What should I do if my puppy’s teeth scratch the skin and bleed?

Whether you are bitten by a dog or scratched by your own puppy's teeth, you need to deal with it promptly, because there are many bacteria and viruses on the dog's teeth, and it may even carry rabies virus, which can be transmitted to humans. It is no exaggeration to say that it will threaten human life. So, what should you do if you are scratched by a puppy's teeth and it bleeds? Here we will introduce to you how to deal with scratches from puppy teeth!

1. Clean the wound

Rinse the wound thoroughly. First rinse thoroughly with 3% - 5% soapy water or clean water. If the wound is deep, insert the syringe into the wound for irrigation and cleaning. All dog saliva should be removed as much as possible. The time should be half an hour. You can also use 20% neutral soapy water or 0.1% Sanisol or clean water to rinse the wound repeatedly for at least half an hour, and if necessary, remove the bitten superficial tissue. After rinsing, apply 70% alcohol or liquor to the affected area.

2. Apply the medicine correctly

Some patients think that since the wound is not big, they can just apply some mercurochrome or gentian violet. This is wrong. The correct way is to rinse the wound and then scrub it with alcohol or iodine. Wound treatment should be completed as soon as possible. Even if it is 1-2 days or even 3-4 days late, do not ignore the treatment of the wound. If the wound has scabped, remove the scab and treat it according to the above method.

Remember that wounds should not be bandaged or sutured, and should be left exposed as much as possible. If bandaging and suturing are necessary (e.g. due to excessive bleeding), ensure that the wound has been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected and that anti-rabies serum has been injected. If the bite occurs on the head, neck, fingers or is severe, anti-rabies serum or rabies immunoglobulin will need to be injected around and at the bottom of the wound.

3. Vaccination

If the dog bite is serious and the bleeding does not stop during the cleaning and disinfection process, be sure to use clothes, towels, etc. to tightly tie the wound to stop the bleeding after cleaning and disinfecting the wound. It would be best if you have a tourniquet. After the bleeding stops, go to the hospital immediately for vaccination. It should not be more than 24 hours. If the wound is deep and there are many injuries, serum should be injected first and then rabies vaccine. Rabies vaccination is a periodic process and you must go to the hospital for vaccination in time.