within Injuries and Wounds and Immune System.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Animal Bites
5 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Epidemiological, Clinical and Biological Characteristics of Human Anaplasmosis Cases in AlsaceUniversity Hospital, Strasbourg, France
- Multicenter Retrospective Study on Streptobacillus Moniliformis Infections in FranceUniversity Hospital, Strasbourg, France
- Incisional Negative Pressure Therapy to Prevent Animal Induced Wound InfectionPeking University First Hospital
- Animal Bite Victims Seeking Medical Services at Concerned HospitalsAssiut University
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- Cat and Dog BitesAmerican Academy of Family Physicians
- Treatment for Animal BitesAmerican Academy of Pediatrics
Treatments and Therapies
- Animal Bites: First AidMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Jellyfish Stings, First AidVisualDX
- Snakebites: First AidMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Dog Bite PreventionAmerican Veterinary Medical Association
- Travelers' Health: Zoonotic Exposures -- Bites, Stings, Scratches, and Other HazardsCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Bites and StingsNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Snake BitesNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Bites and Stings. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Animal Bites, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.