Sometimes an animal bite is a Sugar Land emergency, especially if the animal may have had rabies. Rabies is a virus that spreads through the saliva of infected animals and it attacks your nervous system and brain. If you believe you may have been bitten by a rabid animal, treat the situation as an emergency and visit the ER as soon as possible.
Potential Rabies Exposure is a Sugar Land Emergency
Potential rabies exposure is a Sugar Land emergency that requires getting the rabies vaccine as soon as possible.
Why go to your Sugar Land emergency room if you may have been exposed to rabies? Rabies is a serious disease. With a mortality rate of 99.9%, it’s the most deadly disease on earth. However, quick treatment with the rabies vaccine after a bite or potential exposure can stop the virus. The vaccine is 100% effective if given in a timely manner. We recommend coming in ASAP to get medical advice and treatment if there’s any question of rabies exposure.
High Risk Animals
Rabies can look different in different animals. Some may be aggressive and foaming at the mouth, but they may also seem docile and completely not frightened of humans. They may appear drunk or disoriented. Try to avoid animals that are acting strangely or seem sick. Also, keep your pets up-to-date with their vaccinations to help reduce your risk of contracting rabies.
Some animals are more likely to be carriers of rabies than others, including:
- Bats
- Foxes
- Raccoons
- Skunks
- Coyotes
In other parts of the world, dog bites are the most common way to get rabies, but rabies vaccinations for pets have reduced this threat. In the U.S., most humans who contract rabies do so from bats.
Treatment for Animal Bites from Possibly Rabid Animals
If you’ve been bitten by a wild animal that could have rabies, you need to visit the ER for a rabies vaccination. Clean the wound with soap and water and head to the emergency department. Urgent care centers generally do not keep the rabies vaccine on hand, so you typically need to seek care from a hospital.
If you find a bat in your home in Sugar Land where someone was sleeping, intoxicated, or there was an unattended child, most experts recommend treating the situation as if the person was bitten. Any time a bat may have had physical contact with a person or a pet, it’s best to seek care for rabies exposure. This is because bats often have small teeth that make it hard to find bite marks. A person may not realize a bat has bitten them, so it’s best to get to your Sugar Land emergency clinic for potential rabies exposure.
If you were bitten by a dog, check if the dog is up-to-date on their rabies vaccination. If not, or if you’re unable to get that information, talk to a medical professional. In many cases, they will recommend the rabies vaccine to be safe.
Remember, rabies is almost always fatal if not treated quickly with the rabies vaccine. If there’s ever any shred of evidence of possible rabies exposure, seek medical care. The rabies vaccine is 100% effective when given in a timely manner. The rabies vaccine involves a skin treatment to help neutralize the virus as well as a series of four shots. For animal bites, you may also need a tetanus shot as animals can also be carriers of tetanus.
Sugar Land Emergency Room Wait Times Less than 5 Minutes!
At St. Michael’s Elite Hospital, we provide high quality care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Our emergency room offers short wait times, typically less than 5 minutes, as well as comfortable exam and waiting rooms and friendly staff. We’re here to help you get back to normal as soon as possible. Visit our location on the southwest corner of highway 6 and I-69 (Highway 59) for quick emergency medical care.
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