Infections From Dog Bites

When an animal attacks a person and pierces the skin, that injury—often regardless of its severity—can result in an infection. Depending upon the specific facts surrounding the dog bite injury, an infection may require immediate treatment from a healthcare provider. If an infection goes untreated, it is possible that the infection can spread to another part of the dog bite victim’s body. As such, any dog bite wound should be assessed by a medical professional so that the dog bite victim can receive any necessary antibiotics or other treatments to manage infection. If you do sustain a dog bite injury that gets infected, one of our experienced dog bite injury lawyers can help you to seek the financial compensation you deserve.

Regardless of the severity of a dog bite injury, you should know that the wound can become infected if it is not treated properly. Although many dog bites do not appear serious enough to require immediate evaluation by a healthcare provider, any dog bite that breaks the skin can result in bacteria from the dog’s mouth entering the body of the dog bite victim. While washing the wound thoroughly and immediately may prevent infection, many dog bites simply cannot be treated at home.

If a wound is relatively minor, you may be able to treat it at home to avoid infection. According to Medical News Today, you should take the following steps as soon as possible after sustaining a dog bite injury:

• Wash the area of the wound thoroughly with soap and water
• Run the wound under lukewarm water if you are able to do so in order to “flush out” any bacteria in the wound
• Put an antibiotic cream on the dog bite wound
• Wrap the wound in a clean bandage

If the wound looks deeper, you should first press a dry and clean cloth on the wound to stop the bleeding. Then, you should seek medical attention. Depending upon the severity of the wound, you should call 911 or seek immediate treatment in an emergency department.

When a dog bite shows signs of infection, it is critical to seek medical attention as soon as possible, and then to speak with a dog bite injury lawyer about seeking compensation. The following are signs of infection according to Healthline:

• Fluid or pus coming from the wound
• Area near the bite is particularly tender
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Red streaks around the area of the wound
• Fever
• Chills
• Night sweats
• Fatigue
• Difficulty breathing
• Weak muscles
• Loss of sensation in the area of the bite

Dog bite injuries can become infected quickly, and it can be difficult to treat them without assistance from a medical professional. If your dog bite wound does become infected, you should know that you may be able to file a claim to seek financial compensation, even if the injury seemed relatively minor at first. An experienced dog bite injury attorney at our firm can assist you with your claim. Contact the Walton Law Firm for more information about seeking compensation.