How Do You Know if a Dog Bite is Serious (and Do You Need a Tetanus/Rabies Shot)?

A German Shepherd bites a person's arm, with text about assessing the seriousness of dog bites and the need for tetanus or rabies shots.

With nearly 63 million U.S. households owning dogs (and an estimated 77 million dogs living in those homes), dog bites are an everyday occurrence. You don’t have to look far to see a report of a dog bite attack in the news, some of which actually lead to tragic fatalities. Even President Biden’s dog, Major, made headlines for biting an unsuspecting bystander – twice. […]