In a survival situation, there are a lot of variables to consider when it comes to staying safe. You need to make sure you have clean drinking water and food with the proper nutrients to keep you healthy. You need shelter to protect you from the elements and any hazards, and fire to let you cook your food and stay warm when the temperature drops. You need weapons to defend yourself, tools so you can fix things, and medical supplies in case you get sick or injured.
That seems like a lot, but that’s barely scratching the surface of everything you’ll need to survive if an apocalypse or other SHTF scenario forces you to go completely off-grid.
One thing that many people often overlook when it comes to survival skills is how to manage animal bites while you’re out in the wilderness. What do you need to do if you find yourself bitten by an animal? What types of animals are prone to biting? How can you avoid getting bitten by animals you might encounter, and how can you prevent further injury if a bite does occur?
Don’t Be Stupid
This should be common sense, but since we’re talking about members of the human race, it bears repeating: don’t be stupid. Yes, there are situations where an animal bite might be unavoidable, but the majority of the time, animals are going to try to avoid you rather than bite you. Most of them are a lot more scared of you than you are of them, and will go out of their way to stay away from you.
This is where the statement “don’t be stupid” comes in. Don’t put yourself in harm’s way. Don’t try to grab a snake with your bare hands or fist-fight a bear, or take a selfie with a bison. Most of these animals are bigger, stronger, and more dangerous than the average human, but the same rules apply for domesticated animals like dogs, cats, or even livestock. Stay out of their way whenever possible. Avoid situations where a large animal might decide to take a chunk out of you.
Build Your First Aid Kit
Before we start treating animal bites, you’re going to need a pretty solid first aid kit to ensure you have everything you need. This is a lot more complex than just throwing some alcohol wipes and band-aids in a bag, though you’ll want to have both of those items as well.
In a survival situation, going to the doctor or the emergency room isn’t going to be an option, so you’ll want to have everything on hand that you could possibly need to treat an animal bite or any other injury or illness that might crop up.
The Red Cross recommends including all of the following in your first aid kit:
- Absorbent compress dressings
- Adhesive bandages
- Cloth tape
- Antibiotic ointment
- Antiseptics of various types
- Aspirin
- Emergency blankets
- Breathing barrier
- Cold compresses
- Gloves
- Hydrocortisone ointment
- Gauze rolls
- Gauze pads of various size
- First-aid glue
- Triangular bandages
This is a great foundation, but in a survival situation — especially where animal bites are concerned — you’re going to need a lot more than that. Consider adding:
- Saline flush kits for deep lacerations or puncture wounds
- Suture kits
- Butterfly wound closures
- Burn salve
- Splints and/or cast kits
- Blood-clotting agents
- Tourniquets
- Chest seals (for penetrating chest wounds)
This is not an exhaustive list. Take some time to think about all the possible what if’s as you plan your first aid kit. If a particular scenario happens, what will you need to treat it?
Types of Animal Bites
As of 2020, scientists estimate that there are around 15 million species of animal on the planet, though only about 2 million of them are known to science. That’s a lot of different things to potentially bite you. Animal bites are generally going to fall into two categories: aggressive and defensive.
In most cases, unless you cross paths with a large predator such as a jaguar or mountain lion, you aren’t going to have to deal with aggressive bites. Most of the animals you encounter in the wild will try to avoid you whenever possible. Defensive bites are much more common, with a cornered or threatened animal lashing out. These are also more likely if the animal is wounded, so if you’re hunting and wound but don’t kill an animal outright, make sure you’re on the lookout for these bites.
Carnivore vs. Herbivore Bites
There’s a variety of different diets in the animal kingdom. Carnivores only eat meat, herbivores only eat plant matter, piscivores only eat fish, and insectivores only eat insects. Omnivores tend to eat a little bit of everything. The food an animal eats will determine what kind of teeth it has — and what kind of bite you need to be prepared for.
Carnivores and most omnivores have sharp teeth designed for ripping and tearing flesh. These are often predators, designed for the hunt, and will leave deep punctures and long lacerations on the flesh. There will likely also be secondary wounds caused by the creature’s claws that will also need tending. Reptiles usually have sharp teeth designed strictly for puncturing, or beaks designed for crushing and severing. Turtles, such as the alligator snapping turtle, can easily take a finger off with one snap of their powerful beak.
Herbivores will generally have flat teeth designed for crushing plant matter, breaking up the cellulose in the cells, and making it more digestible. This doesn’t mean they can’t deliver a mean bite if cornered or threatened. The wounds tend to have more crushed tissue and burnishing than carnivore bites, but will likely also have lacerations caused by the pressure of the bite.
First Aid for Carnivore Bites
Carnivore bites come in two separate shapes: lacerations caused by sharp teeth and claws, and puncture wounds caused by fangs. The first step in treating any of these wounds, once you are safely away from the animal, is to stop any bleeding. Apply pressure where possible and, if necessary, apply a tourniquet above the wound. Once the bleeding slows enough that it is no longer life-threatening, the next step is to clean the wound.
