Rodent bites usually don't cause serious problems, but sometimes they can become infected. Bites on the hands are the most likely to become infected. Signs of infection include warmth around the wound, swelling, pain, redness, and drainage of pus. Bites on the hands also might injure joints, ligaments, or nerves. 

The health care provider may have prescribed antibiotics to prevent or treat an infection of the wound. If needed, they might have closed the wound with stitches. If your child had not gotten a tetanus shot recently, they might have gotten this vaccine.

Make sure you keep your child's wound clean and watch for signs of infection.

• If the health care provider prescribed antibiotics, give them as instructed.
• Wash the wound with soap and water as instructed.
• Apply an antibiotic ointment to the injury and cover it with a nonstick bandage.
• If the wound was closed with stitches, follow the health care team's directions on how to care for the wound and when to follow up for removal of stitches.
• If needed, a cold compress wrapped in a towel can be applied to the bite for 15 minutes every 1–2 hours for 2 days to ease swelling or pain.
• For pain, a medicine may make your child more comfortable, such as:
  • acetaminophen (such as Tylenol^® or a store brand).
  • ibuprofen (such as Advil^®, Motrin^®, or a store brand). Do not give ibuprofen to babies under 6 months old.

Follow the package directions for how much to give and how often. If you don't know the recommended dose or your child is younger than 2 years old, call the health care provider to find out what to use and how much to give. Do not give aspirin to your child or teen as it has been linked to a rare but serious illness called Reye syndrome.

• Schedule a follow-up visit with your child's health care provider in 24–48 hours to make sure the wound is healing well.

• Your child's wound continues to cause pain for more than 24 hours.
• Your child's wound has signs of infection, such as warmth, swelling, pain, redness, or drainage of pus.
• Your child has a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher.

• Red streaks spread from the wound.
• Your child was bitten on the hand and now has numbness or can't move a finger. This could mean a nerve or joint is affected.
• Days or weeks after the bite, your child develops fever, chills, muscle pain, joint pain, rash, vomiting, diarrhea, belly pain, or a headache.

Can rodent bites cause rabies? People might worry about rabies after a rodent bite, but this rarely happens. Rodents don't usually have rabies. The wild animals that most commonly get rabies include bats, raccoons, skunks, coyotes, and foxes. Health care providers decide if a child needs shots to prevent rabies. Sometimes, they will call a specialist or the local health department to help make the decision.

What is rat bite fever? In rare cases, a rodent bite or scratch can lead to an infection that affects the whole body, called rat bite fever. The symptoms usually appear days or even weeks after the bite wound has healed, and include fever, chills, muscle aches, joint pain, rash, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, or belly pain. Kids recover quickly when treated with antibiotics.

What can help prevent rodent bites? Teach your kids to handle pets gently and not to tease. Animals should not be disturbed while they are eating, sleeping, or caring for their babies. Always ask if it is OK to touch someone else's pet. Let the animal see and sniff kids before they touch it. And teach children to stay away from wild animals.