Bite wounds are one of the most prevalent emergency veterinary causes for canine visits. Most dogs are fortunate enough to go their entire lives without ever having to fight anyone or anything. Perhaps two dogs at the dog park fought over a toy, or a stray dog attacked yours when you were out for a stroll. You must take specific actions if your dog bites someone, whether they are troublemakers or unintentional victims.
Things to Do When Your Dog Is Bitten
Veterinary urgent care is often required for injuries sustained by dogs. When dogs fight, it’s not uncommon in public places like dog parks, doggie daycares, on walks, or even at a friend’s house. You and your dog may be shocked and confused if another dog suddenly snaps and bites your pet. If another dog assaults yours, follow these guidelines.
Guidelines for Handling a Bitten Dog
Snarking is a prevalent impolite behavior among canines, especially when the animals are excited about something or competing for the same resource. Most of the time, nobody is hurt in these kinds of little fights. If your dog gets into a fight, you should examine them thoroughly for evidence of a bite.
A brush or comb may facilitate a more methodical examination of dogs with long or thick coats. If the other dog’s bite was only a warning nip, or if your dog is particularly adept at avoiding attacks, the incisors of the other dog may have scraped your dog. Even so, having the contact information for a qualified vet who offers pet emergency services in such a scenario is crucial.
Provide First Aid Treatment
Knowing how to administer first aid in the aftermath of an animal attack is crucial. If another animal bites your pet, remove them from the area immediately. Blood loss can be increased if you let your pet go for walks. Stopping the bleeding should be your next priority. The bitten area has to be pressed with a clean cloth.
Apply a tourniquet if your pet gets bitten by something poisonous on an appendage. This not only helps stop the bleeding but also helps stop the venom from spreading. At that point, you must take your pet to an emergency animal hospital like Roswell Animal Hospital.
Call the Vet
Your dog should visit the vet if it is bitten, even if it seems like the wound is just superficial. The vets can check the wound for cleanliness and administer medications to keep it from getting infected. Sutures are occasionally used to treat dog bites, but deciding to do so is contentious.
Reducing scarring by suturing the wound increases the risk of infection. The injury’s location could determine if it can be healed. For instance, scarring from a dog bite to the face can be reduced with suturing. Veterinary surgeons in Roswell with extensive training in pet surgery may be needed for pets with severe wounds.
Bottomline
Hopefully, you’ll be better prepared to handle a situation when your dog either bites another dog or is bitten by one. Although these scenarios are incredibly stressful, being well-prepared will allow you to maintain your composure and deliver the care your dog requires. If another dog ever bites yours, at least you’ll be prepared with this information from your vet.
