How serious are dog bite wounds?
Dog bites can cause significant injury to the skin and soft tissues. The dogs teeth and jaws are very powerful and the wounds they inflict can crush or tear muscles and skin, penetrate through the chest wall causing lung collapse, or cause serious or fatal damage to intestinal organs. Even a bite that does not break the skin can cause crushing or bruising injuries to the underlying soft tissues.
Bite wounds are commonly inflicted on the legs or around the head and neck. Vital structures in the neck that could be easily injured include major blood vessels, numerous nerves, the esophagus (tube connecting the throat with the stomach), and the trachea (windpipe). Wounds on the face can cause severe damage to the eyes, ears, or mouth. With bite wounds on the legs, there is a risk that the injury can involve the joints.
Since the dogs mouth is full of bacteria, any bite that does puncture the skin will introduce bacteria or other infectious organisms below the skin surface, where the bacteria can multiply and spread throughout the underlying tissues. Therefore, all bite wounds are considered to be contaminated and/or infected. Left untreated, the bacteria in an infected bite wound will cause a localized abscess or more generalized cellulitis (a tissue infection) that spreads through the surrounding area. In rare cases, a penetrating bite wound can cause septic arthritis (infection of the joint), osteomyelitis (infection of the bone), pyothorax (pus in the chest cavity) or septic peritonitis (pus in the abdominal cavity).
Diagnosis of Puncture Wounds in Dogs
If you know what has caused the puncture wound in your dog, tell your veterinarian, as this can help determine treatment. Your veterinary caregiver will examine the wound, and assess the size, the kind of wound, and the degree of infection. Other tests may be utilized to determine the extent of any internal injuries. These can include X-rays, ultrasounds, MRIs, CT scans, and blood and urine tests.
If the wound is on a leg, your dog cannot walk, or has a large amount of swelling, X-rays can help determine if there is a fracture. Gunshot wounds can have life-threatening complications if any vital organs were damaged, and will be thoroughly assessed.
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Symptoms of Puncture Wounds in Dogs
Signs of puncture wounds include:
You may see secondary signs if your dog’s wound has become infected, or an abscess has formed. These include: