Even the most educated and calm dog, under the influence of negative external factors, can attack a person and cause him bodily harm. What if bitten by a dog? An injured person should immediately contact a medical institution – an emergency room or a therapist. Immediately after the incident, the following must be done:

Stopping blood – if the bite was deep and the bleeding is difficult to stop, you can call an ambulance. When there is little blood, you need to wait until it stops by itself, so the saliva of the animal will come out.
Washing the wound with antibacterial agents, it can be soap, gel, antiseptic. At this stage, you need to spare no time – you need at least 10 minutes of processing.
If the wound is shallow, you need to treat it with hydrogen peroxide and bandage it for early healing. Otherwise, consult a doctor immediately.
When painful symptoms occur, pain relievers can be taken.
The victim is in a state of fear, shock, anxiety – you should drink a sedative.

Even if all the steps have been followed and outwardly there are no symptoms, there are no signs of complications, there is no need to delay the visit to the doctor. Only a specialist will determine whether there has been an infection with infectious diseases and will prevent other negative consequences.

Possible consequences of a dog bite

Each situation is individual, so the consequences can be very diverse, both superficial and deep, more serious. In general, when bitten by a street dog, the following consequences are possible:

The bitten site is swollen, this indicates an injury to the skin.
Swollen lymph nodes throughout the body.
Severe headaches, dizziness, sometimes weakness and nausea.
Increased body temperature.
Soreness of the bite site.

The most serious consequence is rabies, so you need to see a doctor and give injections for the purpose of prevention. All of the above conditions do not indicate infection, they only indicate the fact of a bite. If the anxiety continues for more than 2-3 days, you should definitely go to a medical facility.

Peaceful settlement of the issue with the owner of the dog

First of all, if a dog has bitten, the question arises of what to do and where to go. To do this, it is necessary to determine whether the animal has an owner or not; in the first case, money can be collected from the guilty party. This is possible through peaceful negotiations or through the courts. In practice, the owners go to peace negotiations, try to negotiate and voluntarily pay compensation.

Peaceful compensation for harm caused includes:

Claims by the injured party – determination of the amount of damage.
Negotiation – The guilty party must agree to the amount presented to be reimbursed.
Determination of the procedure for payment of funds – one-time transfer, monthly transfer of parts, purchase of medicines, equipment.
Conclusion – the peace negotiations are over, the parties have no claims to each other. It is better to draw up a receipt for the transfer of funds so that in the future there are no difficulties.

Note! The victim’s claims must be commensurate with the damage caused. Proportionality is determined by the cost of treatment, non-pecuniary damage and the degree of shock. In practice, the amount of compensation does not exceed 50 thousand rubles.

Lawyers recommend writing a claim to the owner of the animal for a peaceful settlement in a free form. It indicates the amount of harm and a proposal to resolve the conflict peacefully. The document is drawn up in two copies, one of them is handed over to the perpetrator, the second remains with the victim. The date when the claim was received is mandatory.

How does the infection take place?

When bitten by a sick animal
If the saliva of a sick animal comes into contact with mucous membranes or damaged skin

The saliva of a sick animal becomes infectious already 8-10 days before the onset of the disease!

Human rabies symptoms

On average, the disease develops within 1-2 months after the bite, but the onset of the disease is possible for 7 days and a year after the bite. The speed of onset of symptoms depends on the depth, extent of the bite and, most importantly, on its location. The closer the bite is to the brain, the faster the disease develops. Symptoms of the disease develop most quickly after a bite in the head, face, neck and much later after bites in the lower extremities.
The disease is characterized by 3 main periods, which are characterized by certain symptoms.

