Your child was bitten by an animal and it broke the skin. Your health care provider cleaned the wound and put in stitches to close the wound. The stitches hold the wound together to help it heal and decrease scarring. 

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:

• Follow any specific instructions given to you by your health care provider for keeping the wound clean. In general, starting the day after the stitches were put in, wash the wound gently with soap and water twice a day and pat dry with a clean cloth. 
• Give your child any antibiotics and use any medicines as recommended by your health care provider. 
• Check the wound at least once a day for signs of infection, including redness, swelling, warmth, soreness, and 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.
• Whether to cover the wound while taking a bath or showering.
• Any activities to avoid (such as swimming or vigorous exercise that might pull on the stitches).
• 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 any symptoms that concern you or seems sick, call your health care provider.

What other issues can happen from an animal bite? Sometimes the germs that animals have in their mouth can lead to infection. Most of these infections are easily treated with antibiotics. Rarely animal bites 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? To avoid animal bites and scratches, teach your child to:

• Handle pets gently and not tease them. 
• Never disturb an animal while they are eating, sleeping, or caring for their 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.