Healthy Dogs

Dog Bites

Dog Bite Treatments continued...

Your doctor will also take measures to prevent infection. It's rare for dogs in the U.S. to have rabies, but if the dog's health status is unknown, or the dog tests positive for rabies, you will need to get a rabies vaccine. The doctor will also make sure that you are up to date on your tetanus shot.

You may need to take antibiotics for seven to 14 days to prevent or treat an infection. The doctor may ask you to come back in one to three days to have the injury rechecked.

If you did not know the dog that bit you, make sure to report the bite to your local animal control office or police.