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What to do about a small dog bite. What to do if bitten by a dog

“A dog is a man’s friend,” says the famous saying. But it is important to understand that communication with a dog, like with any other animal, is dangerous. First aid for a dog bite should be provided to the victim as soon as possible to avoid undesirable consequences for health.

Why is an animal bite dangerous for humans?

Not only stray animals, but also domestic animals pose a danger to humans. Dogs are especially likely to attack fighting breeds. First aid for a bite from a domestic or stray dog depends on the nature of the injury and the extent of the damage. Types of damage that a bite can cause:

state of shock;
bleeding;
soft tissue damage;
rabies infection.

After a bite, puncture or lacerations. A puncture wound is a puncture bite. In such cases, the depth of the wound exceeds its length. Lacerations occur when teeth drag across the skin with pressure. First aid for a dog bite should be carried out taking these factors into account.

Psychological shock

Don't underestimate psychological trauma damage that a dog attack can cause to a person. This is especially true when a child is injured. The children's psyche is less stable than that of adults, and therefore is more susceptible to external influences.

If a dog bites a child, first of all, it is important not to create panic, so as not to frighten the baby even more. You need to act quickly and judiciously. First aid after a dog bite, which must be provided to a child, does not differ from the procedures carried out with an adult victim. It is necessary to constantly talk to the child in a calm tone, while carefully treating the wound. You should also try to distract the child's attention. After the bite has healed, you may need to visit a child psychologist with your child.

Suffering psychological shock can also cause irreparable harm to people with a work disorder cardiovascular systems s and with nervous disorders.

Bleeding

Any bite that breaks the integrity of the skin is accompanied by bleeding. Since dogs have very sharp teeth, the bite can be deep enough to damage important arteries. Capillary bleeding- the most minor danger is venous and arterial bleeding.

Arteries are located in tissues close to bones. Arterial bleeding occurs with a deep bite. Blood in the arteries flows under strong pressure, so bleeding from the arteries is dangerous due to heavy loss of blood in a short time. The arteries are contained in muscularis propria and have the ability to contract. Thanks to this, arterial bleeding can stop on its own.

Venous bleeding is more common than arterial bleeding, since the veins are located closer to skin. When a vein is damaged, blood flows continuously and abundantly.

Help with bleeding

If there is bleeding, first aid for a dog bite will primarily consist of stopping the blood loss. The easiest way to stop bleeding is to press the wound with your fingers. If an artery is damaged, finger pressure is applied above the injured area.

Capillary bleeding occurs if, for example, a dog bites a finger by force. First aid does not provide for immediate stopping of bleeding. It is recommended to let the blood drain a little, this will prevent infection from entering the blood.

In case arterial bleeding it is necessary to apply a tourniquet above the damaged area. At venous bleeding you need to use clean pressure bandage. It is important to follow one rule: the bandage is applied for no more than an hour in warm weather and for no more than two hours in cold weather.

Bleeding after a dog bite threatens not only blood loss and, as a consequence, serious violation functioning of the human body. With such injuries, the likelihood of blood poisoning is very high. To avoid undesirable consequences, you must contact medical institution, where first aid will be provided in case of a dog bite.

Help with soft tissue damage

A dog bite is usually a puncture or laceration wound. A lacerated wound has jagged edges and takes quite a long time to heal. In addition, with deep damage, the likelihood of infection increases.

First aid for a dog bite or wound consists, first of all, of stopping the bleeding. Next, you should disinfect the damaged area of skin. To do this, the wound is first washed with soap and treated with an antiseptic. The use of hydrogen peroxide is recommended. After disinfecting the wound, apply an antibiotic ointment and bandage it with a sterile bandage. After carrying out all these measures, you should consult a doctor.

Infection during a bite

When a dog bites, there is a high probability of infection. It should be understood that even in the event of a bite domestic dog, vaccinated and healthy, many microbes accumulate on the animal’s teeth, which, when bitten, can enter the human body. The most common bacteria that can become infected after a bite are:

staphylococcus;
streptococcus;
Proteus;
corynobacteria.

