What should I do if my puppy’s teeth are scratched and bleeding?

Dog bites need to be treated promptly because dog teeth contain a lot of bacteria and even rabies virus, even puppies are no exception. After being scratched by a puppy and bleeding, you should be careful to clean it immediately and in the correct way, perform passive immunization, and get rabies vaccine in time. However, rabies vaccination is not necessary at all times. Here we will introduce to you how to deal with bleeding scratches on puppies' teeth.

1. Clean immediately

First, after being bitten by a dog, immediately wash the wound repeatedly with soapy water, disinfectant or just water for at least 15 minutes. If the wound is deep, use a syringe to repeatedly flush it for at least 30 minutes. Then disinfect it repeatedly with alcohol and finally apply iodine. Try not to stop bleeding, bandage or suture the wound.

2. Passive Immunization

Then, passive immunization is carried out according to the grade and degree of exposure, namely: local infiltration injection of human anti-rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG) 20 IU/kg or horse anti-rabies immune serum 40 IU/kg (after negative skin test) is performed at the bottom and around the wound; at the same time, the same dose is injected into the arm muscle. Use antibiotics when necessary; if the wound is deep, also use tetanus antitoxin.

3. Active Immunization Measures

Finally, take active immunization measures, namely, inject rabies vaccine. The sooner the injection is given after the bite, the better:

1. Generally, patients are vaccinated 5 times, once on days 0, 3, 7, 14, and 30; 2 ml is injected intramuscularly each time

2. Patients with severe bites should be vaccinated 10 times, one shot per day for the first 6 days, and one shot each on the 10th, 14th, 30th and 90th days. Injection dose is the same as before

3. If bitten again within 1 year, vaccinate once on days 0 and 3 respectively. If bitten again within 1 to 3 years, vaccinate once on days 0, 3 and 7 respectively. If bitten again after 3 years, vaccinate again. The injection dose remains unchanged.

4. When should the rabies vaccine be given ?

1. If the dog is bitten by a home dog and is not a stray dog, and if it is confirmed that the dog has not been bitten by other mad dogs within six months, there is no need to get a shot and there is no possibility of infection.

2. After the puppy came home, it was never bitten by a mad dog and did not need any injections. Rabies cannot be inherited or transmitted from mother to child. Only a dog that has been bitten by a mad dog can carry the rabies virus and infect humans. If a puppy is bitten by a mad dog, it will die immediately and will not be able to survive to bite humans again. If it is a purchased puppy, the dog dealer would not be stupid enough to let a mad dog near his dog cage. It is even more impossible if it is someone else's pet. No one would let a mad dog into their home. If a stray puppy is bitten by a mad dog, it will not survive without treatment. Unless there are special circumstances and there is a real suspicion that it has been bitten, it does not need to be given an injection.

3. If you are bitten by someone else's dog, especially a wild dog or a free-range dog, you should get a shot and don't take chances. Unless there is absolute certainty that the dog has not been bitten by a mad dog.