Dealing With Bites
Dogs are most commonly bitten by another dog, a cat or a rat.
1. Dog bites
There is invariably some degree of penetration with this injury, and it is important that a close watch be kept on such injuries until they have completely healed, as abscess formation is a constant danger if healing of the skin wound is too rapid. Immediately the bite is found the hair should be clipped away from the wound. This is very necessary with the longhaired breeds. A thorough search should be made for other wounds; these often have only small skin openings and may be easily overlooked. The wounds should then be thoroughly cleansed with cotton wool soaked in warm water containing a suitable antiseptic.
Any injury near the eyes should be swabbed with warm water only. This should be done twice daily for at least 5 days, and in the event of any heat or hardness developing in the injured region a veterinary surgeon should be informed.
If larger than about half an inch, any tear in the skin alone, or skin and muscle, should be seen at once by a veterinary surgeon in order that any stitching that may be necessary can be carried out promptly. It is important that such wounds are not left many hours as once secondary infection occurs and granulation tissue form, a wound cannot be stitched satisfactorily.
Bites on the head, limbs or genitalia should be regarded with especial caution, and veterinary advice sought if in doubt. Bites by dogs with powerful jaws may result in fracture, or puncture, of a bone or a joint, and such wounds can only be satisfactorily treated systemically, as well as locally, by a veterinary surgeon. Small centers of infection are left embedded deeply in the tissue, and these centres may, and usually do, form abscesses at a later stage.
2.Cat bites
Cat bites, fortunately, are not very common in dogs as cats generally prefer to scratch and run. However, when they do occur they should be thoroughly cleansed, hair being clipped away from the points of entry, and then swabbed. Usually it is advisable to have the animal injected with penicillin or some other anti-infective agent. Gat bites are notoriously dirty, and the wound is of the puncture variety, i.e., deep, with a small point of entry, and therefore provides inadequate drainage. This is true also of:
3. Rat bites
Here again local treatment should be carried out, but systemic treatment is more or less essential to avoid complications. Rats carry an infection called leptospiral jaundice, which can easily be fatal to dogs who have no protection against the disease.
It is wise, therefore, following a local dressing and cleansing of the wound (which the owner can usually do quite satisfactorily) to have the animal given a dose of antiserum, and/or suitable antibiotic. This will prevent the much more dangerous complication of leptospiral infection. All dogs should be immunised against this disease if they are employed as ratters, or are likely to be in contact in any way with these vermin.
Details of vaccination:
Vaccination against leptospira icterrohaemorrhagia infection is a simple process, which is carried out in the healthy dog and which will protect him for the rest of his life. The vaccination consists of two small injections, each of 1 ex. only, given subcutaneously at an interval of one week. There are no ill effects after these injections and the dog will be immune to the disease within a few days of the second injection.
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This site is a common sense guide to Dealing With Bites. In practical advice websites, like anything else in life, there are no guarantees of income made. Readers are cautioned to reply on their own judgment about their individual circumstances to act accordingly.
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