The most dangerous bacteria are the ones that cause tetanus and rabies. Wound infection is accompanied by some symptoms. First, the skin around the bite becomes red and inflamed. A rash and white discharge from the wound may also appear. If such symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor immediately.

Help with an infected bite

Help with a dog bite resulting in infection is impossible at home. To avoid adverse consequences for the body, the victim must receive assistance qualified specialist. At home, you should only stop the bleeding by letting the blood drain for two minutes to reduce the risk of infection. You also need to treat the wound with an antiseptic.

Providing first aid for a dog bite will include suturing if the wound is lacerated, administering a vaccine to prevent the development of infection, and administering medicines, ensuring speedy healing of the bite.

Rabies

The greatest danger in a dog attack is the risk of contracting rabies from a sick animal. Rabies is viral disease, damaging the central nervous system. Without proper treatment, it will inevitably lead to death. The disease is most often transmitted when the saliva of an infected animal enters the human bloodstream.

Incubation period The illness can last up to six months. That is, the disease can make itself felt after the bite wounds have healed. A person has following symptoms diseases:

slight increase in body temperature;
fear of water;
irritability, aggression, panic attacks;
hallucinations.

It is important to understand that once symptoms of the disease appear, it is useless to fight the disease. The disease lasts for about a week. On last stage the disease causes paralysis of the limbs, eye muscles, then the functioning of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems of the body is disrupted, resulting in death.

Symptoms of rabies in dogs

Domestic dogs are less susceptible to rabies than stray dogs. However, the risk of infection of a healthy vaccinated pet still exists. If a person is attacked by a stray animal, there is a practice of catching such dogs in order to subsequently monitor them and identify signs of rabies. Infected dogs exhibit the following symptoms:

In the initial stages of the disease, such animals experience lethargy and lack of appetite. Dogs avoid people and do not go out in bright light.
At the next stage the animal exhibits unjustified aggression, completely refuses food, reacts painfully to loud sounds and bright light.
Late stages are accompanied by profuse salivation and apathy. Sharp sounds provoke the animal into aggressive behavior. Then paralysis sets in and the animal dies.

This form of rabies often occurs when the animal behaves very friendly and affectionately. If you suspect that your animal has been infected with rabies, you should contact your veterinarian, as the dog may pose a threat to others.

Treatment of rabies

In the event of a dog attack, you should contact a medical facility as soon as possible, even if the animal does not show signs of rabies. There is no exact period of incubation period for the disease, in each special case it is individual. Therefore, you should not wait for time after a dog attack; you should immediately consult a doctor.

If an attack and a dog bite occurs, first aid (rabies vaccine can be prescribed by a doctor) should be provided as soon as possible. After the vaccine is administered, the body begins to produce antibodies that fight the infection within about ten days. The vaccine is administered to the victim in several stages, the last one on the ninetieth day.

In addition to the vaccine, the victim is given an immunoglobulin drug. These are antibodies that fight the virus until the body begins to produce its own. An immunoglobulin injection is effective only in the first three days after possible infection. It is given to the affected area and intramuscularly.

If after the bite it was possible to catch the attacking animal, it is monitored over the next ten days. If during this period the dog did not die and did not show signs of rabies, vaccination can be interrupted.

Causes of aggressive behavior in dogs

According to statistics, more than one hundred and fifty thousand people suffer from dog attacks in Russia every year. Children and adolescents are especially often attacked. This is due to the child’s behavior: he is overly active, makes loud noises, and can accidentally hurt the dog. The animal becomes nervous when faced with such behavior, fears aggression from humans and, as a result, attacks first.

Very often an animal attacks when a person next to it is experiencing strong fear. The dog reacts to strong emotions and feels superior. A dog attacks in defense of its territory, its puppies, and also in response to aggressive human behavior.

From the above, we can conclude that the cause of aggression in a healthy, adequate animal in most cases is human behavior. Accordingly, a person is usually able to prevent an attack. But if an attack does occur, first aid for a dog bite should be provided as soon as possible.

