Bitten or scratched by a dog or cat? What to do in the first hour

Rabies kills people in Bangladesh every year — and almost every one of those deaths could have been prevented with a bar of soap, a tap, and a trip to the hospital on the same day. If someone has just been bitten, start here.

Right now: wash for 15 minutes

1. Wash the wound with soap and running water for a full 15 minutes. Use a timer. This physically removes and inactivates much of the virus.
2. Apply an antiseptic such as povidone-iodine (Betadine) or alcohol.
3. Don’t cover it tightly or stitch it straight away.
4. Go to a hospital today.

What not to do

Don’t apply lime (chun), chilli, turmeric, mustard oil, toothpaste or mud. Don’t spend precious days on a kabiraj, jhar-fuk, or the “thala pora” plate ritual. These don’t prevent rabies — and delay is exactly how rabies deaths happen.

Which bites need vaccine?

The World Health Organization groups exposures into three categories:

Category	What happened	Treatment
I	Touching or feeding the animal; licks on unbroken skin	Wash. No vaccine.
II	Nibbles on bare skin; minor scratches or grazes without bleeding	Wash + vaccine
III	Bites or scratches that break the skin and bleed; licks on broken skin; saliva in eyes or mouth; any bat contact	Wash + vaccine + rabies immunoglobulin (RIG)

In a country where rabies is common, don’t wait to see whether the animal gets sick before starting.

The vaccine schedule

Your doctor chooses the regimen. Common WHO-recommended options are:

• Intradermal, 1 week: two small injections on days 0, 3 and 7
• Intramuscular (Essen): one injection on days 0, 3, 7 and once between days 14 and 28
• Previously fully vaccinated: usually just days 0 and 3, with no immunoglobulin

Complete every dose. Our rabies bite guide works out the dates and adds them to your phone calendar.

Where to go in Rangpur

Government hospitals — including Rangpur Medical College Hospital, district Sadar hospitals and many Upazila Health Complexes — provide anti-rabies vaccine under Bangladesh’s national rabies elimination programme. Call ahead to check stock and timings, especially on weekends and holidays. Community Pet Care treats animals, not people, but we’re happy to help you think through what happened and advise on the animal.

The 10-day observation

If the animal that bit is a dog or cat that can be watched, keep it confined and observe it for 10 days. A dog or cat that is still healthy after 10 days could not have been shedding rabies virus at the time of the bite, and your doctor may then stop the vaccine course. But start the vaccine anyway — observation is a reason to stop, never a reason to delay.

If your pet was the one bitten

• Wear gloves, wash the wound with soap and water for 15 minutes.
• Bring your pet to a vet within 24 hours. Vaccinated pets get an immediate rabies booster; unvaccinated pets need urgent advice.
• Keep your pet indoors and watch for behaviour changes over the following weeks.

If your pet bit someone

The person must see a doctor today. Keep your pet confined for 10 days of observation and tell us about any change in behaviour, appetite or drooling. If your pet isn’t vaccinated, talk to us.

Rabies signs in animals

Sudden behaviour change, unusual aggression or unusual tameness, drooling, trouble swallowing, a dropped jaw, biting at the air, wobbliness or paralysis. Don’t handle an animal showing these signs — keep people away and call for help.

Prevention

• Vaccinate every cat and dog every year — see our vaccination schedule.
• Teach children to tell an adult about any bite or scratch, however small.
• Don’t approach unfamiliar or sick animals, and never try to separate fighting dogs by hand.