Bitten by a dog

Step by step

1. Wash the wound straight away with plenty of soap and running water for about 15 minutes, then apply an antiseptic (povidone-iodine or alcohol). Do not close or stitch the wound yourself; cover it loosely with a clean dressing.
2. If the bleeding is heavy, the bite is on the face, head or hands, or a child was bitten, call 112.
3. Go to a hospital emergency department the same day – in Fethiye, Fethiye State Hospital (Fethiye Devlet Hastanesi) in Akarca has a 24-hour emergency department. Don't wait to see whether the wound heals.
4. The doctor assesses the risk under the Ministry of Health rabies guideline and, if needed, starts the rabies vaccine and, for deep bites, rabies immunoglobulin; a tetanus shot is checked as well.
5. Keep the vaccination card you are given and go back on every date it shows – the course is several doses over about a month. Missing a dose makes it less reliable.
6. If you know the dog (it has an owner), give the owner's contact details to the doctor: an owned dog is watched for 10 days by a vet. Report stray dogs that bite to the municipality (call centre 444 90 82) so they can be caught and checked.

Documents

• Passport or residence permit card
• Vaccination card from the first visit (for every follow-up dose)
• The dog owner's name and phone number, if known

Good to know

• Even a small scratch or a lick on broken skin counts – go to the doctor anyway.
• If you were vaccinated against rabies before, say so: you will need fewer doses.
• The rabies vaccine is given at state hospitals; ask about the cost there if you have no Turkish insurance.
• Most street dogs in Fethiye are vaccinated and ear-tagged by the municipality, but you can't tell for sure – always treat a bite as a risk.
• Avoid bites: don't approach eating or sleeping dogs or a mother with puppies, and walk calmly past packs instead of running.