United States: If a dog bite causes severe or uncontrolled bleeding, major injury, or the person feels faint or weak, call 911. Once safe from the dog, control bleeding, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water, and seek medical assessment for serious injuries, infection, tetanus and possible rabies exposure.
Do these 12 things now — fast numbered checklist
- Get away from the dog safely. Move behind a secure barrier or into a building when possible. Do not chase, corner or attempt to restrain an aggressive animal.
- Check for life-threatening injury. Call 911 for uncontrolled bleeding, collapse, serious trauma or other immediate danger.
- Apply direct pressure to serious bleeding. Use a clean dry cloth, keep pressure on and wait for emergency responders when necessary.
- For minor wounds, wash thoroughly with soap and running water. Clean promptly; do not rely on a quick wipe.
- Cover the wound with a clean dressing. For suitable minor wounds, CDC advises antibiotic cream and a clean bandage; follow your clinician’s instructions.
- Seek prompt medical care for deep or serious wounds. Bites to the hand, face or other sensitive areas, severe pain, reduced movement or infection concerns need professional assessment.
- Ask about rabies risk. If the dog is unfamiliar, its vaccination status is unknown, or it acted strangely, contact a healthcare professional promptly.
- Ask about tetanus protection. Tell the clinician when your last tetanus vaccine was given; bites may require a booster or other management.
- Identify the dog safely. Record the owner’s contact and animal’s vaccination details if available without approaching an unsafe animal.
- Report the bite to animal control or police. Follow local reporting requirements and give factual details.
- Watch for infection after treatment. Worsening redness, swelling, warmth, drainage, pain or fever need medical review.
- Follow prescribed care. Complete any necessary treatment and rabies follow-up, and keep photographs and incident details for medical and reporting purposes.
In a life-threatening emergency, stop reading and call 911. A written guide cannot examine a wound or decide whether rabies prevention is necessary.
A dog bite in the United States may seem minor because the external mark is small. However, teeth can puncture tissue, damage tendons or nerves and introduce bacteria. Rabies assessment also matters when the animal’s health and vaccination status are uncertain. First aid is therefore only the beginning of care.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends thorough cleaning, controlling bleeding and medical evaluation for serious injuries or uncertain rabies status. It also advises reporting dog bites to local animal control or police. State and city reporting rules differ, so this article distinguishes national medical principles from local administrative requirements.
Jump to the answer you need
Safety first · Clean and protect a bite · When to see a clinician · Rabies · Tetanus and infection · Animal control and records · Common situations · FAQs
First make the scene safe
People may rush towards a dog after a bite, shout at it or try to hold its collar. Those actions can trigger another bite. The priority is to move the injured person and bystanders away safely, preferably behind a door, fence, vehicle or other barrier. Keep children back and avoid running into a road or other hazard.
If an unfamiliar or aggressive dog remains loose, call local animal control or police as appropriate; call 911 for immediate danger to life. Do not try to catch an animal for identification or testing yourself. A trained professional can decide how to secure it safely.
If a dog knocks someone down but does not continue attacking, the CDC advises curling into a ball, protecting the neck and ears, and using a bag or jacket as a barrier if possible. In an ongoing attack, seek immediate safe separation and emergency assistance.
How to care for the bite wound
If the wound is bleeding heavily
Press directly on the bleeding site using a clean dry cloth or suitable dressing. Keep pressure in place and call 911 for severe or uncontrolled bleeding, faintness, major trauma or a person who is becoming unresponsive. Do not remove a dressing repeatedly just to inspect the bleeding.
Tell responders whether the dog is still nearby, the patient’s location and any known difficulty breathing or serious injury. For a child, specify age and whether a face, neck or hand has been injured. Emergency care and bleeding control take priority over documenting the animal.
If the injury appears minor
Once safe, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and running water. The CDC’s dog guidance also advises applying antibiotic cream and covering minor wounds with a clean bandage when suitable. Clean hands and a fresh dressing reduce contamination; a decorative plaster over an unwashed wound is not enough.
Do not close a puncture wound with glue, household adhesive or improvised stitches. Whether the wound should be closed, left open, irrigated more extensively or treated with antibiotics depends on examination and infection risk. A bite that looks tiny on the surface may still involve deeper tissues.
If there is a visible puncture but little pain
Do not rely on pain intensity or the amount of blood to determine risk. Punctures can introduce bacteria deeply and may involve joints, tendons or nerves. Seek medical advice, especially for bites to the hand, face, foot, near a joint or in a person with a condition affecting immunity or healing.
When to get emergency care or medical review
Call 911 for major bleeding that does not stop with pressure, severe trauma, collapse, faintness or another life-threatening condition. Seek prompt professional evaluation for deep or gaping wounds, severe pain, loss of function, injuries to sensitive areas or evidence of infection. A clinician can examine movement, circulation, sensation and wound depth.
The CDC specifically recommends healthcare assessment if the wound is serious or deep, becomes infected, the dog’s rabies vaccination status is unknown, or it has been more than five years since your last tetanus shot. A healthcare worker may ask about other medical conditions and medications that affect treatment.
Do not delay an urgent visit while waiting for a dog owner to produce records. You can supply vaccination information later. Inform the healthcare team that it was a dog bite rather than another type of cut; this changes how they assess infection and animal-exposure risks.
Rabies: why vaccination status matters
Rabies is a serious viral disease and is nearly always fatal once symptoms begin, but it is preventable when indicated post-exposure treatment is provided in time. The actual risk from a dog bite depends on the animal, local epidemiology, type of exposure and whether the dog can be evaluated or observed safely.
Ask the owner for documentation of the dog’s current rabies vaccination when safely possible. Record the owner’s name and contact and the veterinarian or vaccine record. Avoid assuming an animal is vaccinated because it wears a collar or because the owner says it is friendly.
Healthcare professionals and local health departments determine whether rabies post-exposure prophylaxis is appropriate. It may involve wound washing, rabies vaccine and rabies immune globulin for people not previously vaccinated. The decision and schedule are medical matters, not home treatments and not something to postpone until symptoms develop.
The CDC issued a September 2026 health advisory about increased rabies exposures and the importance of correct risk assessment. If an unfamiliar or unusually acting animal bites you, arrange prompt assessment rather than attempting to search online for a one-size-fits-all answer based on state alone.
What if the dog can be located?
If local authorities can identify the animal, a veterinarian, animal control officer or public health team can determine how it should be assessed or observed. Do not confine or test a threatening dog on your own. Follow official instructions and tell the clinician whether the animal remains available.
What if the dog disappeared?
Provide as much information as you can: time, location, appearance, behaviour, nearby owner or witness, and whether saliva contacted broken skin. Tell the health department and your clinician that the animal’s health status cannot presently be verified. Do not wait to receive a reply from a social media post before seeking assessment.
Tetanus, bacterial infection and healing
Dog mouths carry bacteria capable of causing wound infection. Increasing redness, warmth, swelling, new pain, pus, fever or reduced movement after a bite are reasons for medical review. Some infections can become serious, particularly in people with weakened immune systems or other chronic health problems.
The wound’s contamination and your vaccination history guide decisions about tetanus prevention. The CDC recommends medical assessment when more than five years have passed since the last tetanus shot, among other concerns. Do not assume the rule is identical for every wound; clinicians assess both the wound and vaccine history.
A clinician may decide that antibiotics, a tetanus booster, imaging, cleaning under local anaesthetic or specialty review are needed. Not every small bite requires every intervention. Keep any follow-up appointment and seek help if symptoms change or treatment is not working.
What information to give animal control or police
The CDC advises reporting dog bites to local animal control or police. This can help authorities identify an animal, assess rabies risk and prevent further injuries. Local requirements vary considerably. Search your city or county’s animal control or health department website, or ask the responding officer, rather than assuming one national reporting form exists.
- The date, approximate time and exact street or park location.
- Description of the dog and whether it remained loose or under control.
- Owner’s name and contact if known; do not publish private details publicly.
- Photographs of injuries or scene taken only when safe.
- Names and contact details of witnesses who voluntarily offer them.
- Any available current rabies vaccination documentation.
- Medical services visited and the reporting or case number.
- An accurate description of what happened, avoiding unverified claims about intent.
The goal of reporting is health, safety and accurate investigation. Do not make an unsupported accusation that the animal has rabies, or a public claim about the dog’s breed or owner based solely on one photograph. Let the responsible local authority assess the case.
Common situations and the best response
A child is bitten by the family dog
Separate the dog and child safely, control bleeding and wash wounds as appropriate, then obtain medical advice. Children can have more serious injuries and may struggle to describe them. Even when an animal is familiar and vaccinated, an infection or structural injury may still need treatment.
