Dog bites are not only relatively common, but they can be incredibly dangerous. If you’re bitten by a dog, you run the risk of the obvious wound to your flesh or bone, but you also are at risk for an infection, including tetanus and rabies. It can be helpful to know how to treat such an injury and be prepared to avoid infection as much as possible, so here are five helpful facts about dangerous dog bites.
If a dog bites you, you’ll need to take immediate care of it. Here are the basics for what to do to get and keep your wound clean before visiting a doctor.
Your doctor will ask for information about the dog and the incident itself and may re-dress your wound and prescribe antibiotics or other medications to help prevent infection. They may also recommend that stitches be applied to the wound, depending on the depth, although if they are surface wounds they are left to heal without sutures.
A tetanus immunization lasts ten years, so make sure to stay on top of it to avoid getting tetanus from multiple sources, including dog bites. You can often get your tetanus shot at the same time you receive other inoculations. Staying on top of your immunizations and booster shots is the best way to avoid unexpected, avoidable infections that can come from just about anywhere.
The most obvious signs of infection are swelling, redness, fever, or increased pain in the area. If you suspect an infection, head to the doctor so that the wound can be worked on again and so that you can be prescribed the proper medication to take care of the resultant infection.
While the incubation period for rabies is normally two to three months, it can still vary anywhere from 1 week to an entire year. These variations are entirely dependent on where the virus entered your body (the location of your dog bite wound) and the bite’s viral load, which is how much rabies virus was present at the time of the bite.
Dog bites are serious, and you should always consult your doctor. You should also hold onto all medical and other documentation related to the bite when consulting with an attorney. You may be entitled to compensation depending on the circumstances surrounding the bite and the severity of the resulting injury.
blogs
Bicycle Accidents
Bicycles may be a reliably safe mode of transportation but, as in so many accidents out in the world, the problem is not often with the mode of transportation you’re in, but how the person who hits you is traveling. Every year, more than 50,000 bicyclists are injured in collisions with automobiles. Too few of […]
Clearing Up Workers Compensation Misconceptions
If we hear the term “workers comp,” we probably feel like we understand the basics – if you get hurt on the job, you file for workers comp, you get time off to heal and hopefully a little extra something along with your salary to make it all easier. In an ideal world, sure, it […]
What to Look for When Hiring an Attorney
In Arizona and California, two big car cultures on the grow, you’re statistically more likely to be involved in some sort of motor vehicle accident or have some other legal concerns surrounding your automobile. Other injuries, like dog bites and slip and falls, are all-too common, and can be difficult to navigate with some kind […]
Apps for Increased Rideshare Safety
Rideshares can be fun and convenient, but if you’re putting your life in the hands of a stranger by taking a rideshare, you’ll want to feel safe. No one wants to be put in a situation where they feel unsafe or lost, or where they might end up in a ridesharingaccident. Here are some apps […]
More Apps for Increased Rideshare Safety
If every ride you take is just you and an unknown driver, it doesn’t hurt to look into your safety options. And while any unsure situation could potentially turn dangerous, you can do yourself a favor by finding helpful methods for letting people know where you are and where you’re going to be, and generally […]
Four Medical Alert and Slip and Fall Apps
Slip and fall accidents are unfortunately rather common in the US. The part that many people often miss when discussing slip and fall accidents, though, is that it is not just the elderly who suffer from them. Anyone of any age can have an accident, and people of all walks of life may have chronic […]
Five Pedestrian Accident Facts
Some numbers have Arizona as the most dangerous state in the U.S. when it comes to pedestrians. They are in the most danger by simply being outnumbered, which means accidents are likely to rise as the number of automobiles on the road continues to rise. It is important for you to not only understand how […]
Winter Slip and Fall Accident Tips
Whether your winter is cold and snowy or just plain cold, winter is a time when slipand fall accidents are increasingly likely. Cold, wind, ice and snow are problems on their own and when they combine, it’s a perfect storm of injury possibilities. Typically, these conditions result in bruises and bumps, but there’s always the […]
Five Safety Products for Motorcycle Riders
Approximately ten percent of motor vehicle deaths in the United States can be attributed to motorcycleaccidents. Safe riding and defensive driving are important to all motor vehicle operations, of course, but making sure you’re stocked up on the right equipment to make your ride as safe as possible is critical to avoiding accidents or, in […]
How Dangerous are Ride Shares?
Everyone with a smartphone now has access to the next generation of personalized, private transportation. It used to be a matter of calling and reserving a cab or, in some places, hailing one from the side of the road. Since ridesharing is a new phenomenon, however, all of the kinks are still being worked out, […]
formulario de contacto