06/09/2021
What to Do When Bitten by a Dog.
Written by: Dr. Edet Umoh
Hundreds of thousands of dog bites occur every year. Dog bites are potentially risky because of the risk of contracting rabies, tetanus and infected wound. Dog bites have both economic and legal implications. You should take the following measures when you or someone else is bitten by a dog.
1. Clean the wound
Clean the site of the bite immediately with spirit or soap. This will reduce the possible infection of the wound and eliminate any germs by preventing their multiplication and spread.
2. Report to the nearest healthcare center
You should report to the nearest government medical and veterinary center immediately. The medical personnel may recommend a post exposure rabies treatment. The health history of the dog should be available during the visit.
3. Restrict movement of the dog
The dog should not be killed. It should be restricted from moving around. Keep the dog confined to its pen for 14 days. If the dog dies during 14 days, cut off the head and remove the brain. The brain should be sent in an iced pack to a government veterinary center for laboratory diagnosis.
4. Responsible dog ownership
Responsible dog ownership means that your dog is housed well, fed a nutritionally balanced diet daily, goes to the veterinary clinic regularly and has rabies vaccination every year.
5. Early warning signal
Consider every dog bite as an early warning signal of rabies. The initial signs of rabies disease in dog are usually similar to signs observed in other diseases. This makes recognizing rabies disease early in dog difficult.
In conclusion be aware that dog bites are very common and are potential risks of transmission of rabies. Protect your family and friends by practicing responsible pet ownership. Vaccinate your dogs with rabies vaccine annually.
For more information on how to give your pet optimal healthcare and nutrition contact: BioSoft Veterinary Clinic, Suite A2 Real Tower Centre, 26 A. E. Ekukinam Street, Utako, Abuja. Telephone: 08159733833.