Avoid scolding the child while they are hurt. Later, review whether the animal was sleeping, eating, frightened or being handled, and reinforce age-appropriate boundaries. The CDC recommends supervision of children around dogs, including familiar household pets.
A stranger’s dog bites someone in a park
Move away from the animal. Note the owner and contact if safely possible, but do not chase the person or dog. Report the incident to local animal control and arrange medical assessment for punctures or unknown vaccination status. Give any medical team the approximate time and location in case public health follow-up is needed.
An employee is bitten while delivering a parcel
Stop the task, seek a secure position and obtain appropriate medical care. Notify the employer or supervisor and follow workplace incident procedures without delaying emergency treatment. Document the address, situation and responsible contact. Workers should not be asked to return to an address with an uncontrolled dog before risks have been assessed.
The dog bites through clothing but the skin looks intact
Check whether the skin was broken, scratched or contaminated with saliva; small marks can be easy to miss. Clean affected skin and seek professional advice if there is a puncture, abrasion, severe pain, swelling, uncertain rabies exposure or other concern. A healthcare professional can assess whether the contact constitutes an exposure.
The person is immunocompromised
People with reduced ability to fight infection may need more urgent professional evaluation even for apparently small wounds. Tell the clinician about relevant conditions, immune-suppressing treatment and any existing infection symptoms. Do not rely on an over-the-counter cream alone.
Mistakes to avoid after a dog bite
- Do not approach an aggressive dog to photograph its teeth, take a collar tag or retrieve a leash.
- Do not ignore a deep puncture because the wound barely bleeds.
- Do not postpone washing a wound while arranging paperwork.
- Do not delay rabies risk assessment until the dog owner replies.
- Do not self-seal a bite with glue or home stitching.
- Do not assume a vaccinated dog eliminates every risk. Bacterial infection and tissue injury remain possible.
- Do not wait for fever if the injury already requires urgent care.
- Do not share a child’s injury photographs and private details publicly when reporting can be done through authorities.
How to prevent another bite
- Teach children to ask permission before touching a dog and to wait for the animal to approach calmly.
- Never disturb a dog while eating, sleeping, hiding or caring for puppies.
- Supervise young children with dogs, including household pets.
- Do not reach into a dog fight or attempt to separate fighting animals by grabbing collars.
- Secure gates, leads and access areas so dogs cannot approach visitors unexpectedly.
- If an unknown dog approaches, remain calm, avoid running and back away slowly when safe.
- Keep pet vaccinations and veterinary care current and retain records.
- Discuss changes in a pet’s behaviour with a veterinarian and a qualified behaviour professional when appropriate.
Prevention does not mean promising that a well-loved dog will never bite. Animals may react to pain, fear, surprise or guarding behaviour. Respecting warning signs and providing safe space protects both dogs and people.
Frequently asked questions
Should I call 911 for every dog bite?
No. Call 911 for uncontrolled bleeding, collapse, severe trauma or another immediate threat. Other bites may still require prompt clinic or urgent-care assessment.
Do I need a rabies shot after every dog bite?
Not necessarily. A clinician and public health authorities assess the exposure, the animal, local risk and vaccination information. Seek timely assessment rather than deciding alone.
Should I wash a dog bite immediately?
Yes, when safe. Thorough washing with soap and water is an important first step, alongside controlling bleeding.
What if the dog is my own pet?
Clean the wound and seek appropriate care. Known vaccination status helps assess rabies risk but does not rule out injury or infection.
When should I worry about infection?
Worsening pain, redness, swelling, warmth, drainage or fever can indicate infection. Get medical review.
Should I report the dog bite?
The CDC advises reporting dog bites to local animal control or police. Follow local city or county requirements.
How soon should I ask about tetanus?
At the medical evaluation. Explain the bite and your vaccine history, particularly if your last shot was more than five years ago.
The decision sequence to remember
Get safe. Stop serious bleeding. Clean the wound. Get medically assessed. Check rabies and tetanus. Report accurately. Watch healing. You can manage the first minutes, but deeper injury and infection risk need professional evaluation.
For another emergency-planning guide, see What to Do When a House Fire Starts in the United States.
Official guidance and source checks
Official guidance reviewed 4 November 2026. This independent US guide offers general information and does not replace medical professionals, emergency dispatch or current local advisories.