Dog bites: the steps that count and the risks you should not ignore

A dog bite often looks minor when the wound is small. That is precisely the trap: the main risk is not the size of the injury, but what it has introduced under the skin. Here are the steps for the first few minutes, what Israeli law requires, and the situations that call for medical care without delay.

The first ten minutes

What is done straight away counts for more than anything done later:

• wash thoroughly with soap and water, for ten to fifteen minutes, letting the water run into the wound — this is the single most effective step against rabies and infection;
• rinse at length, then disinfect with an antiseptic;
• do not stitch the wound yourself, and do not seal it with an airtight dressing;
• apply pressure with a clean cloth if the wound is bleeding;
• note the circumstances: time, place, whether the animal is identified, its owner, its vaccinations.

These details may seem secondary in the moment. Yet they determine everything that follows, in particular what needs to be done about rabies.

The real risk: infection

A dog's mouth carries an abundant load of bacteria. A bite, even a tiny one, injects these bacteria deep under the skin — a puncture wound is in fact higher risk than a wide one, because it closes over quickly and traps the germs inside.

See a doctor promptly if the wound:

• becomes red, swollen, warm or painful in the hours that follow;
• leaks a cloudy fluid;
• comes with a fever or a red streak running up towards the top of the limb;
• is on the hand, the face, near a joint or a prosthesis — these locations are high risk and warrant medical advice from the outset.

Some bites call for a preventive antibiotic, even before any sign of infection. That is a medical decision, which depends on the location, the depth, the delay and the person's overall health.

Tetanus: check your vaccination

Any soiled wound carries a risk of tetanus, a rare but serious disease. The question to ask is simple: when was your last booster? A bite is not a clean cut: the usual ten-year threshold does not apply. More than five years ago — or if the date is unknown — a booster is generally needed, sometimes together with immunoglobulin — antibodies injected to give immediate protection — depending on the state of the wound.

In Israel, children's vaccination records are well kept; it is in adults that the date gets lost. If in doubt, it is worth checking.

Rabies: a question that genuinely arises in Israel

Unlike Western Europe, rabies has not been eradicated in Israel: cases occur every year in wild animals, particularly jackals and foxes, and sometimes in stray dogs — the north of the country and the Sharon region are affected.

The risk is assessed case by case, and it is higher if:

• the animal is unknown, stray or wild (jackal, fox, bat);
• the animal was behaving abnormally or bit without provocation;
• the animal cannot be placed under observation for ten days;
• the bite is on the face, neck or hands.

Post-exposure prophylaxis — the preventive treatment against rabies — is highly effective, but it must be started without delay, ideally within twenty-four to forty-eight hours. It is not given at the doctor's surgery: it goes through the hospital emergency department or the district health office (lishkat habriout). That is why a bite from an unidentified animal is treated as an emergency, even if the wound is minimal.

Reporting the bite is mandatory

In Israel, every animal bite must be reported to the municipal veterinary services. This is not an administrative formality: it is what triggers the animal being placed under observation, the only way to rule out rabies with certainty and, often, to avoid a demanding course of preventive treatment.

In practice, the report is made by the doctor or the facility treating the bite — but the law also requires the person bitten to report it within twenty-four hours. All the more reason to see a doctor, even when the wound looks trivial.

When is it an emergency?

Go to the emergency department or call 101 (Magen David Adom) if:

• the wound is bleeding heavily or does not stop with pressure;
• the bite involves the face, neck, hand or a joint;
• the wound is deep, wide or ragged;
• the animal was unknown, stray or wild;
• the person bitten is a young child, or is immunocompromised or diabetic;
• signs of infection appear: fever, swelling, increasing pain.

Seeing Dr Nathalie Gozlan

Dr Nathalie Gozlan, a general practitioner, manages bites: cleaning and assessing the wound, deciding whether an antibiotic is needed, updating tetanus protection, arranging rabies care and reporting to the veterinary services — as a home visit across the Sharon region (Netanya, Kfar Saba, Raanana, Kadima-Tzoran, along with the area's moshavim and kibbutzim), or by video consultation anywhere in Israel, in English, Hebrew and French.

With a bite, the delay matters more than the size of the wound. Better a prompt medical opinion, even if it turns out to be reassuring.

Frequently asked questions