When dealing with dog bites, seeking medical help immediately is highly recommended; but what do you do before those few minutes or even hours it takes to seek the nearest medical attention?
What you can do before you can seek the nearest medical attention?
Move away from the dog
Once bitten by a dog, you should move away from the dog and stay somewhere safe to ensure you don’t get attacked by the same dog again. While locating somewhere safe, you can also control the bleeding at the same time.
Gently press the wound
You should press on the wound gently; doing this will result in some bleeding that will help to flush out as much bacteria from the wound as possible. Surface wound tends to heal fast and in the process, some bacteria might be trapped in.
Clean the wound with soap and warm water
While cleaning the wound, you should also clean inside the affected area with soap. After this is done, be sure to rinse away the soap thoroughly to avoid further skin irritation later on. This can be done by simply placing the wound under a running tap and allow it run for like five to ten minutes.
Dress the wound
After washing, gently press a clean piece of cloth over the wound. Also, you can apply some antibiotics on the wound, this is however not necessary.
Stitch if necessary
Sometimes, dog bites wounds may require stitching. If the wound is so deep that the fatty tissues underneath the skin surface can be seen, then stitches are necessary to reduce possible scarring. It is however recommended that this should be carried out by a medical practitioner.
Check out for redness
While a bit of redness is normal after being bitten by a dog, it usually should not last for more than twenty-four hours. Anything longer than this and if it gets bigger, that is a clear sign of an infection and should be treated with urgency.
Visit the hospital
After a dog bite, you should see the doctor to get tested for some infections especially if you got bitten by a dog you know nothing about its rabies history. This will help to prevent and treat any possible infections.
While dog bites might appear seemingly slight and harmless, it is very important to get the appropriate medical treatment to prevent further complications.
