What to do if bitten by a dog?

• Disinfect the wound with chlorhexidine or any other antiseptic you have on hand;

• Be sure to seek help at the nearest emergency room.

• There are a number of questions, the answers to which fundamentally affect what the doctor will tell you.

Does the dog have an owner?

Pet dogs must be muzzled or on a leash. Although this does not exclude the possibility of an animal attack, it significantly reduces the chances of one. If the owner violates the rules, then, firstly, he will be obliged to answer for this (for this, the injured party should contact law enforcement agencies). Secondly, there is a possibility that a person who is negligent about the implementation of the simplest rules for keeping and walking dogs can be just as irresponsible about the health of his pet. So, the dog will need to be examined for possible infections.

In addition, the manifestation of unreasonable aggression on the part of the animal is an alarming sign, it may indicate that the dog is infected with rabies.

It is important to know

The manifestation of aggression on the part of a healthy animal is motivated – it is always a reaction to your behavior. Analyze your actions: if you made noise, teased, held out your hands or tried to pet someone else’s unfamiliar animal, then the dog’s reaction is adequate. In the future, try to avoid situations that the animal may perceive as an attack or a manifestation of aggression on your part. It doesn’t matter if it’s a pet or a stray. Neither one nor the other ever attack just like that, if they are healthy.

Is the dog healthy

In the presence of a host, establishing the existence or absence of infections is very simple. If the dog is homeless, inform the doctor at the reception. Most likely, you will be assigned additional tests and take comprehensive measures to prevent inflammation of the wound or other unpleasant consequences. Ideally, a stray dog ​​should be caught and transferred to the veterinary service for examination. In this case, it will be possible to obtain guarantees that the animal is healthy.

Types of wounds

You should know that dogs usually inflict two types of wounds: puncture wounds and lacerations. In fact, most of the time it’s both. Therefore, the rehabilitation period will take some time. Be prepared for the fact that the bite site can heal for a long time and painfully. The reason is that during the bite, the dog also inflicts a strong blow to the tissues, so that hematomas in such cases are not uncommon, but rather a regularity. In any case, it is important to monitor the healing process and, if any inflammation or discomfort occurs, immediately seek help from specialists, and not self-medicate.

23 2017 June

Updated: 21 May 2022