Dog bite on Hand

Dear Ask The Doctor: If you get bitten by a 11week old puppy should i take percausions? when i was first bit it was beeding alot.when my dog bit me i felt this numb feeling then soon after a pain.it finally stop bleeding but it got bruised and it in a wierd place on my hand. the reason i ask is because my friend was bitten by her cat and she had to get a shot.my dog is a 11 week old puppy with none of his shots yet. thank you

Dear Erica: I understand your worry about the dog bit in your hand. I agree with you that there is a chance of infection which depends on many factors. When dealing with dog bites there is the necessity to evaluate the type of wound first and the history of vaccinations form the dog as well as the victim.

Bites of the hand generally have a high risk for infection because of the relatively poor blood supply of many structures in the hand and anatomic considerations that make adequate cleansing of the wound difficult.

My recommendation will be to wash the wound deeply with soap and water first and consult your health care provider for an evaluation of the wound, even if the dog is a puppy, his little sharp teeth could have penetrated deep and since they carry different bacteria, since you have noticed bruising of the area, it would be better for it to be evaluated. I wish you the best.