A child was bitten by a dog on the street or at home, should he be vaccinated against rabies and tetanus? With rare exceptions, the victim must be taken to the emergency room. The fact is that the risk of getting an infection is high and the consequences of infection can be very severe.

A dog attack is always a shock, which means it can lead to psychological trauma. Besides this Possible physical consequences:

blood loss and injuries varying degrees heaviness;
infection;
tetanus infection;
rabies infection.

Blood loss and injury. The danger is that the dog may bite large vein or artery, and this is fraught with serious blood loss. If the bite was deep and strong, not only muscles, but also ligaments and even joints could be damaged.

Infection. IN open wound germs enter easily, and this leads to best case scenario To local inflammation tissues, at worst - to sepsis.

Tetanus infection. It happens when pieces of earth are introduced into the wound, which may well contain pathogens.

Rabies infection- the most dangerous result of a dog bite, because there is no cure for this disease if you do not get vaccinated in time. The outcome will be fatal.

Consequences of rabies infection

Moreover, his bite is not the only condition. It is enough for saliva to get on wounded skin or mucous membranes (in the eyes, nose or mouth).

The likelihood of infection increases depending on the number of pathogenic bacteria in the animal’s saliva, the state of immunity of the bitten child and the location where the bite occurred. The most dangerous for infection are:

face;
shoulders.

Important! The incubation period of rabies in humans can last from 10-15 days to 2-3 months. And during this period there will be no signs of illness.

Consequences of rabies infection in humans the following:

aggressive behavior, dry mouth;
seizures;
hallucinatory states;
a sharp increase in sensitivity;
fear of sudden sounds, bright lights and water;
spasm of the throat muscles, disturbances of consciousness, paresis;
death resulting from respiratory paralysis.

Signs of a mad dog

When bitten by a dog, signs of rabies in the animal appear as follows:

aggressive behavior;
eating what's for healthy dog of no interest: earth, rags, pieces of wood, etc.;
profuse drooling;
excessive reaction to sound, bright light or touch;
partial paralysis.

Attention! A rabid dog may not have these signs if the virus is still at the incubation stage, but it is already capable of infecting.

A child was bitten by a dog, what should I do?

An incident like this requires immediate action. A child was bitten by a dog, what should I do if the dog is stray, domestic or foreign? Let's look at it in detail further.

If bitten by a stray dog

If the dental damage is serious, call an ambulance immediately. If light, then first aid before going to the hospital you can provide it yourself. How to do this?

Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water for at least 5-10 minutes to remove as much dog saliva as possible.
Treat the damaged area of skin with peroxide and apply a cotton swab or gauze, secure it with a bandage. You can’t put pressure on the wound!
And take the child to the doctor as soon as possible.

Important! A course of rabies vaccinations will help if you start it any of the 12 days after the bite. Most late date- 2 weeks. But the sooner the doctor starts vaccination, the better.

What to do with the dog?

If you couldn’t catch it, you should at least remember to contact the state veterinary service. Its representatives They will catch the infected dog, and this will help prevent the spread of infection.

If the dog is caught and does not show signs of rabies, then it is still necessary to send it for examination. Because if the animal does not have the rabies virus in the laboratory, the child will not have to endure full course vaccinations.

Domestic dog

A child was bitten by a domestic dog, what should I do? First aid measures will remain the same, as well as recommendations for severe bite injury, however, in addition to this, you will need to do the following:

if it is someone else's domestic dog, ask its owner whether the animal has been vaccinated against rabies;
if yes, you need to ask when the last vaccination was given and with what vaccine, because the timing varies by 1-2 years;
if the dog owner cannot provide the necessary information, the doctor should be told that the dog was not vaccinated, so as not to take unnecessary risks;
If you are bitten by your own pet, you must also pay attention to the date of the last vaccination - has it expired?

In the case where a child is bitten by a domestic dog, but not vaccinated, it must be sent to veterinary clinic for quarantine. The pet will be kept there for no longer than 10 days, but they will definitely find out whether it has the rabies virus. If not, the child’s course of injections will be stopped.

To prevent such incidents in the future, it is advisable to have a conversation with the animal owner about the need for

Vaccination of a child after an incident: when is it necessary?

