What to do if a rat bite is bleeding?

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M

M0onkist

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2009
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2,193
Location
Toronto, ON, Canada
It's not for Ducky, but me... but since it's rat-related, I put it here: feel free to change that, mods, and move it elsewhere if needs be...

I was letting her rest her head on my hand, and she yawned or spasmed, and bit down deep and hard into my finger - she did let go right away. I think she hit a vein as it's bleeding like crazy...

I've put some lidocaine/antiseptic rinse on it, and applying a lot of pressure, but it's finally stopped bleeding like crazy if I let go, I think...

To be honest, this is the first bite I've ever had - what does one do after basic first-aid? Is there anything special I should do or look out for?

Also, Mom is asking if I need a tetanus shot?
 
You don't need a tetanus shot. My doctor calls these dirty wounds, any bite from any animal is considered a dirty wound. My doctor recommends to never stitch a dirty wound. It needs to heal naturally and allowed to drain, so the heavy bleeding is good.
It's going to throb like crazy but that's ok.
You need to see a doctor when/if your hand becomes extremely swollen or if it become red and it spreads. In which case, it probably got infected and you will need heavy antibiotics.
 
Oh joy... sooooo not passing along that last tidbit to my mother unless it comes to that!! I've got a great eye for when something is infected though, so at the bat of an eyelash I'll be camped out in my GP's office for a bottle of Keflex.

It bled quite heavily for a few minutes (at least it did while I was flushing it). It's lightly sealed now, I think. It's not even 0.5cm wide, so I'd never think of stitching it. Just used a lot of Band-Aid washing solution (antiseptic that doesn't sting + lidocaine), then put pressure on it. I put a bit of Polysporin on but I think I'll switch to Fucidin, which is better against staph.

I can see just the faintest bruising where her upper teeth must have hit, but they didn't slice through, only the lowers did - holy crow, rat teeth are SHARP! I understood it in principle, but boy is the reality ever different... Think the reason it was bleeding so bad is she caught the vein that runs along the underside of my finger - not so great in that it exposes the blood to anything on her teeth, but good because it meant it bled like nuts without me trying.
 
Yeah, if you even get the sense that it's infected or if your finger or hand becomes swollen, get on antibiotics stat. There's a gland in your elbow and if it gets infected, it will spread it throughout your body. That's worst case scenario, of course and even then it's more just a pain to deal with.

Honestly, it won't be a big deal. And when I got bitten on my hand, it bled fairly steadily for almost 4 hours lol. I just kept it bandaged, changed them as nessicary and drank some orange juice.

And yeah, those little teeth can get quite deep lol. My scars don't look like much on the outside, just a couple of small, square-ish marks but I can feel the scar tissue underneath the skin. Kinda cool in a weird way lol.
 
I had six cellulitis infections over the course of eight months, about six years ago, and five required IV antibiotics. Whenever a bump is red or looks like it's *thinking* of growing, out come the permanent markers so I can delineate where the infection is and if it grows - and if it grows, I'm camped out at my GP's or in the urgent care ward.

I'm on quite good speaking terms with Keflex (cephalexin), which smells and tastes like rancid asparagus - it's the first-line medication for staph infections.

Well, I think the bleeding is mostly stopped now - I have a gauze pad taped snugly over it. Hurts like hell if I press on it, but that's only to be expected. I took pictures (god alone knows why) for reference so I can check how it progresses over the next few days.
 
You should always have a current tetanus shot. They last 10 years now, but if you can't remember the last time you had one, you should.

From the Public Health Agency of Canada:

"Tetanus is a vaccine preventable disease caused by a bacterial spore which can be found in the intestines of animals and in the soil. It is an often fatal disease which affects all age groups. A person infected with the tetanus bacterium experiences painful muscle contractions that begin in the neck (hence the popular name "lockjaw") and then continue down to involve the muscles of the torso. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends immunization against tetanus."

"Tetanus spores contaminating soil, dust or faecal matter enter the human body through a puncture wound, laceration or burn. C. tetani does not require oxygen to survive; therefore, the presence of dead tissues or a foreign object provides the most favourable condition for the growth and production of the neurotoxin. "

"2.Teenagers and adults should receive a tetanus booster every 10 years (recommended at 15, 25, 35, 45 years, etc)."
 
jorats said:
Wow, I was told that tetanus was not for animal bites. Although, I'm current on my tetanus shot.
Click to expand...


hmm, I got bitten by a dog in Jan. and my doc said I didn't need a tetanus shot...

I can't remember when my last one was.


ETA: where are my manners tonight? gah

sorry about the bite MOonkist, I've been bitten many times and each one was really painful.
 
jorats said:
Wow, I was told that tetanus was not for animal bites. Although, I'm current on my tetanus shot.
Click to expand...
It's got nothing to do with being an 'animal bite' per se, but everything to do with a puncture wound that will push the bacterium deep into an anaerobic environment. Whether the puncture wound is from a rusty nail or a sharp tooth doesn't really matter.
 
Joanne said:
jorats said:
Wow, I was told that tetanus was not for animal bites. Although, I'm current on my tetanus shot.
Click to expand...
It's got nothing to do with being an 'animal bite' per se, but everything to do with a puncture wound that will push the bacterium deep into an anaerobic environment. Whether the puncture wound is from a rusty nail or a sharp tooth doesn't really matter.
Click to expand...
Yes stepping on a rusty nail can cause tetanus is a old wives tale. Tho it is true to a point but most people confuse the rust as causing the tetanus. But if a nail has been exposed long enough to get rusty it most likely came in contact with soil. The crevices of the rust give the soil a place to hide. I believe it's mostly farmers and gardeners who are mostly at risk tho city dwellers of course can come In contact with it as well. When I did a study up on it back in HS it was a horrible way to die so its definitely always important to get that shot if your 10 years are up. But my study was in history tense of tetanus as well. Doctors weren't so great back then so I'm not trying to scare anyone.
 
I'm pretty sure I had one done just last year, so that I could volunteer at the hospital. I'll double-check my records (I actually have my vaccine list, because the hospital needed a copy). If I can find it among all my health records (for once, having a chronic illness is pretty sucky because it means there're so many papers to sort through!).

Thank you Joanne for your sympathy - it really did hurt when it happened! This morning it isn't so bad though, actually, although the surrounding tissue looks bruised and my mom is going ballistic (she thinks the bruising is sign of something nefarious... but has no idea what nefarious thing that *must* be). Hell of a way to start a Saturday.

Ace, I studied Virology, and tetanus was covered - you're right, it is a hell of a way to go. That was years ago now though, I can hardly remember what I learned. :)

Well, I'm off to toss my room yet again to look for that lousy vaccine file... why is it these things run off and disappear only when you need them?
 
How's your hand feeling today? I hope it hurt worse then it was bites take a long time to heal usually but I hope it's feeling better if only alil today
 
To be honest it's feeling not at all bad - it hurts occasionally, but not too much. The only time it aches is when I'm changing bandages (I have a snug-fitting gauze pad/tape combo) or when I put pressure on it, probably from the bruising of the tissue - she nicked a vein on the underside of my finger, and while most of the blood came out, some of it got into the surrounding tissue, I think. It bled a little bit overnight, but I'm not really averse to that, since it keeps flushing out the wound. That, and I'm replacing the bandage a few times a day and adding more Fucidin.
 

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