The initial period or period of precursors of the disease (duration 1-3 days)

Symptoms:

Pain and discomfort in the area of the bite (which occurs long after a bite on a healed wound)
Temperature rise possible
Violation of the mental state (depression, irritability, withdrawal, refusal to eat, sleep disturbance, a sense of fear, longing, fear of death, anxiety).
General malaise, headache

The period of the height of the disease or the period of excitement (duration 2-3 days)

Symptoms:

During this period, bouts of arousal occur, which are accompanied by both mental and physical arousal. At the time of an attack, a person has muscle cramps, pharynx, larynx, diaphragm, facial muscles, pupils dilate, and there is a characteristic expression of horror on his face. During an attack, consciousness changes, hallucinations, delusional ideas arise. The patient’s breathing becomes more frequent, becomes uneven with deep noisy whistles, respiratory arrest is possible at the height of the attack. Attacks last from a few seconds to minutes, and their frequency increases over time.
An attack can be provoked by an attempt to drink water (fear of water – hydrophobia), or a breath of air (aerophobia), a loud sound (acoustic phobia), bright light (photophobia).
The patient has strong salivation, constantly spits out saliva, foam appears from the mouth. The occurrence of foam at the mouth is associated with a violation of the act of swallowing in combination with excessive salivation.
The patient is very agitated, screams, rushes about, aggressive, can attack with fists, bite. Excessive emotional activity can persist from 2-3 hours to 2-3 days.

Period of calm or perceived improvement (duration 1-3 days)
- Cessation of seizures and excitement
- Consciousness is clearing up
- Death occurs from a block of the respiratory or vasomotor center.

First aid for dog bites

Do I need to call an ambulance?
Well no	Why?
Yes need! This is the first thing to do, especially if the bite is deep or located in the head area. If possible, take the victim yourself to the nearest trauma center.	Rabies is a deadly disease. A seemingly healthy animal can be a source of disease. A sick animal is capable of transmitting the virus 10 days before the onset of rabies symptoms. During the treatment started, it saves lives!

Preventing dog bites

Do not approach a dog that is guarding its puppies.
Do not disturb your dog too much if he is sleeping.
Do not touch the dog while it is eating.
Respect the dog’s territory (its place, etc.)
Don’t let your child touch an unfamiliar dog
Don’t leave your child alone with the dog

What not to do with a dog bite

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

Also, in no case should you put a tight bandage on the wound.

In addition, it is worth remembering that it is absolutely impossible to self-medicate without visiting the 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, nevertheless, most often we ourselves act as provocateurs of their anger in our direction. 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 may bite you;
do not approach the dog while eating; they fiercely defend their “prey” even from their masters;
do not take puppies from the dog;
do not disturb the animal that is sleeping;
be extremely careful and attentive while playing with your pet; very often dogs bite quite by accident;
be careful with stray dogs; try not to let them “communicate” with your home “friends”;
do not forget that dogs are very intelligent creatures: you should not shout and even more so use physical force for punishment – sooner or later the dog may “take revenge” on you.

What to do after being bitten

After a dog bite, it is necessary to treat the wound and consult a traumatologist at your local hospital or clinic. This case is officially registered and notified to the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station, which is reported to the owner. Doctors of the sanitary station examine the dog, clarify whether it was vaccinated against rabies, and how the pet behaved before the bite. If there is a high probability of the disease and there are symptoms, the victim, including the child, is vaccinated against rabies and injected with immunoglobulin, if the patient consulted a doctor not on the first day of the bite.

Common post-bite activities are as follows:

treat the wound;
contact the nearest emergency room, registering the case of a dog bite;
talk to the doctors of the sanitation station about the typical and atypical behavior of the dog and inform about vaccinations;
vaccinate an unvaccinated animal;
Observe your dog for signs of rabies (restless behavior, hydrophobia and salivation, and others) for 14 days;
observe the victim, first of all, you need to pay attention to the non-healing wound at the site of the bite, as well as the developing symptoms of the disease.

Note! That rabies is a 100% fatal disease with a very severe course. The patient dies in agony, but doctors can only ease the course. With timely vaccination, you can expect that the body will have time to cope with the disease, if there is a likelihood of developing infection, an additional immunoglobulin is injected.

