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What to bandage with after a dog bite. Bitten by a dog - what to do? Medicinal nettle paste

One of common reasons going to the emergency room is a domestic bite or stray dog. Unfortunately, our country has not developed clear mechanisms for controlling stray animals, which is why a walk past a landfill or a deserted alley can end in meeting, well, one stray dog.

In a situation where you are bitten by a dog, whether domestic or stray, you cannot hesitate. You need to provide first aid and consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Dog bite - what to do

If a dog bites on the street, it is most likely a stray (unless its owner is nearby), in which case there is a possibility that it is infected with the rabies virus.

In this regard, such a bite requires a mandatory visit to the emergency room, as well as to the veterinary service, because if the dog is not caught, it may bite someone else. That is why, no matter how strange it may sound, it is necessary to remember the signs of the dog that bit you.

What to do if bitten by a domestic dog

If the dog that bit you is a pet, contact its owner or ask him on the spot whether the dog has been vaccinated against, what vaccine and for how long ago (different vaccines last for different times).

Remember that if you are bitten by someone's dog, you have every right to seek compensation from the owner for the damage caused to you. In this case, you need to seek legal assistance to file a lawsuit.

First aid for a dog bite

Many people do not know how to treat a dog bite, which is why they often do it incorrectly. The first rule is that before treating a wound with an antiseptic, it must be thoroughly washed using water and soap, and it is better if the soap is laundry soap.

This is because it contains many times more alkali, which prevents bacteria from entering the wound. This must be done in any case, even if the dog did not bite until it bled, because invisible scratches may remain on the skin, which are also a “gateway” for infection.

You should not use alcohol, vodka, brilliant green, etc. to treat the wound. You can resort to such antiseptics only if you do not have hydrogen peroxide on hand. It is with its help that it is better to treat a bite. And the antiseptics listed above can slow down wound healing due to tissue burns.

After this, it is advisable to apply a tight gauze bandage and consult a doctor. Well, if there is heavy bleeding at the wound site, do not waste time and call an ambulance.

Dog bite - treatment

Animal bites should not be treated at home! Firstly, bite wounds can often be lacerated and accompanied by severe blood loss, and secondly, a mass enters the bloodstream with the animal’s saliva pathogenic microorganisms, which can cause suppuration and infection, thirdly, the bite of a stray dog ​​in most cases requires treatment, which is carried out only by a doctor.

And don't be afraid. Rabies vaccination today is not 40 injections in the stomach, but only 6 over 3 months (1, 3, 7, 14, 30 and 90 days after the bite), and even then in the shoulder, which is transferred to times easier.

When deciding how to treat a dog bite, doctors evaluate the severity of the bite, its location, the presence of dead skin around it, signs of inflammation and suppuration, etc. Beforehand, the surgeon may even remove some skin around the injury to avoid infection.

After this, the wound is washed and thoroughly cleaned, the patient is prescribed a course of antibiotics, the purpose of which is also to prevent suppuration. With all this, the wound may not be sutured during this time in order to prevent infection and other complications. Instead, they put it on her sterile bandage, and only after a few days are they stitched up.

Also, the doctor may refer you to it if you have not had this vaccination, because in addition to rabies, the animal’s saliva also threatens this dangerous infections. Fortunately, vaccination against is just one shot, not 6.

A child was bitten by a dog - what to do?

If a child has been bitten by a dog, you shouldn’t even think about how to treat a dog bite at home! The child’s body is even more susceptible to infection, and if the wound is lacerated, it requires a neat suture that will not leave scars.

The first thing you need to do if a child is bitten by a dog is to calm him down. In a gentle manner, stop the child’s crying, explain that everything will heal, that the doctor will treat the wound and there will be no trace left of it.

If a domestic dog has bitten, the child may need it, since there is a high probability of fear of dogs and other pets, fear of betrayal, etc.

A dog is a friend of man, but sometimes it turns into a formidable enemy and attacks. In this case, the wounds can be very deep with damage to bones, tendons, blood vessels and nerves. First aid for a bite should be aimed at stopping severe bleeding, after which the victim should be immediately taken to the nearest emergency room.

