If you know anything about pest control in Toronto, you might be aware of the large number of rats and other rodents that live in the city. When you have a large rat population that lives among humans, it is inevitable that some of those humans will suffer from a rat bite at some point in their lives. Regardless of how diligent you are, it is not always possible to prevent coming into contact with rodents and other critters in the city. However, you can be aware of what to do in case you do get bitten by a rat.

How to Treat Rat Bites

Those who work around rodents often take the proper precautions to prevent rodent bites in the first place. However, professionals who work for pest control services are still very knowledgeable about how to treat things like rat bites.

Identifying the Bite

The first thing to do when treating a suspected rat bite is to be sure of exactly what you are dealing with. To ensure that you are, in fact, dealing with a rat bite, look for small puncture wounds and cuts on the site. When it comes to symptoms, watch for inflammation, pain, and redness around the site of the laceration. Additional symptoms of fever, vomiting, and swollen lymph nodes may also be present and indicate something more serious.

Providing Treatment

There are several steps involved in treating a rodent bite, including:

• Getting any excessive bleeding under control by covering the affected area with gauze
• Cleansing the wound site with warm water and antibacterial soap
• Wrapping the wound with a fresh bandage to protect it from the outside elements
• Keeping an eye on the wound as well as your other symptoms in case of possible infection

If you help treat a bite sustained by somebody else, make sure that you take precautions like washing your hands before and after treatment and wearing gloves if possible.

According to technicians who work in pest control in Toronto, rats usually bite because they are scared, which can happen if a homeowner attempts to remove the rodents from their home by themselves. This is why it is important to contact a professional rat removal service to safely remove the pests.

Dangers of Rat Bites

If you sustain a rat bite, it will hopefully heal quickly and without complications. However, sometimes bites can lead to something more serious.

Rat Bite Fever

One of two types of bacteria causes rat bite fever: S. moniliformis and S. minus, with S. moniliformis being the more common type in North America. Symptoms of rat bite fever include high body temperature, joint pain, headache, and chills. Left untreated, this illness can cause complications such as meningitis, pneumonia, endocarditis, and failure of the heart and kidneys.

Leptospirosis

Leptospirosis is another condition caused by bacteria that rats may carry in their saliva. Although this condition is rare, it can be fatal if left untreated. Symptoms are somewhat similar to those caused by rat bite fever and include high fever, chills, muscle pain, and vomiting.

The potential to catch a serious illness is one reason why rodent pest control is so important. In addition to suffering physically, someone who is unexpectedly bitten by an animal may suffer from emotional distress from the occurrence as well.

Looking for Pest Control in Toronto?

Receiving a rat bite can be painful and distressing, and lead to potentially serious complications. Your own home is the last place where you want to worry about this happening. If you believe you have a rat problem in your house, contact Truly Nolen Canada today to have pest control in Toronto help deal with the issue.