Incubation period for rabies infection

It should be borne in mind that with a typical infection, the disease in an animal manifests itself after a few days. The danger is all animals that could come into contact with other sick animals during the year. In rare cases, the incubation period can last 1-2 months, and in isolated cases and about a year. For this reason, the animal is observed after a bite for at least several months – up to a year.

Analysis in most sanitary and epidemiological stations is performed only on a dead dog. In some laboratories, it is possible to pass a blood test to the victims for antibodies to rabies, but this service is practically unavailable, therefore, the algorithm of actions usually corresponds to the one described above – the dog and the victim are monitored and vaccinated. The dead dog is tested.

What tests are done to a dog with rabies

An autopsy and resection of the brain is done. A biological test should also be performed on mice that become infected from a dog. If they have a disease within a month, then the initial analysis is confirmed.

An antirabies serum ARV (antirabies immunoglobulin) is made, which is injected on the day of the bite and twice more. To increase the effect when starting treatment not on the first day of the bite, doctors can additionally use human immunoglobulin. He is also injected with maximum doses at the onset of primary symptoms to increase the patient’s likelihood of survival.

If a dog bites a child

First of all, the child should be reassured. In addition to the pain that bothers the baby, most children have a fear of communicating with doctors. Another point is that especially sensitive children may develop a phobia for life – a fear of dogs, and in some cases – of animals in general. Therefore, doctors often recommend consulting a child psychologist.

The children’s body is more susceptible to infections, therefore, it is strictly forbidden to ignore medical recommendations for treatment. If the dog has bitten through an arm or leg to the point of blood, the wound is lacerated, stitches will be required. After healing, a carefully applied suture will not leave marks on the body.

Taking antibiotics, vaccinations – all these medical procedures are prescribed for children in the same way as for adults.

Features of injury in children

In a child, first aid for dog bites is identical for trauma to an adult. The only difference is the perception of the situation and the psychological aspect. Children have a hard time trauma, they may become hysterical or very frightened. It is necessary to give a sedative, carefully treat the wound and go to the hospital for specific prophylaxis.

Children have a hard time trauma, they may become hysterical or very frightened.

The first qualified help for a dog bite is an emergency vaccination. It includes the introduction of rabies serum. In some cases, the wound is sutured, which significantly lengthens the incubation period.

The next step is to use rabies shots. The dose is calculated individually by the doctor, taking into account the place and complexity of the bite. It is necessary to inject into the deltoid muscle, thigh, or abdomen. The standard number of injections is 6. The last inoculation is carried out 90 days after the first treatment. Rabies serum helps to form a sufficient amount of antibodies to the rabies virus.

Legal aspect

If you are bitten by a domestic dog, you have the right to claim compensation for damage to your health. At the very least, this is compensation for the funds spent on treatment. But injuries can be serious and entail temporary disability of the victim. In case of large material losses, the victim has the right to file a claim against the owner of the dog in court.

The law allows simultaneously with a claim for compensation for material damage (costs of treatment, compensation for losses from temporary disability) and moral damage. In the first case, the victim’s right is protected by Art. 1064 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, compensation for moral damage is regulated by Art. 151 of the Civil Code.

You should apply for the owner of the dog to the police, attaching evidence: certificates from the emergency room, photographs of wounds, torn clothes, etc., data on witnesses to the incident. Material damage must be confirmed by paid receipts, checks, etc. documents, the amount of non-pecuniary damage is established by the plaintiff, the court may change its size.

In 60% of cases, bites are caused by dogs with masters. The reason is the lack of upbringing and obedience of pets, i.e. the fault lies with the owner of the animal. But a dog rarely rushes at a passerby unless he provokes it. Even sharp hand movements, and even more so – attempts to hit an animal cause him aggression. If it happens that a pet dog has bitten you – immediately contact the emergency room and do not ignore the recommendations of doctors. And the law guarantees the protection of your rights and the possibility of compensation for damage from the negligent owner of the animal.

