If you are wondering whether you can visit an urgent care center for animal bites, it depends on the severity of the bite and where it is located. In general, if a person has been bitten by an animal, whether it’s a dog, cat, raccoon, skunk, bat, fox, rodent, or any other type of animal, they should seek medical help as soon as possible.
If it’s a severe mauling incident – going to the emergency room (ER) is the best option. If there are symptoms such as severe pain, excessive bleeding, and trouble breathing, that is an issue for the emergency room, too. These situations are classified as potentially life-threatening.
For all other animal bites, your best bet is to visit an urgent care center. Many urgent care centers are well-equipped to handle animal bites where the wound is non-life-threatening.
Animal Bite Treatment at an Urgent Care Center
At an urgent care center, medical professionals can provide fast treatment to patients with non-life-threatening animal bites. Let the doctor know what type of animal bit you and the circumstances in which you were bitten. They will assess the underlying tissue damage through an X-ray, if necessary, and ensure you are given proper treatment, such as proper wound cleaning and dressing, antibiotics to prevent infection, as well as pain medication for relief from discomfort and swelling.
If there’s any concern that rabies may have been transmitted through a wild animal’s saliva during a bite incident – or if you’re unsure what kind of creature bit you – the staff at urgent care centers will take extra precautions when evaluating and treating you. Such wounds require appropriate steps to be taken right away to protect the patient’s health. They may administer a rabies vaccine in case of exposure. Tetanus immunization may also be administered to prevent a potentially life-threatening infection transmitted through animal bites.
Getting immediate treatment for an animal bite is critical to preventing serious outcomes. For urgent treatment, know that not every urgent care center is fully equipped to treat animal bites. Check with them first, so you know what services you can receive at the clinic. The option to have an urgent care center treat an animal bite is a highly convenient and more affordable option than visiting the emergency room.
Urgent Care for Animal Bites in Fairless Hills, PA
Patient Care Now Urgent Care in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania, offers quality healthcare services for patients needing immediate treatment for animal bites. Our urgent care providers are emergency medicine physicians and are fully equipped to deal with this type of emergency. Their emergency medicine experience allows them to provide comprehensive treatment for animal bites, which is a common problem in children. In addition to treatment, our physicians also provide ways to prevent animal bites and be on the safe side when playing with or dealing with animals.
For any questions, call our urgent care clinic in Fairless Hills today at (267) 202-6433. We are located at 541 S. Oxford Valley Rd. and are open 7 days a week. Our friendly staff looks forward to assisting you.
