Dog Bite Injection, First aid and Treatment for a dog bite.
Dog Bite Injection, First aid and Treatment for a dog bite.
What should I do after a dog bite? What is the Treatment for a dog bite?
It is well known that dogs have round teeth and it is this that helps to cause pressure from their jaws which eventually cause significant injury to the tissues that are under the skin. They also include the bones, nerves, muscles and bones. A dog bite may sound a light issue but yet it needs special attention to it as it may eventually result into serious diseases. It is your best interest therefore to seek medical care and also to report the attack even when dog bites are often not fatal. Dog bites may easily cause a number of injuries, ranging from scratches, puncture wounds, deep open cuts, tearing a body part or crush injuries. Dog bites do not often cause death but may lead to permanent disability.German Shepherds, pit bull terriers, and mixed breeds are the commonest dog breeds that have been most commonly associated with bites and they have often accounted for most of the dog bite injuries.
Looking at the case of a dog bite, the case may involve the following;
- Of all the animal bites occurrences there is, majority of them are caused by dogs. This is partly because dogs are the most common pets humans take on. Many people that are bit by dogs often require undergoing a reconstructive surgery.
- A dog bite may cause injuries that go beneath the skin including the blood vessels, bones, nerves, muscles.
- Keep in mind that you may catch infections like tetanus and rabies from a dog bite.
- You need to clean the wound immediately in order to reduce the risk of infection.
- You will increase the risk of infection when you try to repair the skin, you will balance the risk of infection if you sature the skin in relation to letting the scar to appear clearly.
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Who are more likely to be at a risk of a dog bite?
It is often the children that are presented for medical attention and these often lie in the age bracket of 5 to 9 years as compared to the other age groups. They are also particularly more common among these young boys .Men have also often been victims of dog bites as compared to the women (who are often bit by cats).In case your child gets a dog bite, please seek medical attention immediately especially for multiple or even serious bites. If the bites are in young children, they may even involve the head and neck. For older children and adults, you will often see the right hand as the site of injury more commonly.
What is the first aid for dog bites?
Just like for any other type of wounds, for a dog bite, first aid, exert pressure on wound to stop bleeding and then clean the area very extensively. There are definitely big chances of becoming infected with dog bites; it is therefore good precaution for children to take a 3 to 7 days antibiotic to prevent any kind of infection from developing. Therefore remember that because of this risk of infection, most of the dog bites are not stitch closed. However those bites on the face may be stitched as they are easily seen by the doctor thus often referred to as clean. If the child has got less than 3 doses, a shot of tetanus is a good preventive measure that you may need. If the bite has not been considered to be clean by the doctor, then they still need the tetanus shot especially when the dose was last taken more than 5 years even if they have had 3 or more tetanus shots. For cases of clean and minor bites, the child may need a tetanus booster if their last one was taken ten years ago.
In the case of rabies, you will need to be treated with a rabies vaccine within 48 hours of being bitten if the dog that bit you was not vaccinated or not found and especially in case where the dog was un provoked.
What is the treatment for a dog bite? Do I need treatment for a dog bite?
Children or even adults that have been bitten by a dog ought to find the help of a health care provider immediately. This should be done quickly especially if;
- the dog that bit you broke through the skin and bleeding does not cease 15 minutes of applying pressure.
- the victim of the dog bite has a liver disease, cancer, HIV infection, diabetes, or even when they are on a medication that weakens the immune system.
- there is a serious injury or a broken bone.
Treatment for a dog bite
After the assessment has been made and need for treatment been established, it is best to start on the treatment within the first 8 hours of the incidence of a dog bite. If it is indicated to begin treatment, you will highly reduce the risk of developing an infection within the 8 hours.
If the above does not apply to you, you should carefully watch the wound for any signs of infections. These could be warmth, redness, fever, a puslike discharge or even a worsening pain.
Watch out for any swellings, pain, and joint movement if the bite is near a joint. Even when your wound seems to worsen instead of improving, still seek for medical care.
Consider the following after a dog bite;
- Antibiotics. These will help to reduce any chances of infection of any sort especially among high risk people with other health complications like facial wounds or even those that are on joint or the bones.
- Tetanus immunization is good to avoid any further potential life threatening infections.
- Rabies immunization will also be required if the dog that bit the victim was infected with rabies after the medical care has determined that the series of injections are required to prevent rabies.
- Some wounds may be stitched after some long hours of a dog bite. However, they may also be left open to drain, covered with a dressing and also a daily examination for any signs of infection.
How do I manage an infected dog bite wound?
Those who fail to seek immediate medical attention may develop infection in the wound and in case of such happening; one requires a surgical treatment and antibiotics. For cases where one is unable to take care of the wound at home, or has concern for a worsening infection, then hospitalization is the recommendation, otherwise, the wound can be treated at home.
Even in cases of no evident and known signs like redness, one should seek for prompt medical care if they are at the risk of a wound infection.