A dog bit me. What should I do now?

Wash it, get it seen today, report it. Even a small bite that has stopped bleeding can become infected, and in countries where rabies is present, how soon you get treatment matters. You do not need to know whether the dog is vaccinated before you go. Sorting that out is the job of the doctor and the local authority.

Call emergency services now if the bleeding will not stop, the wound is deep, or the bite is on the face or neck. Do the washing while you wait if you can.

Right now: wash it properly

1. Wash with soap and running water for several minutes. The World Health Organization’s rabies guidance advises flushing a bite with soap and water for around 15 minutes. It is the most useful thing you can do before you reach help.
2. Then an antiseptic, if you have one. Iodine or alcohol after washing is fine. It does not replace the washing, and it does not replace a doctor.
3. Cover it with a clean dressing and press gently if it is still bleeding.
4. Take a photo of the wound, and note the time, the place and what the dog looked like while you still remember.

Why alcohol alone is not enough

Plenty of people dab a bite with alcohol and hope that is the end of it. It skips the step that matters most: flushing the wound out with soap and plenty of water. And no cleaning at home can tell you whether you need rabies vaccine, tetanus cover or antibiotics. Only a doctor can decide that.

See a doctor the same day

Go to a doctor, an urgent care clinic or a hospital today. Tell them where and when it happened, whether the dog was a stray or someone’s pet, and whether you know its vaccination status. They decide about tetanus, antibiotics and rabies treatment.

Rabies risk depends on the country and the situation, so let the doctor judge it, not a forum. If they advise rabies vaccination, start when they say. Do not wait to see if symptoms appear.

If the hospital you reach does not have rabies vaccine, ask them where the nearest place that does is, or call the regional public health office. In some countries the vaccine is kept only at certain hospitals or public health centres. Keep asking until someone gives you a place and a time.

Report the bite

Report it to the local authority: animal control, the council, the municipality or the police, depending on where you live. A report creates a record, and in many places the authority can check whether an owned dog is vaccinated and ask for it to be watched for a period. Your doctor may report it too, but do not count on that.

• When and where: the date, the time and the exact place.
• The dog: size, colour, collar, and which house it came from if you know.
• Photos: of the wound, and of the dog only if you can take one from a safe distance.
• Witnesses: names and numbers of anyone who saw it.
• The doctor’s visit: where you went and what treatment you were given.

When the owner will not answer

If a neighbour’s dog bit you or your child and the owner ignores the door, your notes and your messages, stop chasing them yourself. Hand it to the authority. They can contact the owner and ask for proof of vaccination in a way you cannot. Keep a list of the notes you left and when.

Meanwhile, follow the doctor’s advice as if the dog’s vaccination status were unknown. Waiting for the owner to reply can use up the time that matters.

If it was your child

Same steps: wash it, a doctor the same day even if the bite looks small, then report. Afterwards, block the gap in the fence on your side so it cannot happen again while the authority deals with the owner. A frightened child may want to talk it through more than once. Let them, and answer the same questions again.

If the same dog keeps getting out, our answer on who to call about a dangerous or roaming dog covers what to record. For walks and strays, see loose dogs.