Flush the wounds with sterile saline, paying close attention to any punctures. They may not bleed as badly as the lacerations, but the depth of the wound makes them harder to clean and more likely to get infected. Treat the wounds with a powerful antiseptic such as iodine or betadine, apply an antibiotic ointment, and bandage them with clean and sterile bandages. Change the bandages frequently and monitor the sites for any signs of infection.
First Aid for Herbivore Bites
Herbivores are generally passive, but they will bite if they feel threatened or are injured. Large herbivores, such as cows, deer, and horses, can do a lot of damage with a single bite even though their teeth aren’t as sharp as a carnivore’s might be.
First assess the bite. The blunt teeth may cause bruising or trauma under the skin without ever breaking the surface. If the bite does break the skin, the procedure is similar to what you would use for a carnivore bite. Flush the wound with saline, treat it with an antiseptic, layer on an antibiotic ointment, bandage it with sterile gauze, and monitor the site for any signs of infection.
First Aid for Reptile Bites
This is where things start to get a little tricky. Snakes have a bad reputation, but in most cases, they’ll try to avoid you whenever possible. Even the venomous species only bite as a last resort, usually if you’re messing with them or accidentally step on them. Turtles will only generally bite if you’re messing with them, and only if you get close enough to their mouth. Alligators and crocodiles are aggressive, but only if you’re in the water or approaching their nest during mating season. We’ll touch on each of these briefly.
Turtle bites — assuming they don’t get lucky and take a finger off — are going to be deep lacerations. Their sharp beaks are designed to kill small fish and break them down into bite-sized pieces. Assuming nothing important was severed, take the time to stop the bleeding, then clean the wound, treat it with an antiseptic and antibiotic ointment, and bandage.
Bites from large reptiles like alligators and crocodiles are likely to be very severe and may also be accompanied by significant tissue damage, due to these animals and their tendency to drag their prey into the water and spin in what is known as a “death roll” to dismember them. Alligators have a bite force of 2,980 pounds, which, in addition to their sharp teeth, can easily crush bones and cause major trauma. Start by stopping the bleeding and assessing the extent of the injuries. From there, the procedure is the same: flush, antiseptic, antibiotic, bandage.
Snake bites are where things get tricky. Scientists have identified around 3,500 snake species in the world, and of those, around 600 are considered venomous. It is absolutely essential that you are able to identify the venomous snakes in your area, especially in a survival situation. A bite from a venomous snake can be fatal, and likely will be in a survival situation if you can’t go to the hospital for an antivenin treatment.
If you are bitten by a non-venomous snake, the procedure remains the same, but you should be vigilant when it comes to monitoring the site for infection. Secondary bacterial infections can be common with snakebites.
Preventing Infections or Further Injuries
With animal bites, the biggest challenge isn’t stopping the bleeding or stitching up the lacerations. The challenge lies in preventing additional injuries or infections during the healing process. Animal mouths are full of bacteria that can cause secondary infections. These can be dangerous by themselves, while also making it harder for your body to heal from an injury.
Pay close attention to your injuries. If infection begins to develop, you’ll notice redness or soreness at the wound site. It may start to ooze pus, and you may start to run a fever or show other systemic symptoms. Thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing your wounds should help prevent infection, but if one does develop, having antibiotics on hand — either those designed for humans or those designed for veterinary use — can help your body combat the infection. Just don’t use them excessively or you could make it more likely that an antibiotic-resistant infection could develop.
More Dangerous Considerations
When it comes to animal bites, there are a few other conditions to consider that could be dangerous or even fatal in a survival situation. Animal bites can transmit both rabies and tetanus. Tetanus boosters can protect you for 5-10 years, so if you’ve had one recently you should be okay after an animal bite. You can also get tetanus from injuries unrelated to animals, so it’s a good idea to stay up-to-date on your booster shots.
Rabies, on the other hand, requires a series of shots after a bite or animal exposure that may or may not be accessible in a survival situation. Be especially careful of creatures like raccoons, skunks, and bats — these are considered vector species and can be infected without exhibiting symptoms. If someone is bitten by a rabid animal and getting medical attention is not an option, you may not have any options at all. Rabies is a horrible way to die, and once symptoms start to emerge, it’s too late for even the post-exposure vaccine.
Stay Safe out There
If you’re out in the wilderness, you will encounter animals. This is a fact of life — you’re in their territory and on their turf, so you’ll come across them from time to time. The best way to treat an animal bite in these situations is to avoid them altogether.
If that’s not possible, having a well-stocked first aid kit and the knowledge to use it can mean the difference between life and death. It sounds harsh, but your goal should be to do whatever you can to avoid getting bitten. Stay safe out there!
[Note: This was a guest post.]
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