Do You Need a Tetanus Shot for a Dog Bite?

Often, yes. CDC guidance treats a bite as a dirty wound, so a tetanus shot is generally recommended if your last dose was five or more years ago or you are not sure, and your own doctor makes the final call. If someone else’s dog bit you, those shots are part of your claim, and California generally gives you two years to sue (CCP 335.1).

Can you get tetanus from a dog bite?

Yes, it can happen. Tetanus is caused by *Clostridium tetani*, bacteria that live in the environment and get into the body through broken skin. The CDC tells people to call a health care provider about any wound that contains dirt, soil, feces or saliva, and it names an animal bite as the example (CDC, About Tetanus). MedlinePlus, the National Institutes of Health’s patient site, adds that bacteria from soil, saliva, dust and manure can enter through a deep wound (MedlinePlus, Tetanus).

Symptoms usually appear 3 to 21 days after the injury, about 8 days on average. The first sign is most often spasms of the jaw muscles, called lockjaw, and it can progress to trouble swallowing and painful stiffness. Sort out your tetanus status when the bite is first treated.

This page summarizes public health guidance so you know what to ask. Your own doctor, who has seen the wound, decides your treatment; follow that advice over anything you read here.

When do you need a tetanus shot after a dog bite?

The CDC’s wound guidance for clinicians groups bites and puncture wounds with dirty or major wounds. For those wounds, the answer turns on how many tetanus shots you have had and when you had the last one (CDC, Clinical Guidance):

TIG is a separate injection the CDC lists for dirty wounds in people whose vaccine history is unknown or incomplete, and for people with HIV or severe immune problems. For a small, clean wound the guidance uses a 10-year interval instead of 5, but a dog bite normally falls in the dirty-wound group.

If you have no record of your last shot, say so; the CDC table treats an unknown history like an incomplete one. MedlinePlus advises adults to get a tetanus booster every 10 years, and its animal bite page says to get one if you have not had one recently (MedlinePlus, Animal Bites).

Do you also need rabies shots after a dog bite?

Rabies is a separate question. The CDC says to wash any wound right away with soap and water, see a provider for the injury, and not delay decisions about rabies care (CDC, after a possible exposure). When treatment is needed, rabies post-exposure prophylaxis includes wound washing, human rabies immune globulin and a four-dose vaccine series (CDC, Rabies clinical care).

Washington’s Department of Health describes the usual schedule for someone never vaccinated against rabies: immune globulin and the first vaccine dose on the day of exposure, then vaccine on days 3, 7 and 14. People with weakened immune systems need a fifth dose and a blood test (Washington DOH).

A dog that can be found and watched can change the plan. Texas health officials explain that a biting dog, cat or domestic ferret can be tested or observed for ten days, and that if it is alive and normal after ten days, it could not have given you rabies. That ten-day rule does not apply to wild animals (Texas DSHS). In California, bats and skunks are the animals that most often have rabies (CDPH).

Who pays for the tetanus shot and other care after a dog bite?

If another person’s dog bit you, your medical care is part of your injury claim. In California, a jury awards the reasonable cost of reasonably necessary medical care you received, plus care you are reasonably certain to need later (CACI 3903A). That can include the emergency visit, the tetanus shot, every dose of a rabies series and scar treatment.

Who is responsible depends on the state:

• California: the owner is liable when the dog bites someone in a public place or lawfully on private property, including the owner’s own property, regardless of whether the dog was ever vicious before (Civil Code 3342; CACI 463). More on our California dog bite page.
• Washington: a similar rule makes the owner pay the damages of a person bitten in a public place or lawfully on private property, whether or not the dog had a history of aggression (RCW 16.08.040). See our Washington dog bite page.
• Texas: there is no statute like those two. Chapter 822 of the Health and Safety Code regulates dogs declared dangerous, and their owners must register them, keep them restrained and carry at least $100,000 in liability coverage or show financial responsibility (HSC chapter 822). See our Texas dog bite page.

The money usually comes from the owner’s insurance. The Texas Department of Insurance notes that homeowners insurance might help when a dog bites someone on the owner’s property, that medical payments coverage pays the medical bills of people hurt there, and that some policies exclude certain breeds (TDI).

Should you report a dog bite, and how long do you have to file?

A report creates an official record of the bite. California’s rabies page tells people to report the bite to local animal control (CDPH), and state rules require that the local health officer be told of bites by a rabid or suspected rabid animal (17 CCR 2606). In Texas, anyone who knows of a bite that could transmit rabies must report it to the local rabies control authority, and the owner must turn the animal over for quarantine (HSC chapter 826). In Washington, providers must report a suspected human rabies exposure from an animal bite to the local health jurisdiction immediately (WAC 246-101-101).

Filing deadlines for an injury lawsuit:

• California: generally two years from the bite (CCP 335.1; California Courts).
• Texas: generally two years (CPRC 16.003).
• Washington: generally three years (RCW 4.16.080).

If the dog belonged to a police department or another public agency, a government claim with a much earlier deadline usually comes first.

What to do now

1. Wash the bite with soap and water right away.
2. Get medical care the same day and tell the provider when you last had a tetanus shot.
3. Get the owner’s name, address and phone, and ask for the dog’s rabies vaccination record.
4. Report the bite to animal control or the local health department.
5. Photograph the wound as it heals, and keep the clothes you were wearing.
6. Finish every dose your doctor orders, and keep each bill, receipt and record of missed work.
7. Do not give a recorded statement to the owner’s insurer before you get legal advice.

Talk to us

If another person’s dog bit you or your child, call Beverly Law at (310) 552-6959 for a free, confidential review of your claim in English or Spanish. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.

Common questions

Related pages

Personal Injury Questions · Dog bite lawyer · California dog bite lawyer · Evidence in a dog bite claim · Personal injury questions · Law Blog

Important: This page is general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship with Beverly Law. Laws change and every case is different; talk to a lawyer about your own situation. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. You owe no fees or costs unless we win. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou. Last reviewed: 2026-11-13.