You will need

  • - sterile bandage;
  • - rubber band;
  • - iodine;
  • - hydrogen peroxide;
  • - alcohol or alcohol solutions.

Instructions

  • The most serious complication that occurs after a bite is rabies. It may end fatal due to extensive damage to the central nervous system, if all methods to prevent it are not taken in a timely manner. Therefore, no matter whose dog bit you, you must go to the hospital.
  • If the wounds are superficial, the tissue rupture is insignificant, treat the bite site with a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide or any antiseptic solution, which is contained in your first aid kit. Diluted will do medical alcohol, alcohol solutions of calendula, chamomile, sage. Apply iodine around the wound, apply a sterile bandage and consult a doctor immediately.
  • Do not treat wound surfaces with iodine or brilliant green - this will lead to burns of damaged tissues, which will significantly lengthen the healing period.
  • Deep wounds with extensive tears cannot be treated with anything. Apply a tourniquet or tight bandage to prevent severe blood loss, cover the wound with a sterile bandage, and take the victim to the emergency room yourself or call an ambulance.
  • In a hospital setting, the wound will be stitched up and treated in every way. medical rules. The patient will then be given dressings and injections to prevent rabies. Previously, it was necessary to do 40 injections. Currently, modern pharmaceuticals, which allow you to get by with 6 injections according to a specific scheme prescribed by the doctor.
  • In case of complications, you will be prescribed a course antibacterial therapy in outpatient or inpatient settings.
  • Do not neglect a visit to the doctor and do not think that everything will heal on its own. Incubation period Rabies lasts from 10 to 15 days, so when the first signs of the disease appear, it may be too late.

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Animal bites and first aid.

Bitten by a dog (cat or other animal). What to do?

How to properly wash a wound with soapy water at home?

Wash with soapy water? What could be simpler, the reader will say. In practice, it turns out that such a simple procedure has its own subtleties.

Maximum effect is achieved if rinsing is done with a strong stream of water. Place it under the tap? But soapy water does not flow from the tap. If you simply immerse the bitten limb in a basin of soapy water, it will do little good. Watering a wound from a mug from a certain height? Somewhat more effective, but still not enough.

The solution is very simple - you need to quickly make a watering can from a plastic bottle.

So what do we need:

  • We take a plastic bottle.
  • Fill almost to the top with warm water. What kind of water should I take? Ideal option - if available boiled water. But to boil it on purpose and then wait for it to cool down will take at least an hour. This is too long. Therefore, we take what we have - drinking water or tap water. If the water is suitable for drinking, it is also suitable for washing the wound. The water should be only slightly warm. Rinsing with too warm water leads to dilation of blood vessels and increased bleeding. Cold water You need to warm it up a little in the kettle.
  • Use a knife to cut several small pieces of soap (to fit into the neck) and throw them into the bottle. Liquid soap or shampoo will also work. Washing powder cannot be used!
  • Shake well to form a little foam. If there is no foam, add soap.
  • Close the bottle and use the tip of a knife to make a small hole in the lid or bottom. It turns out to be a watering can.
  • The water jet should be directed to the deepest part of the wound. A strong stream of soapy water from a bottle will thoroughly wash away from the depths of the wound microscopic droplets of saliva, which are teeming with a huge number of microbes, and possibly rabies viruses.

Juxtra tablet is indignant:

Is it conceivable to wash a wound with tap water? There are microbes in the water and they can cause suppuration. It is unacceptable! Everything must be STERILE! That's what they write everywhere!

Pure water completely unattractive to microorganisms, especially pathogens, due to the extremely meager opportunities for food.

In 1 liter of tap water there are no more than 50 thousand microbes (if, of course, it corresponds sanitary standards). For those who think that 50 thousand is an awful lot, here’s an example: at least 10 million microbes live on 1 square centimeter of human skin, and 10 billion in one milliliter of saliva! A few drops of water remaining in the wound after washing may contain no more than a dozen microbes. But they are unlikely to be able to survive the wound, since they are adapted to a different habitat. On the contrary, microorganisms from a dog’s mouth, once in a wound, feel right at home.

