Dog Bite Injuries in Tracy, CA
Even the gentlest of dogs can inexplicably attack a person and inflict serious injuries. Puncture wounds, nerve damage, and infections can lead to significant medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. After a dog attack, you can find the help you need at the office of a seasoned personal injury lawyer serving Tracy and Livermore. Your lawyer will ask to review your medical records and documentation of your losses in order to provide effective guidance on your case.
Puncture Wounds Given how friendly most dogs are, it’s easy to forget that they have very sharp teeth. When a dog attacks, the puncture wounds can penetrate deep into the tissues, inflicting significant pain and damage. As soon as you’ve gotten away from the dog, you should tightly press a clean cloth or bandage to all of the puncture wounds to slow the bleeding. Many dog attack victims must receive sutures in the hospital to close the wounds. To help your personal injury lawyer substantiate your case, you may choose to take pictures of your wounds.
Nerve Damage Long after the puncture wounds have healed, you might still experience painful symptoms if the dog’s teeth inflicted nerve damage. Nerve pain can be debilitating, and it’s often accompanied by numbness, tingling, or burning sensations. You may also have muscle weakness in the area. Since nerves regenerate very slowly, these symptoms may affect you for months to come.
Infections As your personal injury case progresses, you should periodically update your injury lawyer regarding any changes in your health. For instance, many dog attack victims develop secondary infections from bite wounds. If you experience worsening pain, increasing redness and swelling, or an abnormal, foul-smelling discharge from the wound, you need to seek prompt medical attention. It’s crucial to treat the infection before it can spread to the bloodstream.
Emotional Injuries It can be emotionally traumatic to be attacked by a dog. You may find yourself becoming irrationally fearful when you see or hear dogs. In severe cases, dog attack victims are reluctant to go outside the home because they fear another attack. Consider speaking with a mental health counselor about these issues. Let your lawyer know if you’re receiving psychiatric care, as you may be compensated for these expenses.
7 steps to treating a dog bite
If a dogbites you, take these steps right away:
Your doctor will want to know more about the dog that bit you and how it happened. They will also likely clean the wound again, apply antibiotic ointment and prescribe antibiotics, such as Augmentin, if there’s an infection concern.
After any bite, you should make sure you know when your last tetanus shot was — and that you’re up-to-date. While a tetanus immunization is good for 10 years, Dr. Sayles notes, your doctor may recommend a booster if the wound is dirty and it’s been more than five years since your last shot.
Depending onthe wound, your doctor may also recommend stitches. Generally, though, dogwounds are left open to heal unless they are on the face or if they could leaveparticularly severe scars if left unsutured.
What About Rabies?
Rabies are a number one concern when it comes to animal bites to wild animals. If rabies is goes untreated, it can lead to death. Tetanus is a bacterial disease that affects the nervous system, thus making it a very serious condition. In order to prevent a tragedy from this infectious disease, a tetanus shot should be administered as emergency medicine if rabies is existent. Initial symptoms of rabies are the following:
As the disease advances, a rabid person may experience:
Doctor explains how to assess and treat dog bites
One of the most common reasons dogs see their veterinarians for emergency appointments is because of a bite wound. The bite wound may have been caused by another family dog or by a fight with a strange or unfamiliar animal.