you’re playing with your dog, and somehow, between growls and tail wags, it can happen. or alternatively, you could be walking down a street and an unknown mutt can attack without warning. we do not endorse non-cleveland clinic products or services. policy either way, there are steps you need to take right away to treat the wound and reduce the risk of infection. a dog’s front teeth will grab and compress your tissue, and their smaller teeth can also tear your skin. if the wound becomes infected, it is often severe, says emergency medicine physician stephen sayles iii, md. “you may need hospitalization and require intravenous antibiotics.
you should always see a primary care provider if you’re bitten.” no matter what, make sure you see a doctor within eight hours of a dog bite, he says. your doctor will want to know more about the dog that bit you and how it happened. he or she will also likely clean the wound again, apply antibiotic ointment and prescribe antibiotics, such as augmentin, if there’s an infection concern. while a tetanus immunization is good for 10 years, dr. sayles notes, your doctor may recommend a booster if the wound is dirty and it’s been more than five years since your last shot. generally, though, dog wounds are left open to heal unless they are on the face or if they could leave particularly severe scars if left unsutured. unvaccinated and feral dogs can also potentially carry — and transfer — rabies, so your doctor will want to know details about the dog that bit you. we do not endorse non-cleveland clinic products or services. find out how to treat cat and dogs bites and why it’s important to see your doctor quickly.
in fact, dogs bite about 4.7 million americans every year, half of them children between ages 5 and 9. one out of every five of those bites causes an injury that requires medical attention, according to the centers for disease control. children are also more likely than adults to be injured by a dog bite. dog bites can cause infections that need to be treated with antibiotics. then the doctor will thoroughly clean the bite wound to remove any dirt or bacteria, and may also remove dead tissues from the wound. sometimes, sutures are used to close a dog bite wound; however, this practice is controversial.
for example, dog bites on the face may be sutured to prevent visible scars. your doctor will also take measures to prevent infection. it’s rare for dogs in the u.s. to have rabies, but if the dog’s health status is unknown, or the dog tests positive for rabies, you will need to get a rabies vaccine, a series of shots over a 2-week period. the doctor will also make sure that you are up to date on your tetanus shot. the doctor may ask you to come back in one to three days to have the injury rechecked.
7 steps to treating a dog bite ; wash the wound. use mild soap, and run warm tap water over it for five to 10 minutes. ; slow the bleeding with a place a clean towel over the injury to stop any bleeding. try to keep the injured area elevated. wash the bite carefully with soap and water. washing the wound to prevent infection. you can use mild soap and run warm water on the area for 10 to 15 minutes. if the wound is very dirty,, my dog bit me and drew blood, food to avoid after dog bite, level 2 dog bite treatment, level 2 dog bite treatment, dog bite infection symptoms.
stop the wound from bleeding by applying direct pressure with a clean, dry cloth. wash the wound. use mild soap and warm, running water. apply dog bite treatment at home first, quickly assess the wound. if there is no blood, wash the bite with soap and water as soon as possible. if the wound is what to do wash the bite area with soap and water. if the bite is bleeding, put pressure on it using sterile gauze or a clean cloth. if the bleeding has, vaccinated dog bite, dog bite wound, pictures of infected dog bites, how soon after dog bite do i need tetanus.
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