Dog bites are a serious issue and they need to be treated right away. It’s vital that you know how to handle a dog bite depending on the type. The very first thing that you should always do is assess the damage. Take a close look at the affected area and determine just how serious the bite is and how you should respond to it. After you’ve assessed the damage, it’s time to treat your bite completely.
Cleaning the Wound
Animal bites can transfer bacteria and other nasties that can make you sick. Whether you have puncture wounds or just small abrasions from the bite, it’s important to clean them out soon after being bitten. Douse the wounds with hydrogen peroxide and then decide whether or not you want to bandage them. Only very serious bites require bandaging, all the others are fine left open, but can be bandaged after being cleaned if you prefer.
Talking with the Owner
Immediately after being bit it’s important to talk with the owner of the dog if you can. Ask for their information and ask for proof of a rabies vaccine to make sure you don’t need to go through a round of rabies shots. If the owner isn’t present you should immediately call 911 and start getting rabies vaccines and alert animal control to have them try and capture the dog before it has a chance to attack someone else.
Don’t make the mistake of trying to catch the dog yourself, leave that up to animal control.
Alerting Animal Control
After being bitten by someone else’s dog, it’s important to contact animal control as well as the police to ensure that the dog doesn’t bite other people as well. Action will be taken to keep the dog away from other people more effectively and keep the community safer.
How to Respond to Bites from Your own Dog
A bit from a stranger’s dog is scary and can be very traumatizing, but it’s generally not as surprising as a bite that’s delivered by your own dog. It’s important to assess the situation that you were bitten in, directly after a bite from your own dog. Consider if your dog felt threatened or was in the middle of a fight when it bit you. Also, consult with a vet to find out if your dog is injured in any way. An injured dog is more likely to bite its owner to try and protect itself.
If you’re having aggression problems with your dog it’s important to seek out quality dog training as soon as possible.
If you live in the Spring Hill or Tampa area Stephanie from Super Dog Center can help your dog get past aggression issues and to become a more obedient, happier and safer animal. A quality dog trainer can identify the underlying reasons for a dog bite and help alleviate the problem while promoting a healthier relationship.
Dog bites are a very serious issue and it’s important that you have legal representation if you or someone you love suffers from an aggressive dog. Campione Law can represent you in court and help you get the compensation that you deserve after such a traumatic event. The company is known for aggressive legal representation and for getting results after dog bite attacks. Talk with Campione Law today and learn exactly what you can do after an attack.
