How to treat a dog bite

How to treat a dog bite and what are the next steps? While playing with your dog, or while playing with someone else’s dog or on the street, it may happen that the dog bites you. The first thing you should do is take immediate steps to prevent the risk of infection and see a doctor the same day. When the dog’s teeth grab your flesh, they tend to tear your skin, and the wound is often open, severe and quickly infected.

A couple of ways to treat dog bites

• The first and basic step – wash the face with mild soap and warm water for a few minutes.
• Try to slow the bleeding.
• After that, apply an antibacterial cream to the wound.
• Be sure to wrap the wound with a sterile bandage.
• After dressing the wound, see a doctor immediately.
• Bandage the wound after examining it several times.
• Be careful not to develop an infection, which can include swelling, fever, increased pain, and redness.

What’s supposed to look a dog bite treatment? HERE are some answers.

What can a doctor do about your injury?

The doctor will want to know more information about the dog that bit you and how it happened. After that, they’ll clean your wound again, and prescribe antibiotics and other types of help for concerns about infection. You should also know when you were vaccinated against tetanus, even though the protection lasts for 10 years. Depending on the wound, the doctor may also recommend stitches. However, the practice is to leave dog bite wounds open to heal and if severe scarring is likely then they are usually sutured.

What increases the risk of infection?

More than 50% of dog bites include bacteria such as streptococcus, pasteurella, staphylococcus and capnocytophaga. Also, unvaccinated dogs can potentially be a threat for rabies, and to a large extent stray dogs are a threat.

Documenting dog bites

When you have taken all the health measures to protect yourself from a surviving dog bite, it is time to document the case. First of all, you need to document all injuries related to the bite, such as visible injuries, pain, inability to function, reduced mobility, etc.

This documentation should be in the form of photographs, medical documentation and other written records. Since you will likely be dealing with a lawsuit and the insurance company, it is very important to document every detail. You should also take into account expenses that occurred after the dog bite, such as medical bills, travel expenses, and missed opportunities for wages due to the injury. The more documentation you have about the incident, the easier it will be to estimate the amount of compensation you deserve for your injuries.

Contacting a dog bite attorney

Given that dog bites are very common, find an attorney who has experience with such cases. He will help you determine the exact amount of compensation. These amounts often include detailed calculations of lost income and earning potential, pain and suffering, and other costs. A dog bite attorney can be instrumental in negotiating with the insurance company.

What is the dog bite law and how is it treated by law? Check HERE.

Nedim Ramic and Bajric & Ramic team of attorneys are here for you, and you should not hesitate to call us today for a free consultation. The time is of the esence. If you find these information above useful, but you have more questions regarding the subject, or you just need legal help straight forward, give us a call on 314-352-6800 and get free consultations today!