How to Treat Animal Bites in the Wilderness
- 1). Move away from the animal and ensure the safety of the scene to prevent additional bites.
- 2). Put on latex gloves as protection from infectious disease.
- 3). Clean the wound thoroughly and aggressively with an antiseptic soap or povidone-iodine solution (See "How to Clean a Wound").
- 4). Keep the wound open - do not attempt to close it with closure strips or butterfly bandages.
- 5). Dress and bandage the wound (See "How to Bandage a Wound").
- 6). Keep the patient well-hydrated.
- 7). Monitor carefully for infection (See "How to Evaluate a Wound for Infection").
- 8). Evacuate immediately to a hospital, regardless of whether you believe the animal was rabid.
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