Bite facts for kids

A bite happens when an animal uses its teeth to cause a wound. Animals might bite to protect themselves, which is called self-defense. They also bite to break food into smaller pieces before they eat it.

Bites can cause several medical problems. These include:

• Tearing or scratching your skin or body tissue.
• Bleeding if a big blood vessel is cut.
• Getting an Infection from bacteria or tiny germs called pathogens. One serious infection is rabies.
• Getting poison if a venomous animal bites you.
• Things that make your skin swell up or itch.

Treating a Bite

If you get bitten, it's important to treat the wound right away.

First Aid for Bites

First, you should wash the bite wound. Use soap and water, or a special antiseptic soap like povidone-iodine. After washing, wrap the injury gently with a clean bandage. Doctors usually do not stitch open bite wounds. This is because stitching them up can trap germs inside and cause an infection.

Rabies Risk

Some animal bites carry a risk of rabies. This is especially true for bites from carnivores (meat-eating animals) like dogs or cats, but not usually rodents. If an animal that bit someone might have rabies, it's important to check.

Signs of rabies in an animal can include foaming at the mouth, acting strangely, growling, or having red eyes. If the animal can be found, it might be watched for about ten days. If it stays healthy and doesn't show signs of rabies, it probably wasn't infected. If the animal can't be found, or if it shows signs of rabies, doctors might give special shots to prevent rabies. This is called prophylactic treatment.

Snake Bites

Many snakes around the world are not dangerous to humans. However, even a bite from a "safe" snake can cause injury if not treated correctly. Large snakes, like constrictors, can cause a lot of damage with their powerful bites, even if they are not venomous.

Spider and Scorpion Bites

Most spiders and scorpions are not dangerous to humans. However, a few types can be harmful. The black widow spider and some scorpions are considered dangerous. They are especially risky for small children and older adults.

In Australia, the Sydney funnel-web spider is very dangerous to adults. It lives only near Sydney. For dangerous spiders and scorpions in the United States, there are special medicines called antivenins. These can help if someone is bitten by a black widow spider or a dangerous scorpion found in that area.

Images for kids

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  Tyrannosaurus had a very strong bite

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  Teeth of a lion, showcasing the front canines, middle carnassials, and back molars