Animal Bites eMedicine Emergency

Description: Because many animal bites are never reported, determining the exact incidence of animal bite wounds in the United States, let alone the world, is difficult. An estimated 68 million dogs lived in the United States in 2001; these account for an estimated 5 million dog bites per year, of which 800,000 require medical attention; 368,245 were seen in emergency departments. Substantially more dog bites occur than cat bites. These two types of bite wounds account for most animal bite wounds encountered in the ED.
Synonyms and related keywords: animal bites, bite wound, animal bite wound, dog bite, cat bite, pet bite, wild animal bite, bite wound infection
Jack L Stump, MD Updated 2009