Even if your kids are great with the family pets, bites can still happen! If the unfortunate happens and your child has been bitten by your family dog or cat, there are some things you can do to care for the bite before heading to our AFC center for treatment.

Our AFC Urgent Care South Charlotte provides some helpful info below, so keep reading!

What Should I Do to Care for My Child’s Bite Wound?

As a general rule of thumb, it’s best to visit your doctor or our AFC center if your child’s bite wound has broken the skin to avoid a potential risk of infection.

Before heading to see a doctor, though, perform these first-aid steps on your child.

First Aid for Animal Bites

• Wash the bite area with soap and water. If the bite is bleeding, put pressure on it using sterile gauze or a clean cloth.
• If the bleeding has stopped, put antibiotic ointment on the area.
• Cover the area with a bandage or sterile gauze.
• If your child has pain, give acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

What Kind of Animal Provides the Biggest Infection Risk?

Actually, cats do. According to recent research, over 400,000 cat bites happen every year, and nearly 50% of them result in infection among children.

Cat and other bites can be prevented, though, and as parents, it’s important to keep as close of an eye as you can on your kids when they’re around animals. Teach your kids not to tease your pets, to handle them gently and to stay away from wild or stray animals. If your child does get bitten, your doctor will likely need the below-mentioned information to know how to properly treat your child’s bite wound.

Information Your Doctor Will Need

• The kind of animal that bit your child
• The date of the animal’s last rabies vaccination, if known
• Any recent unusual behavior by the animal
• The animal’s location, if known
• If the animal was stray or wild, or was captured by a local animal control service
• Your child’s immunization record
• A list of any medications your child is allergic to

Unfortunately, bites happen! Don’t wait to visit our AFC Urgent Care South Charlotte team today to get the proper care for your child’s bite wound.