Mandatory conditions for a course of rabies vaccinations are considered:

a wound inflicted on a child by a stray dog, even if it showed no signs of rabies;
a wound inflicted on a child by a domestic unvaccinated dog, which could not be taken for examination after the attack;
presence of extensive or deep wound from a bite.

There is no need to be afraid of vaccination; the myth about 40 injections in the stomach is no longer relevant. Now vaccinations are given in the shoulder, they are painless and there are only 6 of them.

Attention! Even if a child has already been vaccinated against rabies less than a year before the second bite, a course of vaccinations still needs to be completed. But in this case there will be only 3 injections.

Children are usually vaccinated against tetanus at early age, and if there is such a vaccination, it is not repeated. If not, they will definitely do it.

When is vaccination not required?

There are few situations when vaccination is not carried out after a bite, but they do exist. And such exceptions include cases when:

a dog that bit a child;
the bite did not cause damage (for example, through a dense layer of tissue);
the wounds were caused by claws, i.e. the dog's saliva did not come into contact with the open wound or the child's mucous membranes.

A vaccinated dog bit a child, what should I do? If the damage to the skin tissue is significant, you will have to visit a traumatologist. On the contrary, in the case where the animal’s teeth did not harm the child, you can get by with disinfecting the affected areas yourself.

Showing it to a doctor: when is it necessary and when is it desirable?

A visit to the doctor is required in the following cases:

the dog was a street dog, rabid, unvaccinated, not vaccinated on time;
bite wounds are deep, extensive, serious (may need to be stitched up).

If the bite was such that it did not require a visit to the emergency room or hospital, then you need to see a doctor, When:

after the bite, the child’s temperature rises, the wound is inflamed and festeres;
tachycardia develops, the baby gets cold, sweating increases;
the lymph nodes near the bite site are inflamed.

In this case, there is a suspicion of sepsis, which requires quick measures. Therefore, you should promptly get an appointment with a doctor.

Compensation for a child being bitten by a dog

If the attacked animal was domestic, for its owner there are penalties provided for by law:

a person who deliberately set a dog on a child, faces a prison sentence;
when there was no bullying, but the child received physical injury, the owner of the animal is obliged to pay a fine in the amount that was spent on treating the baby;
The owner of the dog must also compensate in cash damage from the child’s things damaged by the bite: his shoes, clothes, etc.;
According to a court decision, the owner of an aggressive animal pays moral damage to the victim's family.

In conclusion, it remains to add that after all these measures the child should be shown to a psychologist, so that after the bite there is no mental trauma left.

Additionally, check out the video about what to do in a situation where a dog has bitten a child:

In Russia, annually, only registered dog bites when attacking a person is about two million cases. Moreover, these statistics do not include those people who do not seek medical help.

In this publication we will talk about what to do if a dog bites you and how to provide first aid to an adult and child if a domestic or stray dog has bitten an arm, leg, or finger.

In terms of the nature of the damage, dog bites resemble puncture or laceration wounds. But... P For any type of bite, always high probability wound infection.

This can be explained by the fact that in oral cavity(in the mouth) of any animal and person is always large number pathogenic microorganisms and viruses. A dog's teeth are sharp, and when he bites, germs inevitably get deep into the wound and then into the blood. In severe cases of attack on a person by dogs, a bitten adult or child may have not one wound, but several, including bites on the face, hands, and feet.

Dog attacks on children are especially dangerous! After all, unlike an adult, a child cannot always defend himself from an attack, so his parents always need to be on guard if there is a pet dog in the house. After all, she cannot always be a friend. All the more dangerous in this regard are females who have whelped, raising and feeding their offspring.

If you keep a dog at home or come to visit where to keep an animal at home, you need to know and follow a number of rules for handling dogs.

