Tetanus for dog bite?

Murphy bit me this morning (long story), and I have a deep (but short) gash on my finger. It bled rather a lot but I was able to clean it and stick a plaster over it. I've now taken the plaster off and it has a good scab over it, but is sore and bruised...

A couple of people at work have queried whether I need to have a tetanus booster - I have no idea? Do I need to check with my Dr?

oh that sounds painful.

It is generally safer to get a tetnus jab.

Interestingly I just had a look on the NHS website and they say on it that if you had the full course of tetnus jabs as a child, you're then covered for life (I had no idea about that - I always thought it only lasted 10 years).

It might be worth phoning your surgery to see whether they can tell you whether you have had the full course (may have been done at school)

I've had a couple of bites that have broken the skin over recent years, but I know that I've also had a tetnus booster within the last 10 years, so I didn't bother to get them seen to.

You do also have to watch out for other infections of course - it isn't just tetnus.

fingers crossed though that it'll heal fine.

Any wound can introduce the tetanus bacteria and mouths (of any species) tend to harbour a lot of bacteria. There's not just the bacteria in the mouth to worry about either - you could have it on the surface of your skin and it be pushed into your muscles with a deep wound. The tetanus bacteria live in soil and dirt so you could easily have them sat on your skin causing no issues, until a wound introduces it into your body.
The tetanus boosters are given a certain amount of times (5 jabs) when you're younger and then after those 5 you should be immune for life. However, if you're not entirely sure if you've had all those 5 doses, doctors may like to give you a booster just to be on the safe side.

As said above though, tetanus isn't the only thing to worry about. If it was deep, I would suggest a doctors trip anyway so they can prescribe some antibiotics for you to collect if it seems to get worse. I had a small but deep wound after ending up in a bit of a scrum (my two on-lead, two dogs barrelling over to us, me slipping down a wet verge with 4 dogs going nuts on top of me!) and had no idea if it was a tooth or nail that caught me but it was pretty deep. Doctor took a look and cleaned it out, prescribed antibiotics, a couple of days later it got really nasty and I ended up being sent to A&E by my GP to have it cleaned out thoroughly (she thought I might need to be admitted to have antibiotics by IV!). Fortunately they sorted it out there and packed me off to get some even stronger antibiotics and it healed up eventually, but I was amazed that such a small wound caused so much trouble

Krlyr's advice above is spot on. I was bitten by a friend's terrier a few weeks ago. Deep gash in the flesh between thumb and forefinger and decided to visit A&E as it gaped and bled each time i flexed my hand.
They didn't stitch - 4 steri strips instead - and gave me a precautionary tetanus jab, my last one having been 12 years ago.
They also prescribed 2 different antibiotics as the risk of imfection was high, given all the random stuff that passes through a dog's mouth.
The main bite has healed nicely but the second bite where she pinched the skin on the top of my hand is still scabbed over and is proving difficult to clear up as I keep catching the scab and knocking it off.
If in doubt, visit A&E - I very nearly didn't and didn't even think of the antibiotics need, was just going to steri strip it myself having sluiced it out with Dettol.

Kev

I'd get it looked at. I know it's cats (and their bites are meant to be worse) but my mum got bitten by our old cat as his dying parting shot (well, she HAD accidentally run him over a few years previously and he held a grudge) and it ended up massively infected, with her fingers swollen up to three times their normal size and even now she reckons that hand is still messed up and not properly ok at all.

I would check with your drs just to be on the safe side. When I started volunteering with Dogs Trust I was told that I needed to be up to date with my tetanus. I checked with my dr and was told that I was now covered for life as I had all my jabs. Dave was told the same when he came off his motorbike and, despite wearing protective clothing, tore a load of skin off his arm.

Even if you don't need a tetanus jab it might need some attention. Hopefully it is not too sore

My vet was hospitalised a few years ago after receiving a dog bite, his arm swelled up like a balloon with the infection.

When Fiji bit me (she was having her first puppy at the time and we were at the vets) they were really worried, so yes definitely get a tetanus jab if you are out of date.

I hope you're OK.

When one of my Griffs accidentally bit me [probably in the very early 1980s] even though she only just pierced the skin I went to the local A&E, and as I had no idea whether I had had any vaccinations at all as a child [except the Smallpox one which was mandatory until 1948, and then the Polio vaccine which we did not get until 1957**], they said I needed a series of three tetanus shots.

One then, one six weeks later, and the third six months later. I was also prescribed a course of antibiotics. That was in England.

I had another tetanus shot in 1991 after slicing my finger open whilst cutting up a raw chicken, a booster in 1996 - was told to have a another booster ten years later, but when I asked my then GP I was told it was not necessary.

But if Pereg were to bite me and pierce my skin I would definitely have another tetanus shot and antibiotics as a precaution.

I looked after a lady a few months ago who had a small dog bite from her own dog. She ended up with septicaemia and lost her legs, hands,tip of her nose and half of the inside of her mouth. She also ended up on dialysis for a short while. It was horrible to see.
If you're bitten by a dog, you need a tetanus and also antibiotics (augmentin also known as co-amoxiclav).
I'm not trying to scare you as this type of reaction is quite rare...but you definitely need both of the above.

When I was bitten very badly by the dog I rehomed several years ago, I went to the doctors and insisted on seeing the triage nurse for an antibiotic jab.

My tetanus and other shots are all up to date.

I did not want to wake up in the middle of the night (or not) with septicaemia etc.