November 22nd, 2010 by Jenny

Being predators, dogs uses their strong teeth that can deliver about 450 lbs per square inch pressure when they attack. A dog’s needle sharp teeth and very strong jaws can create deep puncture wounds or tear the flesh away. One reason why people are intimidated by dogs is because a serious dog bites can maim the victim for life. A serious dog bite can even kill a person. When a dog sinks its teeth on the flesh of the victim, bacteria will be injected on the deep puncture wounds causing infections and viral diseases. One of the life threatening consequences of dog bite is rabies.

It would be very hard to prevent dog bites because dogs are the most common animal companions of man. Dog bites that are most common in children are often caused by the family’s own dog. So, 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. A dog bite can either be deep puncture wound or lacerations. Puncture wounds are prone to infection because when the teeth sink into the flesh, bacteria is injected. Lacerations occur when the dog’s teeth tear away the skin.

Puncture wounds that are not heavy bleeders must be allowed to bleed so that the bacteria will be cleansed 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.

Serious skin lacerations resulting from dog bites cannot be treated at home as the wound normally needs to be sutured however, thorough cleaning of the dog bite would still be necessary so as not to give the bacteria a chance to cause infection. Use antibacterial soap on the bite wound for about five minutes to minimize the risk of infection. Generously apply antibiotic ointment on the bite wound and then cover with sterile gauze. Dog bites would always be painful. By applying ice compress, the swelling that causes most of the pain will be reduced.

Dog bite victims will always be concerned with rabies more so if the dog’s immunization status is not verified. A person bitten by a stray dog must have to undergo a series of injections that constitute rabies therapy .