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Dog bites account for almost 80 percent of all animal-based injuries and a large portion of these dog bites can be quite bad, often resulting in the need for reconstructive surgeries. Don’t let the statistics scare you though. While most of the dogs that you come across are probably cute little furballs, the general temperament of a dog depends on its breed and can be influenced by its upbringing. So while you would be safe around a golden retriever, you may want to think twice before approaching an irritable pitbull.
Dog bite injuries can be quite bad and can result in damaged tissues, torn muscle fibers, and even damaged bones and blood vessels. They also carry the risk of further infection. That said, if you are ever the victim of a dog bite, you should know how to respond. Here are a few tips that can help you out if a dog ever runs over and bites you.
Seek First Aid
If you are ever bitten by a dog, the first thing that you must do is administer first aid. At the same time, you also need to get away from the dog, to prevent it from biting you again. Don’t scream or run, in fact, look straight into the dog’s eyes. Once you have managed to get away from the dog, the first thing that you need to do is clean the wound with mild soap and water and pat it dry. If the wound continues to bleed, apply pressure on the would to reduce the bleeding and elevate the wound to a level higher than your heart. This can help not only in reducing the bleeding but also in preventing the onset of swelling and infection. Once basic first aid has been administered, you can further clean the wound with an antiseptic solution and close it with a sterile bandage. The next step is to head straight to a doctor to seek specialized and professional medical treatment. This is very important especially if you suffer from diabetes, AIDS, or cancer.
Enquire About the Dog’s Vaccination History
When you are bit by a dog it is important for you to know about its vaccination history. If you are bitten by a wild dog, chances are that you are out of luck. On the other hand, if you are less unfortunate and the dog is someone’s pet, you can obtain details of the dog’s vaccination history. It is important to know if the dog has been inoculated against rabies right away. You should get the owner’s name and contact details and also the contact details of the dog’s veterinary doctor. Even if the dog has been vaccinated against rabies, the vaccine is never 100% effective. If you can obtain the contact details of the dog’s veterinary doctor, it can help with the future course of your treatment.
Tips on Seeking Compensation
If a pet dog bites someone, depending on the circumstances and the relevant local laws, the dog’s owner can be held accountable for negligence. If due negligence on the part of the dog’s owner is established, the owner or the owner’s insurance can be liable to compensate the victim for any damages. These could include compensation of medical bills, property damage, pain and suffering, loss of consortium and services, punitive damages, and loss of income as a consequence of the injury. Of course, the dog’s owner may not always be the one to blame. You cannot expect to be compensated for a dog bite that may have occurred as a result of you trespassing someone’s property. In some cases, the blame for the incidence may also be shared between the dog’s owner and the victim. If you are the victim of a dog bite, it is important to immediately report the incident to first the emergency services and subsequently to the police. The professionals behind https://adamsoncleveland.com/athens suggest that while interacting with the police it is important that you only provide your factual account on what happened and avoid any kind of speculation on whether you may have provoked the dog. This is important because what you say could be held against you and could weaken your case.
Tips on Preventing Infection
Dog bites can be highly infectious. They can be quite deep and as a consequence can lodge bacteria deep into your muscles and tissues. The most common infections that can result from a dog bite are tetanus and rabies. If you have recently had a tetanus shot, then your chances of contracting tetanus from a dog bite are highly unlikely. However, despite that, it is advisable to take another tetanus shot just to be safe. On the other hand, when it comes to rabies, you must be administered human rabies immune globulin (HRIG) as part of a rabies postexposure prophylaxis regimen. The first shot of both vaccines must be administered on the day of exposure itself.
A dog bite can be quite nasty and can have long-term consequences. While dog owners are generally held responsible for such incidents and must compensate the victim, you as the victim must be aware of your rights to enforce them. Responding to such an incident in the right manner can help minimize the damage, both financial and medical, and avoid infection.
