First Aid Bites & Stings How to Treat a Dog Bite at Home By Rod Brouhard, EMT-P facebook twitter linkedin Rod Brouhard is an emergency medical technician paramedic (EMT-P), journalist, educator, and advocate for emergency medical service providers and patients. Learn about our editorial process Rod Brouhard, EMT-P Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Michael Menna, DO on November 14, 2019 Michael Menna, DO, is board-certified in emergency medicine. He is an attending emergency medicine physician at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York and also works at an urgent care center and a telemedicine company that provides care to patients across the country. Learn about our Medical Review Board Michael Menna, DO Updated on January 07, 2020 Print Dog bites are common, especially in children. There are more dog bites in warm months than in the colder months. Nobody really knows why other than to guess that dogs and kids are more likely to come together on sunny days. Gwendolyn Plath / Getty Images Treating a dog bite should always start with the safety of all involved, including the patient, the rescuer, and if possible, the dog. Dogs don't always bite out of aggression, many times they bite out of fear. If we can make the animal feel safe, it might be the best way to make everyone around it feel safe as well. Immediate Treatment Here are tips on how to treat a dog bite at home. Stay Safe. Secure the dog and/or the patient. Move one away from the other. Dogs may bite because their territory is threatened. If the dog's owner is around, instruct him or her to secure the dog. If not, move the patient to a safe location. Be careful about starting any treatment until there is a reasonable expectation that the dog won't attack again. Controlling bleeding can often be done at the same time as you are making the area safe, especially if the patient can help hold pressure.If you are not the patient, practice universal precautions and wear personal protective equipment if available.Control any bleeding by following the appropriate steps. Avoid using a tourniquet unless there is severe bleeding that cannot be controlled any other way.Once the bleeding is controlled, clean the wound with soap and warm water. Do not be afraid to clean inside the wound. Be sure to rinse all the soap away, or it will cause irritation later.Cover the wound with a clean, dry dressing. You can put antibiotic ointment on the wound before covering, but it's not necessary. Watch for signs of infection:RednessSwellingHeatWeeping pus When to See the Doctor Always call a physician to determine if you should be seen. Some dog bites need antibiotics, particularly if they are deep puncture wounds. Additionally, many municipalities have regulations for reporting dog bites and monitoring the dogs, which is often initiated by contact with a doctor. Any unidentified dog runs a minor risk of carrying rabies. It's very rare, but if the dog cannot be identified and the owner cannot show proof of rabies vaccination, the patient must seek medical attention. Rabies is typically fatal to humans if not treated. The wound may need stitches. If the edges of a laceration are unable to touch, or if there are any avulsions, the wound will need emergency medical attention. Wounds on the face or hands should be seen by a physician because of the likelihood of scarring and loss of function. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Zhang Y, Zhao Q, Zhang W, et al. Are hospital emergency department visits due to dog bites associated with ambient temperature? A time-series study in Beijing, China. Sci Total Environ. 2017;598:71-76. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.04.112 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preventing dog bites. Updated April 8, 2019. MedlinePlus. Bleeding. Updated October 16, 2017. MedlinePlus. Rabies. Updated September 22, 2018. O'Brien DC, Andre TB, Robinson AD, Squires LD, Tollefson TT. Dog bites of the head and neck: An evaluation of a common pediatric trauma and associated treatment. Am J Otolaryngol. 2015 Jan-Feb;36(1):32-8. doi:10.1016/j.amjoto.2014.09.001 Additional Reading Golinko MS, Arslanian B, Williams JK. Characteristics of 1616 consecutive dog bite injuries at a single institution. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2017;56(4):316-325. doi:10.14423/SMJ.0000000000000848