How to Treat a Rat Bite

Rats and other rodents have large sharp teeth that they use to chew through hard nuts, wood and even plastic.

Wild Rats
Most of the time wild rats will not get close enough to you to bite. If you have a wild rat cornered in your home, garage or outside you are very likely to get bitten because they will bite when scared or cornered or feel like they are in danger. If you put yourself in this situation, you only have yourself to blame if you get bitten. If you come across a wild rat, leave it alone. They are most likely to be more afraid of you than you are of him.

Domesticated Rats
Even domesticated rats will sometimes feel threatened and bite or scratch you. Some baby rats that have been handled badly or not handled enough will be skittish when you first bring them home. Patience, a soothing voice and treats so he will see you are not a threat will bring your little guy around to feeling comfortable with you.

If You Do get Bitten
If you do get bitten the first thing you should do is rinse the area off and see how bad the bite is. Control the bleeding by applying pressure to the affected area. Apply anti-biotic ointment like Neosporin and a bandage.

If the injury is on a finger, remove all rings and jewelry from that hand just in case it swells up later. Watch for signs of infection which would include:

Severe Pain
Redness around the area
Pus
Swelling
Heat
Fever

If the rat that bites you is someone's pet, you should get their information like phone number, address and name in case you come down with more than just an infection.

If the rat that bites you is a wild rat, you should seek immediate medical help. Some wild rats can carry diseases like Rat Bite Fever. Symptoms associated with Rat Bite Fever are:

Headache
Fever
Vomiting
Pain in the back and in the joints.
Rash
Swelling
Redness
Severe Pain

According to WiseGeek.com, " Domesticated rats are unlikely to carry rabies, so if the bite came from the family pet, you are probably safe."

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should seek immediate medical help.

Sources:

http://www.wisegeek.com/how-do-i-treat-a-rat-bite.htm