Dog Bites Treatment: What You Should Do When Dog Bites
Care And Treatment For Dog Bites
More often than not people are bitten by their own pets. Small children are more prone to being bitten because they tend to treat animals as toys. Unfortunately, if provoked, the animal’s natural instincts would cause it to bite or scratch in retaliation. In case someone has been bitten by a dog, the first thing to note is whether the dog has been vaccinated or not. If the dog is feral, look for signs of rabies, such as if the dog appears to be foaming at the mouth. If there is no way of finding out whether the dog has been vaccinated, report it to the proper authorities and keep a check on the animal for signs of rabies or other infections. If the attack was unprovoked, the animal should be confined and monitored for at least 10 days and then checked for rabies.
Calm the victim and take him or her to a safe location. Wear latex gloves before handling the injured area. Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water for 3 to 5 minutes. Rabies is contacted through saliva therefore, make sure you remove any traces of saliva from the wound; also wash off all the soap from the wound or it will cause irritation. Check to see how deep the injury is. A deep wound would require immediate medical attention from a licensed practitioner. In some cases, stitches would be required. Look out for signs of infection in the form of swelling, pus, bleeding, or discoloration around the injury and in some cases even fever. Make a note of what you see and inform the doctor about what you have noticed. Dry and bandage the injured area with sterilized gauze; tape or tie the bandage loosely to keep it in place. Don’t use a tourniquet unless the bleeding is very severe. Keep the injured part elevated and use a cold compress to stem any bleeding or swelling. Then rush the victim to a nearby doctor.
For minor wounds, wash and dress the area. You many give the victim an over-the-counter analgesic to relieve the pain. Additionally, a vitamin B capsule can be given to help generate antibodies and a vitamin C capsule to help the body fight infection. Ask the doctor whether the victim needs a tetanus shot or a tetanus booster. If the victim is a child find out whether any special medication needs to be given.
