In the United States, more than 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs every year. More than 800,000 people get medical care for their injuries.
A dog may bite for different reasons. They might be afraid, sick, or in pain. They may also bite out of anger. Regardless of the reason, it’s important to know what to do if a dog bites you. Without proper treatment, a bite can cause serious illness or injury.
This article talks about the dangers that come with dog bites. It tells you how to give basic first aid for bite wounds and when to see a doctor.
Treating a dog bite
If you’ve been bitten by a dog, you should take care of the wound right away to lower your risk of getting a bacterial infection. You should also look at the wound to determine how bad it is.
In some situations, you’ll be able to give yourself first aid. In other cases, you’ll need to see a doctor right away.
If a dog bites you, whether it’s yours or someone else’s, you might feel scared. If you need medical help, don’t drive yourself to the doctor or hospital. Instead, call for help.
Read on to find out what you should do after a dog bites you and what you can do to avoid getting sick.
First Aid Steps
First, make sure the dog that bit the person is locked up and that the person who was bitten is moved away from the dog. Once the person is safe, continue giving first aid.
Call animal control or the police right away if you can’t catch the dog or if it keeps attacking.
The safety of everyone involved in a dog bite should always come first, including the victim, the rescuer, and, if feasible, the dog. Start no treatment until you have a reasonable expectation that the dog will not attack again.
How to Treat a Dog Bite
Stay safe: If you are a rescuer, take universal measures and wear personal protective equipment if it is available.
Stop the bleeding: Stopping the bleeding is typically possible while keeping the location safe, especially if the patient can help hold pressure. Control any bleeding by taking the necessary actions. Apply pressure on the bite with a clean cloth. Unless there is serious bleeding that cannot be managed any other way, avoid wearing a tourniquet.
Clean the wound: Once the bleeding has stopped, use soap and warm water to clean the wound. Don’t be afraid to clean the wound from the inside. Make sure to wash off all the soap, or it will irritate your skin later.
Cover the wound: Use a dry, sterile dressing. Before covering the wound, you may use an antibiotic ointment, but it is not required.
Seek emergency medical assistance if the patient has many bite wounds or bites on the face or hands.
When to See a Doctor
After the bleeding has stopped and the wound has been cleaned and bandaged, it needs to be checked for infection. If there are deep puncture wounds, your doctor may give you antibiotics. You may also need a tetanus shot if it’s been more than five years since your last one.
Depending on how big the bite is and where it is on your body, you may need surgery to fix muscles, ligaments, or other tissues.
Consider going to the emergency room right away if the bite includes any of the following:
- Redness and swelling
- Pus coming from the wound
- Deep or large wound
- Bone or muscle can be seen
- Bleeding that doesn’t stop after a few minutes
Wounds on the face or hands should be examined by a doctor as soon as possible due to the risk of scarring and loss of function.
If you visit a doctor, they will check your wound to determine whether the bite was serious enough to necessitate sutures. The injuries will also be checked to determine whether there is any damage to muscles, nerves, tendons, or bones.
If the edges of the wound cannot touch or if there are any avulsions (where tissue has been totally pulled away), your doctor may consider that you require emergency care.
Ask about the dog’s vaccination history
The first thing you should do after being bitten by a dog is to get away from it. That can make it less likely that you’ll get bit again.
When the immediate danger is gone, it’s important to find out if the dog has been vaccinated against rabies.
If the dog’s owner is nearby, ask about the dog’s vaccination history. Make sure to get the owner’s name, phone number, and the name and number of the dog’s veterinarian. If you can, also ask to see some kind of identification.
If the dog is alone, you should ask anyone who saw the attack if they know the dog and where its owner lives.
Of course, you could also get bit by your dog. Because of this, it’s important to keep up with your dog’s rabies shots. Even a nice, calm animal can bite sometimes.
What are the possible complications of a dog bite?
Getting bit by a dog can lead to a number of problems. Some of these are infections, rabies, damage to nerves or muscles, and more.
Infection
Bacteria, such as staphylococcus, pasteurella, and capnocytophaga, can live in the mouth of any dog.
Dogs may also carry MRSA, but there have been no reports as of yet. If the dog bite breaks the skin, these germs can get into the body and cause bacterial infections.
People whose immune systems aren’t as strong or who have diabetes may be more likely to get sick. If a dog bit you and you start to feel sick, you should see a doctor.
Nerve and muscle damage
Deep bites can hurt the nerves, muscles, and blood vessels underneath the skin. This can happen even if the wound looks small, like a couple of puncture marks.
Broken bones
A bite from a large dog can break, splinter, or fracture bones, especially in the legs, feet, or hands.
If you think you’ve broken a bone, you should always go to the hospital right away.
Rabies
Rabies is a very dangerous virus that affects the brain and nervous system. If it is not treated, it can kill the person in a few days.
If you’ve been bitten by a dog and you don’t know if it’s been vaccinated or if it’s not up to date on its rabies shots, you should see a doctor right away.
A small chance exists that a dog has rabies. It’s very rare, but the patient must go to the hospital if the dog can’t be found or if the pet owner can’t show proof that the dog has been vaccinated. Rabies usually kills people if they don’t get treated.
Until the bite heals, the bandage should be changed several times a day. Also, it’s important to keep an eye out for signs of infection, such as:
- Redness
- Swelling
- Fever, or warmth around the wound
- Weeping pus
Tetanus
Tetanus is a disease caused by bacteria. Tetanus is rare in the United States, where children are usually given vaccines. Every 10 years, adults should get a tetanus booster shot.
Scarring
When a dog bites and tears the skin, it can leave a scar. Most of the time, mild scars will get less noticeable over time.
Scars that are very deep or that are in places that are easy to see, like the face, can be fixed with grafting or plastic surgery.
Death
The number of deaths due to dog bites in the United States annually is very low. About 70% of the time, children younger than 10 die from dog bites.
Do you need a rabies shot?
If a dog bites you and shows signs of having rabies, like acting strangely or frothing at the mouth, you should get a rabies shot.
Rabies is a 100% potentially fatal disease.
Rabies in people is rare in the United States, and dogs don’t usually spread it because there are so many vaccinations and programs to prevent it. If you or your doctor thinks you might have gotten rabies from a dog bite, it makes sense to get a rabies post-exposure vaccine.
The vaccine is given in a series of four injections.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you clean a bite wound?
Dog bites need to be cleaned well. Dirt and bacteria can be washed away by running water over the wound for five to ten minutes. After you flush the bite, wash it with water and mild soap. Make sure you rinse it well.
What do I do if I get bitten by a dog?
First, put pressure on the wound to stop the blood flow. Then, clean the wound, making sure to get it all the way inside. Cover the wound, and contact your doctor to set up an appointment to have the bite checked.