Any bite wound is initially contaminated with microbes and it is impossible to turn it sterile. Even the most fanatical efforts to achieve sterility (i.e. complete absence microorganisms) in this situation are doomed to failure. It is enough to adhere to basic cleanliness. During subsequent treatment, it is important to create conditions that prevent the development of microorganisms.

The most important of these conditions is to prevent the accumulation of wound discharge in the wound, which is an ideal habitat for microbes. To do this, use bandages that absorb moisture well and change them more often. Deep wounds are drained.

Local treatment of bite wounds

Local processing bite wounds are extremely important. They do it in the emergency room.

General rules its implementation is as follows:

  • the wound is washed with warm water and soap (even if the victim has already done this on his own), deep wounds are washed through a catheter
  • treat the edges of the wound with an iodine-containing skin preparation
  • wash the wound with an antiseptic
  • if necessary, the wound is drained
  • Stitches are not applied in the first three days except for the following cases:
    • rare guiding stitches on wide wounds
    • stitches for cosmetic reasons
    • stopping bleeding by suturing blood vessels
  • surgical interventions carried out only by special indications- when large vessels are damaged (fortunately, this happens extremely rarely).
  • apply a sterile bandage
  • according to indications, immunoprophylaxis of rabies and tetanus is carried out

Juxtra-tablet asks:

What ointment is better to take?

None. A fat-based ointment prevents wound discharge from leaving the wound. As already mentioned, wound discharge is a good environment for microorganisms, since it is replete with organic substances necessary for their development.

It is better to use gel-based preparations.

Likewise, prematurely placed sutures seal the wound and lead to suppuration.

What to do with a dog (or other animal) that has bitten us?

It depends on the specific circumstances. If a dog attacks you on the street, overwhelmed by unprovoked aggression, of course, you should stay away from it and protect yourself with any in an accessible way. But often bites happen due to a misunderstanding. The fact is that dogs (like most other animals) trust their noses much more than their eyes. A dog, confused by a sharp unfamiliar smell (the smell of alcohol, gasoline, cologne, etc.), may rashly bite its beloved owner.

A completely peaceful dog can bite, deciding that a person is going to take away its food. Therefore, you should not approach the dog while it is eating. Young children are often bitten for this reason.

Even if the bitten dog appears healthy, precautions should be taken. The problem is that an animal's saliva becomes infectious 7-10 days before it shows signs of rabies. The dog must be put on a leash or locked up. For 10 days, it is necessary to keep the animal in such a way that it guarantees that it will not run away or bite anyone else.

A big mistake is when a dog is immediately killed in anger (most often this is done if a child has been injured). In this case, vaccinations cannot be avoided - lab tests They do it for a long time, but you can’t risk it - what if the dog was sick with rabies.

Of course, if the animal is very aggressive and has obvious symptoms of rabies, it should be killed in a safe way. However, it is better not to do this yourself. Euthanasia of the animal, as well as collection of material for laboratory research- care of the veterinary service.

If 10 days have passed and the dog is alive and well, behaving as a dog should, we can confidently say that it does not have the virus and the danger has passed. If vaccinations have started before this, they should be stopped.

But it's not always that simple. If you were bitten on the street by a stray or unknown dog? How do we know whether she got sick later or not? The vaccination schedule in such cases clearly prescribes following the formula:

unknown animal = rabid= vaccinations

So, if a dog bites you on the street, it is better to immediately find out who its owner is (the latter, by the way, in such situations usually try to quickly sneak away from the scene of the incident).

In general, dogs bite simply because they are dogs. Whether we like it or not, if we allow them to live near us, we must take this into account. You should think three times before getting a dog in an apartment where there is Small child. But since this has already been done, we must at least teach him the rules of safe communication with a dog. One of them is to never touch a dog when it is eating. The prevailing opinion - “a dog will never bite a child” - is a most harmful misconception.

Dog bites are always a serious event that may not end in the most successful way. It is most difficult for young children and people who are unable to protect themselves. If the animal is not scared off in time, it can leave lacerations on the body. They will bleed, hurt, and break out if help is not provided in a timely manner. Today we will look at the causes of aggression and what to do if a dog bites you.

