Continue Seeking Additional Medical Care as Needed
If you have complications from a dog bite and you need additional treatment, follow through with your doctor’s orders. This is crucial for your health and for your injury case.
Take necessary medications, any recommended tetanus booster, and attend important follow-up appointments — otherwise, the other party could claim you made your injuries worse. Get the care you need to protect the potential value of your settlement or award.
Rabies occurs throughout Colorado counties. It usually involves bats, skunks, and other wild animals, but it can affect domestic dogs and cats. In 2018, 52 cases occurred in Larimer County, 69 in El Paso County, and 76 in Denver County.
If an individual is bitten by a rabies infected dog or another animal, prompt treatment is imperative. This involves the administration of rabies immune globulin, which helps prevent the virus from spreading throughout the body. The treatment course involves four injections administered over two weeks.
Untreated, rabies infections are almost always fatal. Thus, individuals who are bitten by a dog or cat should immediately determine whether or not the animal was up-to-date on their rabies shots.
We encourage you to contact Sloat, Nicholson & Hoover, P.C. at (303) 447-1144 to speak with a dog bite attorney about dog bite injuries in Colorado. It is our pleasure to answer your questions and understand your rights to recover your injuries.
Dog bites can cause serious, potentially life-threatening injuries. While deep wounds can cause severe bleeding, they also create a significant pathway for infection. Thus, medical professionals may recommend receiving a tetanus shot following a dog attack. They may also recommend vaccination for rabies as part of their post-attack treatment regimen. This often includes testing for other bacteria, including Streptococcus, Capnocytophaga, Pasteurella, and more.
If the bite creates a deep puncture or the skin is badly torn and bleeding, apply direct pressure to stop the bleeding and get medical attention right away. If you develop a fever or other signs of infection — swelling, redness, pain, a bad smell or fluid draining from the area — see a physician immediately.
Animal bites can be frightening, and in some cases, are medical emergencies. The most common animal bites in the United States are from household pets, with dogs and cats causing the most injury. Cat bites and scratches are especially prone to infection. Human or animal bites can become infected or transmit illnesses such as rabies. A tetanus shot may be required if you have not had one within 10 years; if you are not sure when you had your last tetanus shot, and you’ve been bitten, you should get one within 72 hours after your injury.
A tetanus shot may be required if you have not had one within 10 years or if you are unsure of when you last had one. Tetanus is a bacterial infection that affects the nervous system and is often fatal. Although most people are aware that stepping on a rusty nail or a puncture wound can cause a tetanus infection, most people do not know that tetanus bacteria can also enter the body even through a tiny pinprick, a scratch from an animal, splinters, bug bites and even burns that break the skin.
Strange animal behavior may be a sign of rabies and typically includes an unprovoked attack. For example, if normally shy nocturnal (night) animals bite during the day, they may be infected. Rabies is rare in dogs, cats, rodents and plant-eating animals. Other signs of rabies in animals include drooling, running in circles, appearing paralyzed or exhibiting unusual or aggressive behaviors.
If an animal acts strangely and bites you, go to an emergency department or see your doctor immediately, because the animal may have rabies. This is especially true for bats, skunks, raccoons and foxes. If possible, capture the animal, if it is safe to do so, so it can be checked for rabies, which is fatal in humans if left untreated. If the animal is dead, wear gloves or use a shovel to move it into a plastic bag. Do not damage the animal’s head, since rabies testing is done on the brain, and do not freeze the animal. Clean the area and any tools used to remove the animal with a bleach solution. Some people avoid seeking treatment, because they fear it will involve a series of painful shots to the abdomen. This used to be true, but a simpler, less painful treatment is now involved.
Do you need to get a rabies shot after a dog bite?
You’re playingwith your dog, and somehow, between growls and tail wags, it can happen. Thosecanine teeth can bite or scratch. Or alternatively, you could be walking down astreet and an unknown mutt can attack without warning.
Either way,there are steps you need to take right away to treat the wound and reduce therisk of infection. You’ll need professional medical attention the same day.
A dog’s frontteeth will grab and compress your tissue, and their smaller teeth can also tearyour skin. The result is an open, jagged wound. If the wound becomes infected,it is often severe, says emergency medicine physician Stephen Sayles III, MD.
“The No. 1concern with these bites is infection,” he says. “You mayneed hospitalization and require intravenous antibiotics. You shouldalways see a primary care provider if you’re bitten.”
No matter what, make sure you see a doctor within eight hours of a dog bite, he says. Waiting longer raises your infection risk. If you have diabetes or are immunocompromised, your infection risk is even greater.