My dog was possibly bitten, no marks. When should I take him to the vet?

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like the bite wound has become infected. Bite wounds typically require the attention of a veterinarian. If the wound is deep enough, it may require stitches and prescription antibiotics if it is infected. Depending on your local animal control and rabies laws, your puppy may need a rabies vaccine now and then a booster in 6 months. I would be sure to have Puppy seen by a veterinarian right away so he can have this wound evaluated.

I am sorry to hear about your concern for your puppy. The answer to this question will depend on the circumstances. If this is a puppy you do not know/a stray/from an uknown home then I would recommend contacting your human physician. If this is your puppy who has been in your care with no exposure to wildlife and who is acting normally/healthy then the concern for rabies is very low but it does look like there is a puncture in your skin so I would recommend consulting your human doctor as we can develop bacterial infections due to dog bites and your doctor can advise you if treatment is necessary.

The bite appears to have broken the skin, so the best thing you should do is flush the wound with water for ten minutes. This will help to flush out any germs that are in the wound. We (veterinarians) are not allowed (legally and ethically) to give advice about treatment for people, so I have to recommend that you seek medical help from your doctor. They will be able to better assess the wound, provide the necessary treatment, and give any vaccines if necessary. I know that the doctor will want to ensure that your tetanus vaccine is up to date and possibly recommend rabies prophylaxis. If Skyler had the rabies vaccine around three months, and he is only five months now, then he should be up-to-date. It's best to bring your dogs vaccine records to the medical appointment to be sure. I hope that helps and all is well.

Please have Tilak seen by a veterinarian right away. If by "behaving abnormally" you mean he is having neurological issues, he needs to be seen immediately, as if he was bitten by a cat with rabies and was not vaccinated, he could be a risk to human health as well. Regarding Tilak’s urine, the blood could be caused by a urinary tract infection, crystals in the urine, prostate disease, stones in the urinary tract, a mass, diabetes or other endocrine disease, kidney disease, or trauma to the area. It is important that you make an appointment to have Tilak seen by your veterinarian as soon as you can to help determine the cause and to start treatment. If you notice him straining to urinate/unable to produce urine, this is a medical emergency and he should be seen by a vet immediately.

There is a usually a 10 day quarantine period after an animal breaks the skin of a person. If the animal has rabies in it's saliva - it show signs of rabies within 10 days. This doesn't not mean that the animal doesn't have rabies- just that it couldn't have transmitted it at the time of the bite. Rabies can have a long incubation period. Rabies should be taken very seriously because it is a fatal virus. I would recommend getting Tofy vaccinated as soon as possible. I would recommend consulting with a local veterinarian on what happened and have an exam done on Tofy. They can give you the necessary information. Please get her examined and vaccinated to protect her and yourself. Thanks for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I see that this question was posted 1 day ago, but can't see the exact time, so it's possible you've already been to the vet! In general for skin issues, if it's not actively bleeding, not causing intense pain, and not rapidly worsening, and not accompanied by other issues (such as vomiting, extreme lethargy), then it can wait until the next day for evaluation. I hope you and Leo have gotten all sorted out!

If Brownie has had his rabies vaccine, then the main risk is simple infection. You’ve already taken the first step but cleaning the wound and your vet will probably prescribe antibiotics. Other than that, there is not much to worry about. Best of luck to you and Brownie!