Puppy bitten by stray dog before vaccines. What should I do?

If a person was bitten by a dog they need to go see a doctor as soon as possible. Each country is different but in the united states they typically give rabies prevention to people who have been bitten by unvaccinated dogs. It is also important to make sure the wounds are cleaned and medicated if needed. Hope that helps

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like the bite wound has become infected. Bite wounds typically require the attention of a veterinarian. If the wound is deep enough, it may require stitches and prescription antibiotics if it is infected. Depending on your local animal control and rabies laws, your puppy may need a rabies vaccine now and then a booster in 6 months. I would be sure to have Puppy seen by a veterinarian right away so he can have this wound evaluated.

I am sorry to hear about your concern for your puppy. The answer to this question will depend on the circumstances. If this is a puppy you do not know/a stray/from an uknown home then I would recommend contacting your human physician. If this is your puppy who has been in your care with no exposure to wildlife and who is acting normally/healthy then the concern for rabies is very low but it does look like there is a puncture in your skin so I would recommend consulting your human doctor as we can develop bacterial infections due to dog bites and your doctor can advise you if treatment is necessary.

If Brownie has had his rabies vaccine, then the main risk is simple infection. You’ve already taken the first step but cleaning the wound and your vet will probably prescribe antibiotics. Other than that, there is not much to worry about. Best of luck to you and Brownie!

Ouch! Poor Bones! I would try to clean it with a mild soap and water. I would put a cone collar on him to prevent him from licking it and put some Neosporin in the wound twice a day. Your vet will be able to shave the hair and close the wound with sutures or skin staples if needed. They will also be able to prescribe him the proper antibiotics and pain meds. I do not recommend giving him any human pain meds as most are toxic to dogs. I hope this helps!

The bite appears to have broken the skin, so the best thing you should do is flush the wound with water for ten minutes. This will help to flush out any germs that are in the wound. We (veterinarians) are not allowed (legally and ethically) to give advice about treatment for people, so I have to recommend that you seek medical help from your doctor. They will be able to better assess the wound, provide the necessary treatment, and give any vaccines if necessary. I know that the doctor will want to ensure that your tetanus vaccine is up to date and possibly recommend rabies prophylaxis. If Skyler had the rabies vaccine around three months, and he is only five months now, then he should be up-to-date. It's best to bring your dogs vaccine records to the medical appointment to be sure. I hope that helps and all is well.

Poor Oddie! I’d definitely recommend getting him in to the vet. My main concern is for infection of those bite wounds- he’ll almost assuredly get some antibiotics (unless the wounds are much more shallow than I’m thinking). Your vet will also know more about local laws concerning reporting suspicious/rabid animals (if that is even a concern in your area). On that note, the Rabies vaccine is extremely effective so I have no concern for Oddie about that. If you can take him to an ER clinic tonight, that would be great. But if Oddie seems comfortable, it can probably wait until tomorrow. In that case, do flush the wounds with diluted iodine if you have it, warm soapy water (followed by plain warm water) if you don’t have it. If you have (or can get) an E-collar for Oddie, I’d put that on to prevent licking. If the collar is on, you may also put a triple antibiotic ointment (eg Neosporin) on the wounds until you can get to the vet tomorrow. Do not use if he can lick it off. This will not work long term but is a decent stop-gap until tomorrow. I do NOT recommend bandages or oral medication of any kind. Instead, leave the wounds open and use ice for pain and swelling control. Icing each spot for 5-10 mins every 4-8 hours will go a long way for both pain and swelling. Hope this helps and best of luck to you and Oddie!