Bitten or Scratched by an Animal: Rabies, Tetanus, Infection and Snakes

Deal with heavy bleeding and snake bites first. For an ordinary bite or scratch, wash it with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes, cover it loosely and get it assessed: rabies, tetanus and infection depend on the animal and the country. Rabies treatment works only if it starts before symptoms, so don't wait to see how you feel.

When to see a doctor

Right away, call an ambulance — 999 in the UK, 911 in the US, 112 in the EU:

any snake bite; in the UK the adder is the only venomous snake. Don't drive yourself (NHS);
bleeding that pressure does not stop, a large or deep wound, or a part of the body bitten off — take it with you (NHS);
signs of severe infection or sepsis (NICE);
days after a wound: a stiff jaw, trouble swallowing, muscle spasms or difficulty breathing — possible tetanus, which usually appears 4 to 21 days later (NHS).

The same day — don't put it off:

a bite, a scratch or a graze, even without blood, from a mammal in a country where rabies occurs, or from an unknown or strange-acting animal; saliva on broken skin, in the eyes, nose or mouth (WHO);
any contact with a bat, in any country, the UK included (UKHSA). Bitten or scratched abroad: get care there, don't wait until you are home (NHS);
a cat bite that broke the skin — high risk of infection (NICE);
a bite on the hand, foot, face or head, a human bite, or dirt or teeth left in the wound (NHS);
your tetanus protection is uncertain: in the UK, the last dose was more than 10 years ago, the course is incomplete or you don't know (NHS); in the US a bite counts as a contaminated wound, and a booster is advised if the last dose was 5 or more years ago (CDC).

In the UK this means an urgent GP appointment, NHS 111 or A&E (NHS). In the US, rabies prevention is "urgent but not an emergency" (ACIP) — see a doctor promptly, not weeks later.

Later — come back straight away if the wound becomes hot, swollen, leaks fluid or smells, or you get a fever or chills (NHS); or there is no improvement 24–48 hours after starting antibiotics (NICE).

What is happening

Rabies: fatal once it starts, preventable before. Once symptoms appear, rabies is fatal in virtually 100% of cases (WHO). Post-exposure prophylaxis — a course of vaccine, sometimes with immunoglobulin — started promptly and given correctly is nearly 100% effective (CDC): death is preventable if treatment starts in time. Incubation usually takes 2–3 months, from a week to a year (WHO), so while there are no symptoms it is never too late to start (ACIP; UKHSA) — but sooner is better.

Who carries it depends on the country. Worldwide, dogs cause 99% of human rabies (WHO). In the US it is found most often in bats, skunks, raccoons and foxes, and at least 7 in 10 Americans who died of rabies were infected by bats (CDC). In the UK land animals have been free of rabies since 1922, but bats carry related viruses (UKHSA).

Bats. Their bite can be tiny and go unnoticed (CDC). Outside the UK and Ireland, a bat in the room of someone who was asleep or drunk is a reason to be assessed (UKHSA).

Which contact counts (WHO categories): touching or feeding an animal, or a lick on intact skin — washing only. Nibbling of bare skin or minor scratches without bleeding — vaccine. Bites or scratches that draw blood, saliva on mucous membranes or broken skin, direct contact with a bat — vaccine plus immunoglobulin or antibodies.

Why cat bites are worse. Cats leave narrow, deep punctures that are hard to clean and deeper than they look. UK guidance (NICE) offers antibiotics when a cat bite has drawn blood and considers them even without; for dogs the threshold is higher.

What to do

Heavy bleeding: press firmly on the wound with a clean cloth and call for help.
Snake bite: go straight to the steps below.
Wash with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes (WHO). No soap — water alone, then an antiseptic (WHO). If the wound is not bleeding, gently squeeze it to encourage bleeding (NHS).
Cover with a clean, loose dressing. Don't close it tightly, glue or stitch it yourself (WHO).
Get it assessed — where, see above. Abroad, go locally; travel insurance and travel safety basics help here.
Find out about the animal: whose it is and whether it is vaccinated. A dog, cat or ferret that bit someone is watched for 10 days (WHO; US) — 15 days in the UK (UKHSA). Waiting for the result must not delay the start of treatment (WHO; UKHSA).
Don't try to catch a wild animal; call local services. A bat can be covered with a container without touching it with bare hands (CDC).
Bring your vaccination record for tetanus: keep your vaccine record findable.

Snake bite (NHS, UK; CDC/NIOSH, US)

Call an ambulance. Stay calm, lie down — in the recovery position if you can — and keep the bitten limb still, roughly at or below heart level.
Remove rings and watches, loosen clothing.
Remember or photograph the snake from a distance; don't approach, catch or kill it.
Don't: suck out the venom, cut the wound, tie a tight band or tourniquet, or apply ice.
For pain, paracetamol — not aspirin or ibuprofen (NHS).

When this is not the case

A lick on intact skin or feeding an animal is not a reason for rabies treatment (WHO) — wash your hands.
A vaccinated, healthy pet after a provoked bite: treatment may not be needed, but that is the doctor's decision, not yours (WHO).
Rodents and rabbits: the WHO says rodent bites do not transmit rabies; in the US they almost never call for treatment (ACIP).
Ticks are a separate topic: how to remove a tick.

Sources

Checked: 27 September 2026