What if bitten by a vaccinated domestic dog?

If you have been attacked by a domestic dog, then after the bite you need to contact its owner to find out if it has mandatory vaccinations, if the pet is a carrier of rabies. In addition, you can contact the district police officer and write a statement about the attack indicating the contact details of the owner, the date and time of the incident, in order, if necessary, to prove the incident in court. The victim has the right to demand from the owner of the dog reimbursement of medical expenses and compensation for moral damage.

What if bitten by an unfamiliar street dog?

If an adult or a child has been attacked by a pack of yard dogs, then help must be provided in the first minutes after the attack, even before the ambulance arrives. Street animals, especially those living in a flock, can be very aggressive, as they have more developed natural instincts. Injuries in such cases are numerous and serious. The victim usually needs a doctor’s examination, sometimes surgery is required.

What to discuss with the dog owner

The owner of a dog that has bitten a person should take a phone number and ask if the animal has been vaccinated against rabies.

After the bite, the owner of the dog must go to the veterinary clinic, where the animal is examined and quarantined for 10 days. By the decision of the veterinarian, the animal can be quarantined at home.

If the owner of the dog does not make contact with the injured party, it is necessary to contact the police, as this is a violation of the rules for keeping animals. Witnesses can help identify the owner.

If the bitten dog is homeless, the district administration is notified of the situation, which is obliged to catch it.

If at the time of the bite there was no owner near the dog, the victim should contact the administration. After catching a dog, its owner is identified by a token attached to it.

Urgent Care

When providing assistance, it is important to understand what needs to be done when a dog bites for the victim in the first place, what is the purpose of the measures taken. It is important to watch out for information on the attacker. As quickly as possible, if it is a stray dog, establish its location, establish observation or catch it for examination by a veterinarian. The information collected about a street or backyard animal can significantly influence the nature of the subsequent treatment of injuries.

To the victim, first aid for a dog bite is carried out in the following order:

In case of bleeding, it should be given the opportunity for some time to come out along with the bloodstream of saliva with pathogenic microorganisms – the degree of infection will be reduced. Small wounds are specially squeezed slightly on both sides to squeeze out blood.
Wash the wound with laundry soap under running water at room temperature. The alkaline environment kills many bacteria that may have entered the wound.
Treat the skin around the wound with an antiseptic. You can use hydrogen peroxide 3%, chlorhexidine, miramistin, or another pharmacy drug. If none of the above turned out to be, then you can use an alcohol-containing agent.
Offer the victim an anesthetic, a sedative to reduce the severity of pain, relieve anxiety. In case of significant damage, assistance with a dog bite begins with anesthesia to prevent the development of shock.
Apply a sterile bandage, but do not bandage too much so that the secreted ichor removes harmful bacteria. If the wounds are deep with possible damage to the bone, then the injured area is recommended to be immobilized, fixed.

Many actions when biting a dog depend on the situation, the nature of the wounds received. Help is provided on the spot, at home, or a medical team is called. In any case, even a small dog bite cannot be ignored. What must be done? After all the initial manipulations, it is important to consult a traumatologist to diagnose damage.

The doctor, in addition to assessing the clinical picture, will need information about the bitten animal. If the dog has a known history, then documents about the vaccinations given to the animal will be required, this will save the victim from additional procedures.

Animals infected with rabies may not show obvious signs of illness at the time of the bite.

But over the next 7-10 days, the latent development of pathology takes on obvious manifestations in the animal:

increased salivation;
aggression or, conversely, an unusually downtrodden state;
photo and hydrophobia;
attempts to gnaw inedible objects, earth;
convulsions;
whine, howl.

It is no longer possible to help animals, but it is still possible to urgently influence the elimination of infection in humans.

