My 5-week-old puppy bit me. What are the risks of a small bite?

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.

Ouch. I am sorry you got bit. Dog bites have a tendency to get infected. However, we are liable for every piece of information that we tell pet owners and since we are not human doctors we are not legally allowed to give out medical advice for people. It is a good rule of thumb to get any dog bite looked at by your medical professional to determine if you will need antibiotics, antiseptic cleaning of the wound, stitches, etc. I am sorry that your pet bit you and let this be a lesson for the future that negative reinforcement used in pets can escalate into hazardous situations so it should be avoided at all cost. I would also recommend seeking help from an animal behaviorist for better methods for training young Bruno while he is still young and impressionable. Here is a website link for certified animal behaviorist http://www.dacvb.org/ Good luck to you and Bruno in your quest for a positive and respectful relationship in the future.

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.

I don't think you have to worry about either disease at this stage however, it is always best to check with a human physician. By law, we really cannot recommend any treatment for human conditions. You can start training as early as 8 weeks of age. Hope this helps. Happy Holidays!

In general there is always a risk of infection, as we are not human doctors, we can't give you any medical advise, but if you are concerned, make an apointment to see your GP so he can have a look at it and give you some treatment if needed.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Anyone who is bit by a cat should be evaluated by a physician. A cat's mouth is usually full of bacteria that can result in severe infections and cellulitis in humans that get bit. You should check with a local physician as soon as possible. You are welcome to check with a physician (as I am a veterinarian) for any more specific information. Good luck! Sorry that this happened to you! I have been through this many times and I have gone to the hospital to be looked at every time and everything has turned out ok after.

I would not worry about this too much , at least it does not look infected or inflamed. But I am not a doctor for humans, so if you are really worried or if you think this could be a bite from a street dog, this needs to be seen by a doctor for humans.