Dogs are considered as man's best friend. But there are some circumstances where the man's so-called best friend becomes wild and attacks people.
There are many victims of dog bites every year in the United States, about 4.7 million. According to a recent study, around 1,000 people are treated in emergency rooms because of dog bites everyday and a record of 32 fatal dog attacks last 2007.
Statistics on Dog Bites
Currently, there are around 74.8 million dogs in the U.S. according to the 2007-2008 National Pet Survey of the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA) and dogs bite about 2% of the population. That means more than 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs every year and around 800,000 of them are severe enough to require medical attention
Some of the deadliest dogs are Rottweilers, pit bulls, Presa Canarios and their mixes. They are accountable for 74% of the attacks. 82% of these attacks are upon adults and 68% are upon children. They are also responsible for the 68% of the maiming and 65% of the deaths.
Dog Bite Injury
Dog bites may result in injuries. Some of them are the following:
Lacerations
Scars
Abrasions
Infections (such as cellulitis, C canimorsus infections, rabies)
Punctures
Strain/Sprain injuries
Tissue loss and avulsion
Fractured bones
Crush injuries
Nerve damage
Deformity
Disability
These dog bites often result in painful injuries but it may also result in death. There are 109 deaths related to dog bites reported between 1989 and 1994, and 57% of these deaths were children younger than ten years old. Some of these deaths resulted from infections caused by a dog bite.
How to Take Care of a Dog Bite?
Below are some of the first things you need to do to tend a wound resulted from a dog bite:
Contact your doctor if necessary
Wash the wound directly with water and soap
Using a clean towel, apply pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding, if there are any
Put a sterile bandage to the wound
To prevent infection and slow down the swelling, keep the injury elevated above the heart level
Immediately report the incident to the proper authority in your area
Apply ointment or medicine or whatever the doctor ordered.
Effects of a Dog Bite Injury
Scars
Wounds that bleed that resulted from dog bites will certainly result in scars. These scars may be disabling, disfiguring, or painful, depending on the type of skin.
Some of the treatments for scars are the following:
Surgical excision of scar
Dermabrasion
Make-up
Pressure scar modification
Post traumatic stress disorder
One of the possible effects of a dog bite injury is post traumatic disorder.
This is where a person, after an accident, may not behave or feel normally for a considerable period of time. Some of the many possible symptoms of a post traumatic disorder are the following:
Depressed
Fearful or nervous
Take dangerous risks
Does not get along with family and friends
Crying
Fear of dogs
Dog bites do not only affect a person physically, it can also affect someone emotionally or psychologically.
Often, victims of dog bites are dog lovers, but after being attacked by one, he/she may develop a morbid fear of dogs and may no longer relax or feel relaxed around the presence of dogs and cannot anymore enjoy the companionship of what many consider as man's best friend.
These incidents may also affect the way of living of a person. One may experience that he/she can no longer take walks because of being afraid that he/she might be attacked anytime.
A dog bite injury may be either mild or serious or even deadly. But anyhow, it should be treated with care and should be given proper medical attention.
To help you recover from dog bites and related injuries, consult with our skilled Los Angeles dog bite injury lawyer. Visit our website at http://www.personalinjurydefenders.com/Dog-Bite-Injury-Lawyer.html and avail of our free case analysis.
Kamille is an aspiring writer who wants to make a difference. She has this passion for justice and righteousness. Because of this, she once dreamed of becoming a lawyer, but pursued her aspirations of becoming a writer. Her passions remain and she tries her very best for righteousness to prevail through her writing.
