Your child was bitten or scratched by an animal. Your health care provider cleaned the wound. No stitches were needed. You can now care for your child at home. It's important to follow your health care provider's instructions so that the wound doesn't get infected.

To help prevent infection:

• Keep the wound clean. Gently wash the wound with soap and water twice a day and pat dry with a clean cloth. 
• Give your child any antibiotics and use any ointments that were recommended by your health care provider. 
• Check the wound at least once a day for signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, warmth, soreness, or pus (yellow drainage).

Follow your health care provider's instructions for: 

• Whether you should cover the wound (for example with gauze or a bandage) after washing.
• Giving your child medicine for pain, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol^® or a store brand) or ibuprofen (Advil^®, Motrin^®, or a store brand). Follow the directions on the label for how much to give and how often. Don't give ibuprofen to babies under 6 months old. 
• When to follow up.

Your child:

• Gets a fever
• Has worsening redness or swelling of the wound
• Develops swollen lymph nodes (glands)
• Develops warmth, red streaks, or drainage of pus from the wound

You know your child best. If your child has symptoms that worry you or seems very sick, call your health care provider.

What problems can happen from an animal bite or scratch? Sometimes the germs that animals have in their mouth and claws can lead to infection. Most of these infections are easily treated with antibiotics. Rarely animal bites or scratches can lead to serious illnesses, such as rabies or tetanus. Your health care provider determined that your child is not at risk for rabies. If needed, your health care provider gave your child a tetanus shot. 

What else should I know about animal bites? After a child is bitten by an animal, they may be very afraid of animals and want to avoid them, have nightmares, or show other signs of stress. If you are worried about your child, call your health care provider. 

How can we prevent animal bites and scratches? To avoid animal bites and scratches, teach your child to:

• Handle pets gently and not tease them. 
• Never disturb an animal while it is eating, sleeping, or caring for its babies. 
• Always ask if it is OK to touch someone else's pet. Show your child how to let the animal see and sniff them before touching the animal. 
• Stay away from wild animals, such as squirrels, snakes, raccoons, and skunks.

If you own a pet, make sure it's up to date on all shots.