Why does an animal show aggression?

  1. There is no single breed, size or age of animal that can bite. Absolutely any dog ​​can do this. various reasons. Even vaccinated pets attack their owners because they “harass” them.
  2. Very often animals bite when they want to play. It is at these moments that a pet can attack a child. There are also many reasons why an animal is aggressive against humans. Some people simply don't like people because they once caused harm.
  3. Other dogs do not feel well, do not feel love for their owner, and eat little. main reason Perhaps this is a lack of upbringing. If you allow your pet to bite itself, even as a joke, it will not see the difference.
  4. Yard dogs, worn out by life and bad attitude of people. They gather in flocks, then the whole swarm hunts a person. Most often this happens without visible reasons. And the place of the bite is the neck, calves, arms. Children are bitten on the face and the area closer to the shoulders.

First aid

A number of actions have been developed that you need to carry out in order to prevent a deterioration in your health and promptly disinfect the wound.

  1. You need to wash the wound immediately warm water with economic or tar soap. It contains alkali, which will have a destructive effect on bacteria.
  2. After the rinsing is completed, take peroxide or apply a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Disinfect until the hissing stops. Then wait for it to dry. Take iodine or brilliant green and treat the damaged area.
  3. Now it is necessary to numb the wound and prevent the spread of infection to neighboring tissues. Santomycin ointment is suitable as a means of lubricating the damage.
  4. Take a sterile bandage (required), lubricate it with the same product that you used to treat the bite area. Apply to the wound and wrap it, making a kind of compress. Don't overtighten.
  5. Now it's time to seek medical help. Carefully analyze the situation and tell your doctor everything. If your dog has rabies or tetanus, targeted injections may be needed.

Home remedies for dog bites

  1. There are times when it is not possible to apply for professional help in such a situation. To quickly disinfect the wound and promote its speedy healing, use simple remedies.
  2. Take a suitable container and combine turmeric powder with a small amount of flower honey. Mix the ingredients. Wash the wound first with water, then with soap. Apply the prepared solution to the bite site.
  3. This combination of components has a powerful antiseptic effect. Honey also perfectly eliminates inflammatory processes. In addition, you need to consume daily ascorbic acid. Vitamin C should be taken until the wounds are completely healed.
  4. As an alternative, it is suggested to use a healing ointment. To prepare it you need to grind 3 kernels walnut. Mix the gruel from the raw material onions and a pinch sea ​​salt. Mix the healing agent thoroughly.
  5. Apply the mixture to the bite site and secure it loosely with a bandage. The healing mixture is considered the most powerful means in such situations. You can also chop the onion and mix the pulp with 15 g. honey, 7 ml. 3% vinegar. Apply the mixture to the affected area.
  6. Mix 80 gr. burdock roots with 250 ml. vegetable oil(anyone). Leave the remedy for at least a day. After this, boil the composition over low heat for several minutes. Pour the product into a glass container. This ointment is suitable for any type of wound. Use twice daily.
  7. If you are in nature, you can apply celandine leaves to the wound. It is recommended to rinse the raw materials with water or wipe off dust. You can also cook more effective remedy. Boil in 500 ml. water 50 gr. eucalyptus leaves. The procedure will take no more than 5 minutes.
  8. After cooling, strain the mixture and add 60 g. natural honey. This product can be used to treat any damage to disinfect and speed up wound healing.

  1. This case is the most dangerous because rabies itself is caused by a strong virus. If it enters the human blood due to the bite and saliva of a dog, then damage to the nerve endings will begin to develop.
  2. It is difficult to identify an animal with this disease, but it is possible. The dog will be overly violent or, on the contrary, very calm. Due to constant spasms in the throat area, it is difficult for the animal to swallow, so it refuses to drink and eat. Mad dogs have increased salivation, which is noticeable to the naked eye. At the same time, the dog cannot bark, it only whines.
  3. To determine for sure whether the rabies virus has been transferred into your blood, you need to pay attention to the accompanying symptoms. Signs include increased body temperature, itching, pain, swelling during three days after the situation happened.
  4. At advanced cases excessive disturbance of the psycho-emotional environment, overexcitation, anger appears. Sometimes there is a fear of water, light, sounds, etc. It also becomes difficult for a person to swallow due to a swollen larynx, but this is in the last stages.
  5. After a dog bites you, immediately prepare a warm soapy solution from household soap shavings and water. Wash the wound generously to kill bacteria. Then pour peroxide, dry, apply iodine or brilliant green.
  6. Remember that you need to get vaccinated against rabies within the next three days. Injections are given within a month after the situation. Then the doctor will tell you that after them you can’t drink alcohol for 6 months. Otherwise there will be no result. Rabies is extreme dangerous disease, which may not always appear immediately. So be on your guard throughout the year.