How to determine the danger of a bite

The dog’s bite can be superficial and not painful, but it can also be quite dangerous.

Typical danger signs:

An infiltrated wound causes a fever (fever and chills).
The site of injury is swollen.
The lymph nodes enlarge significantly.
Signs of a disorder of consciousness appear.
Lomota.
Nausea.
Spasm.
The injured limb is limited in movement.
Heavy bleeding.

If you find at least one of the above signs, do not hesitate with emergency care and hospitalization. It is recommended that you go to the emergency room even with a bite without blood, so in any case, visit the hospital where you will receive medical assistance. Because in its absence, the risk of disability or, in the worst case, death is possible.

Dangerous consequences

The severity of the injury and its likely consequences for the victim depend on the strength, area of damage, and the state of health of the animal:

Psychological trauma – the greatest risk is borne by children, pregnant women, the elderly. It is important not only to treat a dog bite, but to prevent shock, the threat of termination of pregnancy, and heart attack in patients. Rehabilitation of victims can take years.
Blood loss – getting a bite into large arterial nodes, extensive lacerations lead to the development of bleeding, including internal bleeding. Sometimes effective care is possible only in a hospital setting.
Bite inflammation – wound infection leads to local purulent processes, sometimes to general blood poisoning, sepsis. The consequences of a dog bite on the hand without proper treatment become systemic for the whole body. The source of pathogenic organisms is, most often, the saliva of the animal, the victim’s skin, the external environment. The time of development of the inflammatory reaction depends on the state of the human immune system – from 8 to 24 hours.
Infection with rabies, tetanus are the most serious diseases leading to the death of the victim. The rabies virus is transmitted through the saliva of a sick animal, even in a small wound. Signs of the disease are not always noticeable in animals, as symptoms appear after 8-10 days.

The insidiousness of infection is in the latent incubation period. It seems to a person that home treatment of a wound with a dog bite is sufficient, but the manifestation of the disease after a few months will become irreversible.

The causative agent of tetanus is present in the soil, many contaminants, and easily gets into the wound. The lack of vaccination against the disease in 5 years is the basis for an urgent preventive vaccination.

The list of consequences is long, since many factors affect the patient’s condition after a dog bite. The hand is swollen, what to do, how to treat – it is better to ask a trauma doctor than to look for an answer from friends-dog breeders.

Rehabilitation

The duration of the recovery process depends on many factors, but adherence to the rules for providing assistance, doctor’s recommendations, in any case, greatly enhances the effectiveness of wound healing processes.

After being bitten, the victims heal not only physical, but also psychological trauma, often avoiding any meeting with dogs. Therefore, when dealing with animals, it is very important to understand that the reaction to careless human actions can be very unpleasant. Dog owners are responsible for their pets.

First aid for a dog bite:

Signs of pathology

What you need to know about symptoms after a dog bite? The development of a bacterial infection in the wound is indicated by:

redness, swelling;
the appearance of pus;
an increase in nearby lymph nodes;
temperature rise;
malaise of moderate severity.

Quite different symptoms with the development of rabies. Once in the brain, its viruses multiply intensively and gradually cover the entire body, damaging the nervous system. First of all, the salivary glands, muscles, lungs, intestines, kidneys are affected.

Rabies virus after dog bite

You need to know that rabies develops in 3 stages, and each of them has its own characteristic manifestations. For the initial period, which lasts several days, the following symptoms are typical:

pain in the area of an already healed wound, which occurs much later than the bite;
headaches;
loss of appetite;
insomnia;
depressed mood, increased irritability;
general weakness;
sometimes a rise in temperature.

Salivation in humans

During the period of active development of pathology, which also lasts 2-3 days, short-term, but more frequent attacks of psychophysical excitement of the patient occur. They are usually provoked by the sight and noise of water, bright light, loud noises, sharp gusts of wind. During the moments of seizures:

muscle cramps occur;
pupils dilate;
the face twists into a grimace of horror;
breathing becomes rapid, noisy;
saliva, foam are vigorously secreted from the mouth;
behavior becomes extremely aggressive;
delusional ideas, hallucinations appear.

