Dogs are lovable and make great companions. They seem cuddly and always ready to accept a caress. However, not all dogs are this way 100% of the time. There are times when a dog will bite you. Some of these dogs are aggressive, but some of them are usually mild-mannered but will still bite under certain circumstances.
Although you are unlikely to be bitten by a dog, there is still some risk. This is especially true if you have a dog yourself since this puts you in close proximity to lots of dogs very often. This means that you should have a plan on what to do if you are ever bitten by one. Hopefully, the owner of the dog has pet insurance but you still may need to hire an attorney like this one so view their website for more information. In this article, we will go over several tips to help you in case you are bitten one day.
1 – Treat the wound
Once the dog has been restrained and is no longer a threat to you or those around you, you will need to determine how bad the wound is. If it is under some clothing make sure to remove it so you can see the wound clearly. If it is bleeding profusely, then you will need to find something to put pressure on it to stop the bleeding. A towel or an article of clothing will work to do this.
Get to a hospital as soon as you can if it continues to bleed and looks as though it is going to require stitches. If putting a towel over it for a few minutes is enough to stop the bleeding then you can try to clean the area around the wound with some warm soapy water.
Don’t try to clean the wound directly as it can irritate things and make it painful. It is the area surrounding the wound that can end up causing an infection so it needs to be cleaned up as soon as possible.
If you decide to treat the wound yourself at home, make sure to keep a close eye on it to see if there are any changes over the coming days. It could get infected so if it gets swollen and sensitive to the touch increasingly over the next few days then you will need to go to the doctor for some antibiotics.
2 – Exchange information
The moment that you get bitten will be chaotic and confusing. In the heat of the moment, you may not get the information of the person whose dog it was that bit you. This is common when the injury is significant and you have to rush to the hospital.
If there is time then it is very important to stop the owner of the dog and get their information. They may be reluctant to give it to you so you may have to call the police to come and act on your behalf to write up a report and get the owner’s information themselves.
Make sure to also get the information of any witnesses to the attack as you may have to escalate things and get lawyers involved. These witnesses will provide a valuable testimony to your lawyer that will help you if things go to court.
3 – Watch for rabies
Most dogs don’t want to bite, especially those that are with their owner. However, there are times when dogs are strays or have gotten out of their yard. These dogs could be acting strangely because they were bit by an animal with rabies. If you are then bitten by them you could end up with rabies yourself.
There is a shot for rabies that you will need to get right away if this is the case. Rabies is a serious disease that can cause death so it is important that you don’t wait too long to seek help if you suspect the dog had it. Waiting a few days could be a bad decision and can make it difficult to get treated.
If the dog is acting strangely and not like a typical dog then this is a sign. The fact that the dog bit you could also be a sign since most dogs don’t bite. After you’ve checked and treated the wound, call animal control to let them know about the attack and they will get the dog off of the streets.
These are general guidelines only and you should always consult with your doctor.
Tags: pet insurance