Signs of rabies in humans

  1. If we take average statistical data, the disease develops within 30-75 days after the bite occurred. But there are cases when the first symptoms could be identified a week later or, conversely, a whole year after the situation.
  2. Often, the duration of infection varies depending on what stage of the disease the infected animal was at, how deep the wound was, how much saliva got into it, when the first injections were given, and whether vaccination was done at all.
  3. But the most important thing is the affected area. The closer the area is to the brain, the faster the disease will develop. Rabies makes itself felt extremely quickly if the dog bites the neck or face. A little later - legs, arms.
  4. Conventionally, the entire process of disease development can be divided into several stages. On early stage which lasts from 1 to 3 days, there may be an increase in temperature, pain in the affected area, headaches and migraines, pulsation in the temples, mental problems (apathy with anger, joy with sadness, isolation with a feeling of fear, insomnia, etc.) .
  5. The next stage is called nothing less than the period of the full height of the disease. It lasts a couple of days. At this stage, the patient may be afraid of the sound of water, loud sounds, light, all this literally horrifies. The secretion of saliva also increases, and some people experience foam. The patient may exhibit causeless aggression, rush from corner to corner, be too emotional for 2-3 days.
  6. On last stage begins strong change physical and mental plane. There are also difficulties with respiratory system, delirium, hallucinations, convulsive spasms, problems with blood circulation and vascular system generally. Breathing becomes worse and worse, a certain whistling is felt. Then comes calm for a couple of days and death.

  1. If you are faced with such a terrible situation where a dog has attacked a child, you must remain calm. When you panic, you can only make things worse. Act clearly and judiciously. Immediately wash the wound with warm water.
  2. After this, repeat the procedure with laundry soap. Treat the affected area with green paint or iodine. This composition should not get directly into the wound. After this, be sure to visit the emergency room.
  3. As soon as you get to a medical institution, be sure to explain to the doctor what exactly happened. Try to remember everything and tell it in detail. This way you can avoid complications. If a pet has attacked, provide the specialist with a vaccination certificate.
  4. Often in hospitals, the wound is washed and treated disinfectant. The doctor will also apply a sterile bandage to the affected area. IN as a last resort, carry out surgery. The wound can be dangerous. If soil or dirt gets into the wound, the baby will be vaccinated against tetanus.
  5. As for rabies injections, they are given if a stray animal attacks. The doctor himself will decide what to inject. Often a dog attacks a child out of fear. Children may not understand much and treat the animal as a toy. The child can squeeze him or pull him hard by the tail.
  6. Because of this, even the most well-mannered and devoted dog may not be able to withstand such abuse. Instincts and emotions take over the animal. The dog may feel like it is in danger. Because of this, she attacks the child to make everything stop. Therefore, it is worth monitoring your child more than the animal.
  7. In addition, the dog may be sick or unwell. And if a child bothers her, no one’s nerves can stand it anymore. In pain, the animal will show aggression. The pet may also become jealous of the baby. Because of such irritation, aggression appears. Therefore, try to control the situation in any case.

Remember, if the dog bites hard enough and the wound is deep, consult a doctor immediately. Do not use independently various drugs. Try to calm down and pull yourself together. Apply a bandage to stop bleeding. Don't delay calling an ambulance.

Video: what to do if bitten by a dog?

Unfortunately, if a person is bitten by a dog (both stray and domestic), one should be afraid not only of massive bleeding or tearing off part of an organ, but also of infectious diseases. What makes the situation worse is that some diseases transmitted by a dog’s bite are practically incurable.

