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Should You Go to An Urgent Care Center or the ER for an Animal Bite?

Image of a man doing a thumbs up with bandaged thumbAccidents are inevitable in life. If your accident involves a bite from a stray animal or family pet, it’s important to seek medical attention as quickly as possible to prevent infection. But where should you go for treatment? Fully equipped immediate care centers like Fast Track Urgent Care are a convenient and affordable place to receive animal bite treatment in the majority of cases, but more severe bites should be addressed in an emergency room.

As a general rule of thumb, you should go to the ER if an animal bite:

  • Creates a deep, wide, or jagged wound
  • Causes heavy bleeding
  • Occurs on the face
  • Leads to loss of consciousness or trouble breathing
  • Is from an animal that displays signs of rabies, such as strange or erratic behavior

Otherwise, visiting an urgent care center for animal bite treatment is probably your best choice. Urgent cares typically have much shorter wait times and lower costs than emergency rooms.

Walk-In Treatment for Animal Bites & More at Fast Track Urgent Care

Fast Track Urgent Care’s experienced physicians and clinicians routinely provide animal bite treatment for adults and children at our centers in Silver Spring and Kensington, Maryland. Our team can:

  • Properly clean and bandage wounds
  • Prescribe antibiotic medications or creams to prevent infections
  • Administer tetanus shots, if appropriate

When illnesses or injuries strike, Fast Track Urgent Care will be here to provide the timely treatment your family needs. Visit us in Silver Spring or Kensington today! We’re open during extended hours every day and welcome patients on walk-in and by-appointment bases.