Have you been bitten by an animal recently? It is important to realize and detect when an animal bite can cause an infection. Most of the time when you come in contact with an animal, there is a high chance of infection because the animal could be carrying bacteria in their mouth. In the same turn for us humans, our hands and fingers touch a lot of things throughout the day, which is also high risk for animal bite infections as those are most often places to be bitten by an animal.
What Causes Them
Animal bite infections come from the bacteria living on the animal. It is most commonly found in their mouths or in their saliva. In most cases, there are multiple species that are made up of that bacteria.
Scrapes, Scratches, and Bites
It is important to note the severity from a bite to just scratches and scrapes. A bite would mean that there is a puncture in the skin which would allow the bacteria to enter the body. Scratches and scrapes are only on surface level, and the skin must be broken in order to be at risk. However, it is a good precaution to get these checked out as well if you have come in contact with an animal.
Beware of Wild Animals
Bites by wild animals such as raccoons, bats, foxes, and skunks are categorized in a totally different category. When you get a bite from one of these or a similar animal, you run the risk of a possible rabies infection. It is important to seek immediate medical attention for these as there are more involved procedures for a possible risk of a rabies infection. Another reason for taking precautionary measures is some animal bites may lead to Tetanus. Tetanus is a bacterial type disease that will affect your nervous system.
Symptoms
Once bitten by an animal, you may feel different types of symptoms. The most common include pain at the site, swelling, redness and inflammation. You will need to motion your symptoms to make sure they go away. The following symptoms like pus or fluid oozing from the wound, tenderness in areas near the bite, loss of sensation around the bite, limited use of the finger or hand if the hand was bitten, red streaks near the bite are ones you will need to keep an eye on as they could be associated with a more serious level of infection. Now these next few symptoms, you will need to seek immediate medical assistance as they are very serious effects from an infection. If you are experiencing anything similar to night sweats, fatigue, breathing difficulties, muscle weakness or tremors, you must go to the doctor to avoid any significant medical problems.
Let us help you avoid any animal bites or infections. Shumaker Animal Control is licensed and trained to provide solutions for wildlife animal control. Our family-owned business assists in the humane removal of animals all over the state of Maryland. Please visit our website to see the services we offer and call us at 443.854.8072 to schedule a removal or ask us any questions.