In this article we will talk in detail about what exactly a dog bite can lead to and how first aid should be provided for it. We will also talk about what to do to prevent infection from developing from the bite site.

A dog bite is divided into two types: laceration and a puncture wound. Each type of injury has its own consequences and degree of danger.

A laceration differs from a puncture wound in the degree of damage. With it, there is the most serious damage to the organ on which the bite occurred. The soft tissue crush associated with this type of injury requires extensive cleanup.

In some cases, cleaning a laceration requires removing part of the affected area (especially if the bite was on a limb). The reason is that sometimes it does not make sense to separate crushed tissues from healthy ones, since it will not be possible to clean everything perfectly. As a result, there is a risk of serious infection, so the issue is resolved by removing damaged tissue with the capture of several centimeters of healthy tissue.

A puncture wound (usually caused by an animal's fang) rarely requires tissue removal and, in general, damage is minimal (if large vessels are not affected or the bite does not occur on abdominal cavity). But despite this, this type wounds are more dangerous than the previous one.

The fact is that with a stab wound, a buffer is created between the external and internal environment. As a result, anaerobic conditions are created at the bottom of the wound (when oxygen cannot enter there), so favorable for several serious pathogenic species bacteria.

So in the vast majority of cases from puncture wounds Tetanus, wound botulism and gas gangrene develop. This is extreme dangerous diseases, the treatment of which very often does not produce results. The problem is also that when deep wounds it is impossible to treat them, since it is not always possible to treat them with medicine entirely, to their full depth.

Possible consequences of a bite

In addition to the fact that the wound itself may swell as a result of the bite, there is a possibility of developing much more serious problems. One of them is pain shock, which in some cases can even lead to fatal outcome(usually with a large area of ​​damage, when there were multiple bites).

Serious blood loss is also possible, which can often be stopped only in a hospital setting. Bites to the inner femoral region are especially dangerous, since large arterial nodes lie there. It goes without saying that neck injuries are no less dangerous.

In addition to the above-mentioned consequences, a child’s bite can lead to the development of permanent psychological trauma. In such cases, rehabilitation of the child may take years, and in some cases may not be effective at all. A child may remain fearful of dogs all his life, which worsens his quality of life.

Dog bite (video)

What diseases can you get?

The main consequences of a dog bite, regardless of whether it is domestic or stray, are: infectious diseases. Both domestic and yard dogs can carry and cause the following serious pathologies:

Statistically, only 20% of dogs are capable of open aggression (when it ends not just in barking, but also in biting). Usually these are yard (stray, or those taken specifically to protect the territory) or fighting (breeds) dogs that protect their territory from human encroachment.

If speak about development statistics various diseases after the bite, the numbers will be as follows:

Superficial bites, especially if the bite was not from a stray dog ​​but from a domestic dog, in the vast majority of cases does not require contacting a doctor. The exception is cases of bite in areas where rabies is often recorded.

Signs of serious injury that may cause Be sure to consult a doctor immediately, the following:

  • if the leg or arm (or other bite site) is swollen after the injury;
  • in cases where after a bite the arm or leg moves poorly, in the case of a bite on the limbs (a sign of damage to the nerve or muscle adhesions);
  • if after a day the wound becomes black and suppurating;
  • swollen The lymph nodes near the site of injury;
  • consciousness is impaired, dizziness and/or problems with coordination of movements appear;
  • when aches and pains appear in the bones and muscles;
  • with nausea or vomiting;
  • with spasms of the limbs;
  • if there is bleeding that does not stop (even if the blood is just oozing);
  • if the area around the bite looks pale, as if there is no blood flowing to the periphery of the wound.

If you experience these symptoms, you should go to the nearest trauma center (it is open 24 hours a day). If the symptoms arise acutely and intensely, and there is no time or energy to go to the emergency room, you need to call an ambulance.

First aid for a bite: what to treat?

