Dog Bites

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By Nurse Diane

This past weekend I had to babysit my 4-legged grandkids.  My son and his wife came for a visit, and they have 3 dogs.  Two of them stayed with me, while the third went to stay with my parents.  They are very good dogs, but two of them are rescue dogs, and had been abused.  This concerns me, because you never know what they have lived through, and when they may snap at you for no reason.  I have always been a little leery of large dogs, having been bitten when I was younger.  I try to keep my distance, especially if I do not know the animal.

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Dog bites are very common, and are one of the many things that are brought to court on Judge Judy.  The primary message that Judge Judy discusses is to always keep a leash on your dog, and keep them under you control.  This is why the leash laws were established, to prevent injury and any other property damage.

Some tips to follow when bitten by a dog include:

Stay Safe. Secure the dog or the victim. Move one away from the other. If the dog's owner is around, instruct him or her to secure the dog. If not, move the victim to a safe location. Dogs may bite because their territory is threatened. Don't start any treatment until there is a reasonable expectation that the dog won't attack again.

If you are not the victim, practice universal precautions and wear personal protective equipment if available.

Control any bleeding by following the appropriate steps. Avoid using a tourniquet unless there is severe bleeding that cannot be controlled any other way.

Once the bleeding is controlled, clean the wound with soap and warm water. Do not be afraid to clean inside the wound. Be sure to rinse all the soap away, or it will cause irritation later.

Cover the wound with a clean, dry dressing. You can put antibiotic ointment on the wound before covering. Watch for signs of infection:

• Redness
• Swelling
• Heat
• Weeping pus

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Always call a physician to determine if you should be seen. Some dog bites need antibiotics, particularly if they are deep puncture wounds. Additionally, many municipalities have regulations for reporting dog bites and monitoring the dogs, and that is often initiated by contact with a doctor.

Any unidentified dog runs the risk of carrying rabies. If the dog cannot be identified and the owner cannot show proof of rabies vaccination, the victim must seek medical attention. Rabies is always fatal to humans if not treated.

The wound may need stitches. If the edges of a laceration are unable to touch, or if there are any avulsions, the wound will need emergency medical attention. Wounds on the face or hands should be seen by a physician because of the likelihood of scarring and loss of function.

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Help Prevent and Control Rabies

By Diane Forrest, RN

September 28 is World Rabies Day, a global health observance that seeks to raise awareness about rabies and enhance prevention and control efforts. World Rabies Day has been celebrated in countries throughout the world, including the U.S.

World Rabies Day is an excellent time to take steps that can help prevent and control rabies, such as vaccinating pets including dogs and cats and providing education on how to avoid the animals that typically transmit rabies: raccoons, bats, skunks, and foxes.

Rabies is a deadly viral infection that is mainly spread by infected animals, human rabies have been linked to bats and raccoons.  There have been no reports of rabies caused by dog bites in the United States for a number of years due to widespread animal vaccination.  The actual time between infection and when you get sick (called the "incubation period") ranges from 10 days - 7 years. The average incubation period is 3 - 7 weeks.

Symptoms of Rabies:

• Anxiety, stress, and tension
• Drooling
• Convulsions
• Exaggerated sensation at the bite site
• Excitability
• Loss of feeling in an area of the body
• Loss of muscle function
• Low-grade fever (102 degrees F or lower)
• Muscle spasms
• Numbness and tingling
• Pain at the site of the bite
• Restlessness
• Swallowing difficulty (drinking causes spasms of the voicebox)
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Tests:

• If an animal bites you, try to gather as much information about the animal as possible. Call your local animal control authorities to safely capture the animal. If rabies is suspected, the animal will be watched for signs of rabies.
• A special test called immunofluorescence is used to look at the brain tissue after an animal is dead. This test can reveal whether or not the animal had rabies.

Treatment:

• Clean the wound well with soap and water, and seek professional medical help. You'll need a doctor to thoroughly clean the wound and remove any foreign objects. Most of the time, stitches should not be used for animal bite wounds.
• If there is any risk of rabies, you will be given a series of a preventive vaccine. This is generally given in 5 doses over 28 days.
• Most patients also receive a treatment called human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG). This is given the day the bite occurred.

Prevention:

• To help prevent rabies:
• Avoid contact with animals you don't know.
• Get vaccinated if you work in a high-risk occupation or travel to countries with a high rate of rabies.
• Make sure your pets receive the proper immunizations. Dogs and cats should get rabies vaccines by 4 months of age, followed by a booster shot 1 year later, and another one every 1 or 3 years, depending on the type of vaccine used.
• Follow quarantine regulations on importing dogs and other mammals in disease-free countries.

For more information click on this site:  http://www.cdc.gov/worldrabiesday/