Pet ownership is on the rise in America, with many households caring for multiple pets instead of just one family pet. Pets are considered to be members of the family, and just like anything else, may act out. Animals that are usually well-behaved and docile may bite if provoked or if they feel threatened, leading to injuries and hospital visits.

Be Wary of Pets & Take Care If Bitten

No matter how beloved your pet may be, it is always important to be careful around any animal. Some bites may be unintentional but can still cause considerable damage to victims.

Some ways to prevent pet bites from occurring include:

• Never leaving small children with an animal since you may not know how the pet will react to the child or if the child will recognize signs of irritation in the animal
• Keep your animal on a leash in public to prevent them from interacting with other individuals
• Be sure to stay away from animals when they are eating food since they may be extremely protective of what they are eating
• Stay away from fighting animals since they may bite you as they are going at one another
• Do not approach sick or unknown animals since you will not know if they are vaccinated or rabid
• Choose your family pet with care and keep them healthy with visits to the veterinarian

One of the risks that being bitten by any animal has is transmitting rabies to a human. Rabies is a viral disease transmitted through the saliva and other tissues of mammals that attacks the nervous system and leads to death. If you have been bitten by an animal with rabies, you will need to get a series of rabies shots from the hospital to prevent the virus from causing an infection and then a series of rabies vaccinations.

If you believe that the pet that bit you had rabies or caused a serious injury, such as disfigurement, go to the emergency room right away. Pet bites can cause deep wounds that need stiches or surgery in some cases. Sometimes a bite can cause an infection and an underlying medical condition can make fighting the infection extremely difficult.