Will You Get Rabies after Being Bitten by Hamsters?
Many new hamster friends have always been vigilant about hamster bites. After being bitten, they often have a lot of concerns. Among them, the most worrying thing is that they are afraid of being infected with germs. First of all, let’s look at this problem from the root, why hamsters bite people, avoid this problem first, and then look at the solutions after being bitten by hamsters.
You are bitten by a hamster usually for one of the following reasons.
1. A new hamster was just brought home. You can’t blame it for this. You just brought it home and you’re not familiar with it, and you’re doing it. Of course, it’s not safe. You can’t touch it just because it’s cute. And some hamsters are raised in pet stores with other hamsters, and they often fight, so they have a bad temper. This time you have to go step by step. You’re supposed to put them in a hamster cage and let them get familiar with the habitat. After they calm down, you can try to touch them. But be careful not to rush！
2. You have the smell of food on your hands. Hamsters have a very good sense of smell, but their eyesight is not very good. So you’d better wash your hands after touching its food, otherwise, you will be accidentally injured.
3. Do you have a mouse outside? Hamsters have a strong sense of territory. If you touch other hamsters and your hands get smelled by other hamsters, they will expel you, so you should also wash your hands after touching other hamsters.
The first thing to worry about is the plague. Although the hamster is also called a mouse, it is a hamster family, so don’t worry about this. Moreover, hamsters love to be clean. If there are any bacteria in domestic hamsters, they often get sick and die before they are transmitted to humans. Basically, if they are bitten by hamsters, they only need to be disinfected.
However, it is possible to get rabies from being bitten by a hamster. Although it is unlikely, it is up to you to decide whether to vaccinate or not. If concerned about rabies, treat wounds and get the rabies vaccine as prescribed. If the bite wound is red, swollen, or has other symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.
Generally, hamster bites may cause bruising, but not necessarily bleeding. If there is no bleeding, just wash your hands well.
If your finger is bitten by a hamster and bleeds, it is best to put your finger under the faucet for more than 5–10 minutes, and wash the wound with clean soapy water. Then treat it with a Band-Aid. If you have iodine and other disinfectants at home, it will be better, you can wipe it.
