What happens if a dog nail scratches you and drew blood?

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asked Oct 19 in Dogs by Carter9623 (3,250 points)
What happens if a dog nail scratches you and drew blood?

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answered Oct 21 by Adf289 (64,030 points)
If a dog scratches you and drew blood it could result in you getting an infection, especially if you don't clean and disinfect the scratched area.

If you do get scratched by a dog and they drew blood, you should immediately clean the wound thoroughly with some soap and water and apply some antibiotic ointment or use some hydrogen peroxide to stop any potential infection and apply a bandage.

Monitor the scratch for any possible signs of infection, like increased redness, pain, swelling or pus and if the scratch or wound is becoming infected you should see a doctor.

While it's possible to get rabies from a dog scratch, the chances of getting rabies through a dog scratch is extremely low, as rabies is mainly transmitted through the dogs saliva and not the dogs claws.

A dog who has rabies could have transmitted the rabies virus to their claws when they licked their paws but it's a very low risk.

After the dog scratches you, apply some gentle pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding, using a clean cloth or gauze.

Once the bleeding stops, gently wash the scratch with some warm water and soap for several minutes.

And put a small amount of some antibiotic ointment or cream on the wound and apply a sterile bandage to the area.

In most cases the dog scratch wound will heal within a few days to a week or so.

But if you have any signs of infection you should see                    .

Other signs of infection of the dog scratch wound are increased redness or swelling or pain around the scratch, warmth in the area of the scratch, pus or a foul odor from the wound, red streaks that extend from the scratched site and fever, chills or flu like symptoms.

If the wound is severe, the bleeding does not stop with pressure if you have any concerns about the dogs vaccinations status you should see a doctor to be safe.

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