Dangers of Dog Bites
Dealing with a dog bite is a scary situation no matter the severity. Beyond the initial fear, there are a variety of dangers that can go hand in hand with suffering a dog bite. Because we believe education is paramount in situations surrounding dog bite personal injury, we want to discuss some of the biggest dangers with you today.
Dog Bite Complications
There are a variety of ways in which a dog bite can get more complicated. Canine jaws were built for tearing and many species of dogs can exert more than 450 pounds of pressure per square inch. It’s much more than just a puncture wound – it’s lacerations and crushing injuries and more. Depending on where the bite occurred, these types of injuries can cause complications very fast. Bleeding can be profuse and there is the chance of passing disease from the dog to the victim of the bite. These cross-species transmitted diseases can be especially dangerous in immunocompromised patients, but can certainly cause their fair share of medical trouble in healthy patients, too.
Rabies
Many people are worried about contracting rabies after suffering a dog bite, but in the United States, this is extremely rare. Most rabies cases are contracted from wild animal bites rather than domestic dog bites. That being said, it’s important to get as much information about the dog that attacked as possible. The dog’s vaccination records will be taken into account when determining what to test and treat for with the most urgency.
Tetanus
When the wound is being assessed, your doctors should look at various characteristics of the wound (or wounds depending on the attack). Depending on what they find, they may inquire as to your most recent tetanus shot. Because there are a variety of circumstances that are common with dog bites that can leave you prone to tetanus, there is a chance that your doctors may recommend and administer a new tetanus shot if you haven’t had one in a while.
PTSD
Of course, the dangers of dog bites aren’t just limited to the physical. Often some of the hardest things for dog bite victims to deal with happen long after the physical wounds have healed. Victims of dog bites can suffer from PTSD symptoms and may require therapy for a long time. It can change the way a person approaches their everyday life and forever change the relationship they previously had with an animal they once loved (individually or as an entire species). The mental side-effects of suffering a violent dog bite should not be dismissed or minimized.
There are a lot of ways in which a dog bite can become something much bigger and scarier than those two words might initially imply. If you or someone you know has recently suffered a dog bite and is worried about what might happen next, give us a call. As trusted dog bite lawyers, we will discuss your options openly and in as many details as possible so you can feel empowered to take the next step toward getting back to the quality of life you deserve to return to as quickly as possible.
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