Rules for handling a domestic dog

never leave your child alone with an unfamiliar dog, and especially with several when you come to visit;
do not leave children at home alone with the family dog;
your child should never approach someone else's dog;
if the dog does not respect (rather, you cannot completely control it yourself) the child, be afraid that it will someday attack him;
if a dog does not look a person in the eye, it may attack;
if a dog bites once, it will definitely bite again;
you should never approach animals if they are eating, fighting or caring for each other;
never let cats or dogs lick an open wound;
Pets must be vaccinated against rabies.

When attacked by dogs

When a dog attacks a child or adult, you must first of all drag or drive away the animal. Anything you can get at hand is suitable for this: a stone, a stick, a fence picket, a bag, a mop, a trash can. Any dog bite should alert both parents and medical workers. There are two types of bites: superficial and deep. Each type requires a different approach.

Procedure for a bite: first aid

Treatment of the wound

The bite site - the wound - must be washed with warm soapy (laundry soap) solution for several minutes. Some experts suggest treating the wound itself with hydrogen peroxide.

It is worth using an antiseptic (potassium permanganate solution (pink solution), solution alcohol iodine, alcohol - no more than 70%) and treat the skin around the bite.

Dry the bite site and apply a sterile bandage.

In case of severe bleeding, it is necessary to take measures to stop it - use a tourniquet or a pressure bandage.

If the dog tore off some parts of the body - fingers, ears, etc., then it is necessary to pack the torn fragments in a clean plastic bag, cover the bag with ice, indicate the victim’s name on the bag and transfer it to the hospital.

If the dog is domestic

Taking into account the likelihood of contracting rabies (this almost always ends in fatal, if you do not start treatment), you must request a certificate of the dog’s vaccinations from the dog’s owner.

If the dog is stray

Immediately report the fact of an animal attack on a person to the state veterinary service. And help specialists with information about the whereabouts of the sick animal to catch the biter and place it in quarantine under veterinary sanitary supervision.

It is mandatory to go to the trauma center at your place of residence. A traumatologist will determine the damage from bites and provide medical care. You definitely need to know Is your child vaccinated against tetanus?

What not to do

Since the rabies virus is aimed at damaging the central nervous system (CNS) of a person, and the vaccination course is determined by the length of the incubation period, which is 10–90 days, it is clear that helping the virus by independently affecting the CNS is unacceptable. It's about about the inadmissibility of consuming alcohol and other drugs that depress the central nervous system, thereby helping the rabies virus.

Bites to the fingers and face of animals infected with the rabies virus are especially dangerous.

Folk remedies at home

I want to warn readers in advance that in cases where a dog has bitten, you need to do everything described above. And the family folk remedies for home use are provided for purely informational purposes as an addition to the above. Consultations with a surgeon and traumatologist have not been canceled! Consult them when treating dog bites.

When a dog or wolf bites a wound, after primary processing, apply paste from meadowsweet leaves or the leaves themselves.
The onion, ground with honey and vinegar and applied to the wound, helps with dog bites.
When bitten by animals, apply crushed grass, droplets, lotions to the wound sweet clover herbs or clove decoction.
Mint, applied with salt, treats dog bites.

Tips and recipes for treating dog bites from ancient folk medicine:

In ancient folk medicine books the following advice and recipes are given for the treatment of dog bites:

If you are bitten by a mad dog, it is recommended to wash the wound with salt water and moisturize it with nut oil until healing. In this case, nut oil is also used for internal use(1 tablespoon 3 times a day);
when bitten by rabid dogs, drink an infusion of immortelle inflorescences, 1 tablespoon three times a day;
according to ideas traditional medicine“vinegar, if given a pound in the morning and evening, will most quickly and completely cure hydrophobia”;
for any poisonous bites the most useful remedy take a long steam bath in a Russian steam bath (any poisons and toxic substances come out with sweat);
nettle with salt (in the form of a lotion) cleanses contaminated wounds and helps with dog bites;
With the bites of poisonous snakes, scorpions, as well as with dog bites, garlic with honey, which is taken orally and placed in the form of a paste on the wound, helps.

Video on the topic

Dog bite: what to do?

In the video, Izot Yufa, an assistant at the Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics at the IPCSZ, talks about what to do if a person is bitten by a dog.

A dog has bitten you, run to the hospital!

