How Can You Tell If You Should See a Doctor after a Dog Bite

A dog bite may happen for a number of reasons, from normal puppy teething and nipping at you to an aggressive dog attacking you on an unfamiliar street. The important thing to remember is that you need to take certain steps to effectively treat a dog bite and prevent infection or further injury from the encounter.

While some bites may be minor and only require simple, at-home treatment, others are of more concern and require an evaluation by a medical professional. Learn to differentiate the two and determine how to proceed when treating a bite to maintain your overall health and wellness.

<strong>Why the Concern?</strong>

Particularly if the encounter is from a friend’s dog just getting overly excited or a new pup still being trained, it may seem like a bite is harmless. But the reality is that even the most beloved animals carry bacteria in their mouth. And as the animal’s teeth penetrate the surface of your skin, that bacteria can be transferred beneath the surface and cause a more serious infection, especially if the bite occurs near a tendon, joint, or bone.

<strong>Is Doctor Care Necessary?</strong>

Many individuals tend to just shrug off an animal bite thinking they can disinfect it, apply a little first aid ointment, and just let it go. However, in many cases it really is best to contact the doctor promptly for further instruction. Consider these factors when determining if doctor care is necessary:

• Location: If the bite is on your face or hand, contact your doctor, even if the bite seems minor. You could end up with a significant scar on your face if you do not treat the bite properly.
• Depth: A deep puncture wound may damage the tissue below the surface and may require additional treatment aside from just sanitizing. In the event that you are bitten by a dog, always contact your doctor and consider contacting a personal injury attorney should damages be substantial.
• Owner: If you are unfamiliar with the owner or cannot contact the owner of the animal that bit you, it’s important to seek doctor care to avoid infection and other more serious complications from an animal that may not be up-to-date on shots.
• Animal: It is important to note that a bite from a cat may actually be more serious than a dog because cats have narrow, sharp teeth that make it difficult to determine the severity of the wound. 

Any animal wound should be cleansed thoroughly with sterile salt water. Likewise, you should also remove any dead tissue from the wounded area. Your doctor will likely order a round of antibiotics if the bite is deep, causes a significant amount of visible injury, or if your immune system is otherwise compromised. Even if you rule doctor care unnecessary, it is important to take an animal bite seriously.