Morning Side BARC

First, rinse, clean and apply antibiotic ointment to the wound. Then assess whether the bite is superficial or has actually punctured the skin. Most dog bites do not require medical treatment (many websites note that bites which deeply tear skin on the hands, feet or face, however, can be cause for antibiotic treatments to be prescribed. If you have questions, see your doctor or an emergency room physician). Although it’s very rare for infections to come about from properly treated dog bites, watch out for fever or painful swelling. Even if it’s a dog unknown to you who’s bitten you, doctors in Manhattan usually downplay worries about rabies shots, as rabies has been extremely rare in New York City in recent years. Most dogs are immunized, and even if they aren’t, there are very few animals regarded as rabies carriers from which they could have been exposed (squirrels and rats, for example, are low risks for rabies infection.) Ask your doctor if you are concerned, but rabies is not a common concern in New York City. Tetanus shots ARE often recommended for dog bites in Manhattan emergency rooms, if yours are not up-to-date and if the bite is a deep puncture.