I’ll tell you from a personal example: what to do if you are bitten by a dog. Where to go, what injections, bite prevention, how to avoid getting rabies. Adviсe veterinarian Polina Platonova on the Lina Vet channel.

Relevance of the problem aggressive behavior The problem of dogs is often covered by various media, shocking ordinary people with terrible details. But, despite existing legislative documents regulating the keeping of pets, attacks and bites are not decreasing. This problem is so multifaceted that it is quite difficult to consider it in one publication. Let us pay attention to some aspects of this problem.

Before you know what to do if a dog bites you, it’s worth understanding what causes it to be aggressive.

Dog teeth have certain characteristics anatomical structure. Since a dog is a predator, then main role fangs were once used to obtain food. Today they are practically not in demand among pets, but have not lost their functionality.

It is the fangs that inflict deep penetrating wounds during bites, causing ruptures not only of muscles, but also blood vessels, tendons and nerves. Other teeth also take part in the bite - painters and pre-painters. They act like sharp scissors, cutting tissue and crushing small bones. It should be taken into account that when closing the jaws, a huge force develops, which leads not only to damage to soft tissues, but also to bones. This force in fighting breeds is equal to more than 6 atmospheres. This is quite enough to inflict a very serious wound on an adult, and it threatens a child with the loss of a limb.

There are three types of bites:

A blow with the teeth, or an incomplete bite. The animal does not close its mouth, but strikes with its upper jaw teeth. Such a bite is a warning of an attack. If you retreat in time and retreat from the attacking dog, then there may not be subsequent bites.
A jerk is the next movement of the teeth made by the attacking animal. The tug causes complex lacerations, with rupture of muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves. As a rule, an aggressive dog is not limited to just one jerk, but does several, thereby aggravating the victim’s condition.
A permanent grip is a type of biting also called a “death grip.” Characteristic of hunting breeds that are used in hunting big game - wild boar, bear, elk. Fighting breeds have the same grip.

For many centuries, dogs have lived next to humans. Why does she attack him, what makes her do this?

Why does a dog bite

Despite long history relationships with humans, the dog still remains a predator. The instinct, seemingly hidden behind centuries-old friendship, does not go away. The dog knows how to attack and does it perfectly when necessary. If we add to the presence of instinct the improper upbringing of a pet, then it will manifest it in certain situations. This primarily applies to dogs with unstable psyches.

So, a bite is a manifestation of aggression. There are three types of it:

Predatory, most often manifested by hungry animals. Sometimes, dogs with mental disorders can attack humans. Stray dogs that hunt in packs are especially dangerous in this regard.
Hierarchical. According to the hierarchy, if a pet is not raised correctly, it can consider itself the leader of the “home pack” and attack family members and even its owner. If a domestic dog allows itself to growl at its owner when he takes away a treat from him or drives him out of bed, then he considers himself the leader in the family. Under certain circumstances, it is possible that he may attack. At the same time it is wrong well behaved dog repeats acts of aggression in the future.
Defensive - associated with fear of physical punishment, fright or an unusual situation for the animal. Often, even the sweetest pets can get angry, defending themselves from unfamiliar adults or children who are trying to get to know the dog in an inappropriate manner.

So, a dog, even a well-trained one, can show aggression and bite a person. What to do after this?

Algorithm of actions in case of a bite

Take action necessary measures against even a small bite is necessary in order to prevent the dire consequences– rabies. This is a viral disease that is almost always fatal for a person bitten by a sick animal. The incubation period can be from 10 days to a year. The closer the bite is to the head, the more danger development of this disease. Even if a person is bitten by a dog that is healthy with respect to rabies, there is always a danger of infection of the wounds caused by its teeth. Therefore, it is necessary to call an ambulance. The doctor will record the presence of bites and provide qualified medical care.

Before the arrival of specialists, it is necessary to perform a number of actions:

Wash the bite area clean water with soap to clean wound surface from dirt and saliva. IN in this case Antibacterial soap is most suitable.
Treat the wound with an antiseptic. This may be a solution of hydrogen peroxide or chlorhexidine. Then carefully treat the edges of the wound with iodine solution.
If the bleeding is minor, it should not be stopped until emergency personnel arrive. At heavy bleeding It is necessary to apply a tight sterile bandage.

