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Patient Comments: Dog Bite Treatment - Type of Experience

Question:What was your experience with a dog bite?

Comment from: 25-34 Male (Patient) Published: August 09

Recently I was separating a terrier and a black lab during a heated fight and got bit in the process, the key to safety on all parts is to loosen the tension on each dog and just pull them apart if possible. I was alone in doing so and got my hand too close to the lab and was bit. Dog fights happen, if you are going to interfere have help!

Comment from: cobra77, 35-44 Female (Patient) Published: August 02

Two days ago my dogs were in my backyard barking at something going on in the alley. I opened my garage because I figured a cat was getting into my trash and I would just go shoo it away. Well, it certainly wasn't a cat. My neighbor's two pit bull mixes had gotten out of his yard. Initially, I only saw the female, who has gotten loose before and has not been aggressive. I did not approach her as she stood at the end of my driveway. I talked to her from my garage, just saying her name, no big deal. That's when the male pit heard me and came running at me from around the corner of my fence, where I hadn't seen him. As soon as I saw him charging at me, I knew I was in trouble. I feel very fortunate that he only bit me once on the left ankle. It hurts terribly, but thank God my children -any children- weren't with me outside. I kept backing up and yelling NO at him and he finally ran off. I closed my garage and came in the house, crying and bloody in front of my two little boys. Animal Services came and took the dog. My neighbors are such losers that I doubt they will fix their fence or make any effort to get their dog back. At least that's what I'm hoping for.

Comment from: gina, 35-44 Female (Caregiver) Published: May 07

My first dog bite happened on a few days ago, around 6:30 p.m. I was sitting under a shade tree when a stray dog came into our yard. The dog has been there before and our cat has run him off. My husband didn't know the dog was in the yard at the time, and he turned our dog loose. He is a lab mix and will be 2 in December. He knew the "male" dog was in the yard, and I want to think he thought he was protecting me at the time. He came running to me to get to the stray standing beside me, and as I started to get up and move – because I knew what was fixing to happen – my dog grabbed my right leg at the calf muscle and bit down…hard! I didn't realize how bad it was and started yelling for my husband, who was on the other side of the yard. He came running and yelling at the dogs. My dog let the stray alone and my husband grabbed him by the chain and put him in the backyard. I was yelling for my husband to get me to the ER ASAP. When I arrived at the ER, the doctor started cleaning it with Betadine, then numbed the areas to be cleaned more. He then used about 10 bottles of sterile water to clean the wounds out. I still didn't know how badly I had been bitten. When the doctor finished, he said I had two large puncture wounds and he would only use butterfly bandages to close them so they could drain. The larger laceration above them was deeper and needed stitches. I have two stitches in my leg and am on two antibiotics for 10 days. My dog is being watched at my house on his chain for 10 days. No changes in him so far. My leg is very bruised at this time, and has a hematoma under the skin.

Comment from: Rocky, 65-74 Female (Patient) Published: April 19

I was bitten by a dog on April 2, 2013. The bite was on my left calf and 4 inches above my ankle bone. The dog came out of nowhere and did not make any sounds indicating he was going to bite. I knew the dog was in the yard, but had no eye contact with him and in no way provoked him. I went to my doctor and received four stitches inside and three outside. There wasn't much skin to stitch. I went back to the doctor a week later and he advised that he may need to scrape the wound because of dead tissue and skin. I went back for a third visit to the doctor and asked if he wanted to stitch the wound. He thought it might not be a good idea. He said the wound needs to heal from the inside out. He is sending me to a wound-care clinic for leg surgery. I talked to the dog's owner and found out the dog had done this before. I'm going to call animal control and have the dog picked up. The owner said he has no problem with that and said he has no problem with dog being put down. He's afraid the dog will bite again and really do some damage, especially to a child.

Comment from: timboy, 75 or over Male Published: April 04

I was trying to knock some food off my King Charles spaniel's ear when it turned and bit my little finger where it joins the hand. The dog has a life of luxury and I cannot believe it bit its owner. All my family wants the dog put to sleep except myself. I went to hospital where the cleaned and dressed the deep wound and had to go back 3 days later for assessment and redressing. I also have to go back for further assessment in 4 days time. I don't think a dog trainer would help. I would suggest anybody with a dog bite to attend a hospital asap.

Comment from: Robininsky, 45-54 Female (Patient) Published: March 20

I was standing talking to a neighbor when her dog, a Shiba Inu that was standing beside her, jumped up and took a bite out of my hand. I was holding my Pom in my other arm and he was fortunately not hurt. Went to ER and had stitches in both the palm of my hand and the wrist. Hurt like hell. This was over 5 months ago and my wrist and thumb still hurt when I am writing or doing certain motions with the hand. Really upset about this unprovoked incident, especially when I learned the dog had bitten at least three people prior to me!


Patient Comments

Viewers share their comments

Dog Bite (Treatment) - Experience Question: Were you or someone you know bitten by a dog? Please share your experience.
Dog Bite (Treatment) - Treatment Question: Were you bitten by a dog? How was the wound(s) treated?
Dog Bite (Treatment) - Prevention Question: Please provide tips for preventing a dog bite.

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