Treatments for a person bitten by a dog

Dogs are predators that attack with strong sharp teeth that can deliver up to 450 pounds of pressure per square inch. When a dog bites, the sharp teeth will sink in the flesh, the strong jaws will lock creating either deep puncture wounds or serious lacerations. Depending on the body part bitten, the dog bite can cause lifelong injuries that will limit the victim’s mobility. A serious dog bite can even kill a person. Wounds are not the only concerns of dog bite victims because when the teeth puncture the flesh infection and disease-causing bacteria are injected on the puncture wounds as well. A potential life threatening outcome of dog bites is rabies.

Because of humans’ constant interaction with dogs, dog bites cannot be totally prevented. Children are the most common victims of dog bites and often times, the kid is bitten by the pet. How do you treat a dog bite?

First aid must be administered on dog bite wounds to prevent infection but treatment must not be started until the dog is removed to prevent further attacks. Dog bites can create two types of wounds – deep puncture wounds and lacerations. Puncture wounds are prone to infection because when the teeth sink into the flesh, bacteria is injected. Dog bites can result to serious skin lacerations.

Puncture wounds normally don’t bleed profusely thus the wound has to be allowed to bleed for a few minutes to flush out the bacteria from the wound. Heavy bleeding is common in dog bites that have created skin lacerations. Bleeding has to be stemmed by applying direct pressure on the wound. Thorough cleaning is necessary for both types of wounds to prevent infection.

Dog bites can cause skin lacerations that need to be sutured but before taking the victim to a medical facility the bite wound must be cleaned thoroughly as bacteria allowed to stay inside the skin for several hours will have an opportunity to cause infection. Washing the wound with antibacterial soap for about five minutes will lessen the risk of infection. Before covering the bite wound with sterile gauze, apply a generous amount of antibiotic ointment. A dog bite victim will be in pain. Ice compress applied on the bite wound would reduce the swelling and also lessen the pain.

Rabies would always be a concern with dog bites especially if the immunization status of the dog is unknown. f the dog bite is caused by a stray dog it is imperative for the victim to be immunized against the rabies virus .

Find out more about how to treat a dog bite as well as dog first aid tips for lacerations and puncture wounds.