Immediately wash the wound thoroughly with running water and soap for several minutes. Irrigate if possible, apply gentle pressure for bleeding, then cover with a clean dressing. Avoid tightly closing it yourself. The CDC wound-care guidance emphasizes prompt, thorough cleansing for animal bites.

See a clinician urgently today if it is a deep/puncture wound, on the hand/face/genitals, bleeding will not stop, you are immunocompromised, or there is redness, swelling, warmth, pus, or worsening pain. They may clean/debride it and decide whether preventive antibiotics are appropriate. Do not start leftover antibiotics.

Tetanus: a booster is generally indicated for a dirty bite wound if your last tetanus-containing vaccine was 5 or more years ago, or if your vaccination history is incomplete/unknown. Some people with incomplete vaccination may also need tetanus immune globulin. See CDC tetanus wound guidance.

Watch for rat-bite fever over the next 3 weeks: fever, chills, vomiting, headache, muscle/joint pain, or a rash, often on hands and feet. Seek care immediately if these occur and say you had rat exposure. It is treatable with prescription antibiotics, commonly penicillin-based therapy; doxycycline is an alternative for penicillin allergy in appropriate patients. The CDC clinical overview recommends medical evaluation and treatment when suspected.

Rabies: rabies after a rat bite is exceptionally uncommon, and routine rabies shots are usually not needed for ordinary rat bites. Still, let a local clinician or public-health service assess it if the animal was acting unusually, it was a wild/exotic rodent, or this occurred in an area with specific public-health advice.