If it is not possible to call an ambulance, then you should call for help yourself. medical assistance. In a trauma center or hospital, the victim is treated with special solutions and stitches are applied.

Possible consequences

The bite can be superficial, but most often an aggressive animal causes dangerous damage. What is their danger?

the bitten area swells, which indicates injured tissue and infection;
are increasing significantly lymph nodes(inguinal, axillary and others);
severe headaches occur;
body temperature rises;
I am concerned about the severe pain of the wound.

But, as already noted, the most dangerous consequence bite is the development of rabies. If the dog is unfamiliar or stray, then it is necessary to give injections against this disease. Such injections are performed in the shoulder, in the amount of 6 pieces, at equal intervals over three months.

If pet If he is vaccinated against rabies, he will be monitored for 10 days. If the animal does not have signs of the disease (unusual behavior - aggressiveness, or unreasonable affection towards everyone, uneven gait, drooling, fear of hydrophobia), then injections do not need to be given. But, to be on the safe side, doctors recommend rabies injections. The vaccine can help if it is administered to the affected person no later than 14 days after the bite.

The danger of the rabies virus to humans is severe consequences. Penetrating the body, it quickly spreads through the blood and affects the entire nervous system. Initial stage the disease is characterized low-grade fever body, cephalalgia, restless behavior, lack of appetite and dyspeptic symptoms. As the infection progresses, inflammation of the brain progresses and the following symptoms develop:

aggressiveness;
paralytic convulsions;
hallucinations;
heavy salivation;
water and photophobia.

If convulsions become paralytic in nature, paralysis is possible respiratory center and subsequent death.

Therefore, if the first warning symptoms occur after a bite, you should immediately consult a doctor. A person suspected of having rabies should be examined using special laboratory tests. For research, a sample of saliva and cerebrospinal fluid is taken from him.

Compensation for harm to the victim

The victim needs to contact not only a medical institution, but also the police. The fact is that the dog owner is responsible for the actions of his pet within the framework of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Punishment provided by law may be in the form of a fine, restriction of freedom or other measures.

In addition, the owner aggressive dog in voluntary or forcibly must reimburse the cost of treatment through the court. The victim may demand compensation in the amount of average monthly earnings, corresponding in size to the sick leave payment.

If a dog bites a child

Many dogs do not like children, since kids express their delight towards them using not entirely adequate methods: they grab the dog by the nose, ears, tail. Animals do not like this treatment, especially if the child is not from his family. What to do if a child is bitten by a dog?

All of the above measures for an adult victim also apply to a child. But it should be taken into account that when a dog attacks a child, he receives severe psycho-emotional trauma. He gets very scared, and if an adult behaves incorrectly, the fear will be even greater. Therefore, in addition to treating the bite, the child needs professional help. pediatric neurologist and a psychologist.

How to protect yourself from bites

The main measures to prevent dog bites are to limit all contact with strangers and stray dogs. There are several simple rules for adults and children, following which you can reduce the risk of being bitten:

Do not grab the dog by the face, ears and tail, even in games.
Do not make sudden movements or wave your arms in the presence of an unfamiliar dog.
Do not look the animal in the eye for too long. It sees this as a challenge and may attack.
Do not touch the animal while feeding, do not take food away from it.
Don't run away from someone approaching unfamiliar dog. He may regard this as a signal to attack.

To summarize, we can conclude that a dog, despite centuries of experience of living together with a person, despite friendship and devotion to him, still remains a part of nature. Her ancient instincts as a predator should be respected and she should be raised so that they do not awaken to the detriment of people's health.

You can also ask questions to our site's in-house veterinarian, who will answer them as quickly as possible in the comment box below.