As soon as after a bite there is an opportunity to sanitize the wound, it must be immediately disinfected. Ideally first aid should look like this:

  1. If not heavy bleeding You can’t let him stop right away. Let the blood drain out of the wound for a few minutes, this way the blood flow will remove pathogenic microbes that could have entered it with the animal’s saliva.
  2. The wound should be disinfected as soon as possible. To do this, it is processed using antiseptics (salicylic acid) and antibiotics (Bactroban or analogues).
  3. Along the periphery, the wound should be treated with iodine (iododecirin is best suited) and/or brilliant green solution.
  4. After the treatment is completed, you should drink a painkiller (ketanov, analgin).
  5. If the limbs are affected, it is best to immobilize them and give them rest.

If the bite occurred in an area where animal rabies is frequently reported, or if the animal that bit looked suspicious, vaccination is required. Also, in those people who may have tetanus (lack of vaccination), mandatory vaccination in a trauma center.

Moreover, even people with a current tetanus vaccine should receive a booster immunization. True, in this case they will need only half the normal dose.

First aid for a bite on the street

First aid for bites on the street is carried out using slightly different tactics, since most often in street conditions there is simply no first aid kit. Everything should look like this step by step:

  1. The wound surface is treated from dirt and dog saliva using ordinary water or, if not available, wet wipes. You can even wash the wound with sparkling water.
  2. Disinfect without pharmaceuticals the wound is impossible, so you should consult a doctor. For bites outside the city, when doctors are not around, you can cauterize the surface of the wound, but this is a very risky method.
  3. To stop minor bleeding, simply press a gauze or cloth bandage close to the wound and hold for about 10 minutes. If the bleeding is severe, a tourniquet may help.
  4. After the bite and treatment, you should go home, where you need to rinse the wound surface again and treat it with an antiseptic, after which you must consult a doctor.

Where to go if you are bitten by a dog?

Immediately after the bite you need contact as quickly as possible either to the emergency room of a hospital hospital, or to a clinic, or to a trauma room (it works around the clock). At emergency situation with extensive wounds and bleeding you need to call an ambulance.

The patient is treated in such situations by a traumatologist, infectious disease specialist and surgeon. In some cases, with massive bleeding, consultation with a vascular surgeon may be required.

Do I need to see a doctor if bitten by a pet dog?

Unfortunately, a bite from a domestic dog does not guarantee a favorable outcome. Obviously, a domestic dog can bite so hard that serious bleeding and damage to muscle fibers is possible.

But it's not only that. The problem is that even domestic dogs contain opportunistic microorganisms in their saliva. These are bacteria that, when in the oral cavity, do not cause problems, but when they get into a wound pocket (especially if there are anaerobic conditions there), they cause serious illness.

Therefore, you should definitely contact a doctor even if you are bitten. pet dog. It is especially important to do this in cases where the bite occurred on the face or hands.

Further treatment

In a hospital setting, the wound will be treated much more thoroughly than in the case of self-treatment. Only doctors will be able to assess the need for a particular therapy and the severity of the wound.

In the hospital, it is possible to suturing damaged vessels and nerves, restoring the integrity of torn muscles and tendons. If necessary, a drip with antibiotics or treatment with oxygen saturation in a pressure chamber can be carried out (if the possibility of developing gas gangrene or tetanus).

Emergency vaccination will be provided for people with a questionable vaccination history. The patient must be prepared for the fact that even with minor injuries he may be kept overnight in the hospital to monitor his condition.

Prevention: how to avoid being bitten?

Not in all cases can a bite be avoided. However, there are a number of recommendations that significantly reduce this risk.

Gas gangrene is the most severe complication of a dog bite

Namely:

  1. You should never provoke street dog, looking into her eyes for a long time and waving his hands in front of her.
  2. Do not throw stones, bottles or other things at dogs. Moreover, the dog may consider even a throw not at it, but next to it, as aggression, which must be remembered.
  3. You should not touch street puppies, as their mother is almost always nearby and immediately rushes to their protection.
  4. You should not snatch food from dogs or pretend that you are going to do so (in other words, if a dog is eating, you should not get too close to it or try to pet it).
  5. Jokes with dogs, in the form of imitation barking or howling, can be misinterpreted by the dog and cause aggression in it, which also needs to be kept in mind.