After that, the disease ends with a period of apparent improvement in the condition:

the convulsions stop;
excitement is replaced by calmness;
consciousness is clearing up;
due to paralysis of the respiratory center of the brain or cardiac arrest, the patient’s death occurs.

Wound healing

After the bite, it will take some time for the wound to heal. Small injuries can be healed on their own. This requires:

daily examination and treatment of the wound;
do not wet the bite site;
change the bandage daily;
if there is a small discharge from the wound, first rinse with one of the antiseptic solutions (do not use hydrogen peroxide during this period), then use a powder;
if the wound is dry and clean, apply an ointment.

When a dog bites, a good treatment is provided by Syntomycin ointment or Vishnevsky emulsion. You can also use antiseptic agents in a can – “Panthenol”, “Akutol”.

In case of serious injuries, the doctor will provide the necessary assistance, give recommendations on wound treatment, and possibly prescribe a course of antibiotics.

Where to go if you are bitten by a dog? If the animal is not vaccinated against rabies, it is necessary to take a course of injections of the rabies vaccine. If the injuries received are superficial, then you can treat the wound yourself and contact the anti-rabies office in the clinic or a specialized medical center. If wound treatment is required, then you need to contact a traumatologist at a clinic or an emergency room. After treating the wound, your doctor will refer you for rabies vaccination. It will take three to six injections of the vaccine to prevent the possible development of the disease.

Compensation for harm to the victim

If bitten by a dog, the owner can be prosecuted, since there are violations of the rules for keeping a dog. When bitten by a dog belonging to the category of fighting, service dogs, then compensation is due regardless of the owner’s fault.

How much dog bites will cost to the owner will be determined in court by the bills presented from medical institutions, checks from pharmacies for the purchase of drugs.

Conclusion

An animal bite can cause serious complications. The algorithm of actions if a dog has bitten: wash the wound with soap and water, then with antiseptic solutions, bandage and go to the emergency room. You will need debridement of the wound, as well as rabies and tetanus injections. Your doctor will prescribe antibiotics to prevent the development of wound infections.

Sources used and useful links on the topic: https://urist-bogatyr.ru/article-item/chto-delat-esli-ukusila-sobaka/ https://www.polismed.com/articles-ukusila-sobaka-chto- delat-oslozhnenija-travmy-beshenstvo-simptomy-lechenie-posledstvija-pervaja-pomoshh-privivki-posle-ukusa-sobaki-detjam.html http://doctoroff.ru/ukusila-domashnyaya-sobaka https://dogvdome.ru/ sovety / chto-delat-esli-ukusila-domashnyaya-sobaka.html https://kupipet.ru/articles/chto-delat-esli-ukusila-domashnyaya-sobaka.html https://stoptravma.ru/ukus/sobaka https: //DogGav.ru/sobaki-i-lyudi/vzaimodejstvie/ukusila-sobaka-chto-delat.html https://GetFirstHelp.ru/bites/ukus-sobaki https://mymedic.clinic/biologicheskie/pervaya-pomoshh -pri-ukuse-sobaki.html https://dogvdome.ru/sovety/kakoj-dolzhna-byt-pervaya-pomoshh-pri-ukuse-sobaki.html https://mymedic.clinic/biologicheskie/ukus-sobaki-lechenie-i-kak-dolgo-zazhivaet .html https://ObOtravlenii.ru/ukusy-nasekomyh-i-zhivotnyh/ukus-sobaki.html https://otravleniya.net/ukusy/chto-delat-pri-ukuse-sobaki.html https: // posleukusa. ru / ukus_mlekopitaushhih / chto-delat-pri-ukuse-sobaki https://otravilsya.com/ukusy/sobaka/

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