We are all familiar with the expression “a dog is man’s friend” and, undoubtedly, this is true, however, despite the fact that these animals are really smart and very attached to humans, we often have to deal with the aggression of these pets. A bite from a domestic dog is fraught with consequences negative consequences, because when bitten, it enters our body through saliva huge amount harmful bacteria and viruses, which, if not detected in a timely manner, subsequently develop into serious illnesses. In this article we will tell you about what you need to do if you are bitten by a dog.

Causes of dog aggressiveness

So, first of all, you should never forget that a dog is a predator, therefore, despite the fact that you, like no one else, are confident in your pet “friend,” you should always pay attention to the behavior of your dog. The most common reasons Dog aggression is hereditary or genetic factors. Also, your pet’s anger may be provoked by hunger or excessive severity towards him. You should be careful with your dog when playing: the animal can get too playful and accidentally bite you.

While on a walk, your dog can also show aggression if it smells an individual of the opposite sex nearby. Of particular danger are stray dogs, which in most cases are predisposed towards humans aggressively. Such dogs should never be teased or attracted to their attention.

Why is a dog bite dangerous?

Dogs are predatory animals, which means, like any other predator, they have two fangs on the lower and upper jaws which, when bitten, cause very dangerous damage. Dogs also have the peculiarity of not chewing, but swallowing food whole, and therefore a dog bite can lead to rupture of blood vessels, nerves and tendons. Sometimes the “attack” of this animal can even lead to broken bones.

The bites themselves can be divided into several types. The first type of bite is when the animal pierces the skin, resulting in the formation of puncture wound. The second type includes a bite, which subsequently forms a lacerated wound, where you can observe profuse bleeding which is very difficult to stop.

streptococcus;

staphylococcus;

hemophilus;

enterobacter;

fusobacterium;

Moraxella.

In addition to the harmful bacteria themselves, there are a number of diseases that are transmitted through a dog bite to a person:

rabies;

tetanus;

blood poisoning;

if joints or bones were affected by the bite, then diseases such as arthritis and osteomelitis may develop;

meningitis.

The first sign that after a bite you are infected with some disease is the release of a whitish fluid from the site of injury. Also, during the first 2-8 hours after the bite, a reddish rash may appear around the wound. Also special attention You should pay attention to the following symptoms:

a sharp increase in body temperature;

hallucinations;

aversion to water;

profuse sweating, fever;

muscle spasms.

All of the above symptoms may indicate infection with such dangerous diseases, like sepsis (blood poisoning) and rabies. If you have these symptoms, you should immediately consult a specialist, because these diseases can only be cured in the early stages.

What to do if you are bitten by a dog

the wound should be washed thoroughly (for 15 minutes) with a solution of warm water and laundry soap; the alkali it contains has a destructive effect on bacteria and viruses that have entered the wound;

if possible, apply an ointment to the wound that acts as an antibiotic;

After providing first aid, it is strongly recommended to contact a specialist who will prescribe you competent treatment. No matter how deep your wound is, mandatory You will be prescribed antibiotics and, at your doctor's discretion, may receive a tetanus and rabies vaccination.

What not to do if a dog bites you

If after a bite you do not have too much bleeding, it is not recommended to immediately try to stop it, since it is with the blood that harmful microorganisms and viruses will be removed from the body.

Also, under no circumstances should you apply a tight bandage to the wound.

In addition, it is worth remembering that self-medication is absolutely forbidden without visiting an appropriate specialist! Even if the bite was committed at a late time, after providing first aid you should definitely consult a doctor.

How to Avoid a Dog Bite

In addition to the fact that a dog can inherit its aggressiveness, most often we ourselves act as provocateurs of their anger towards us. We should be especially careful in the following moments:

during a fight between several dogs; no matter how confident you are in your pet, another dog can bite you;

Do not approach the dog while eating; they fiercely defend their “prey” even from their masters;

You should not take puppies from the dog;

do not disturb an animal that is sleeping;

be extremely careful and attentive while playing with your pet; very often dogs bite completely by accident;

be careful with stray dogs; try to prevent them from “communicating” with your home “friends”;

Don’t forget that dogs are very smart creatures: you shouldn’t shout, much less use physical strength for the purpose of punishment - sooner or later the dog may “take revenge” on you.