
A dog bite accident are not that common but they do happen. Dogs are probably one of the most popular home pets in the United States. They offer companionship, relaxation, fun times so it’s no wonder that 37-47% of all US household has at least one dog (some have more). That makes almost 70-80 million dogs. Now, as with taking the necessary precautions to prevent other accidents, there are certain things a dog owner has to do in order to prevent a dog bite accident. Unfortunately, there’s no accident that can be prevented 100% and sometimes, even the friendliest dog, that never attacked anyone can behave unexpectedly and bite someone.
How does a dog bite accident happen?
According to some data, ever year, nearly 5 million people are involved in a dog bite accident. 50% of the victims are children. Dog bite accidents don’t only happen with strange dongs that we’ve never met. In fact, almost half of the total dog bite accidents are caused by dogs that we are familiar with and have spent some time. Strange dogs usually don’t bite people they don’t know. Family or friends’ pets are usually the ones that bite us. Families that have 2 dogs, the chance of a dog bite accident increases 5 times. Many of the dog bites aren’t serious but roughly 27,000 each year, require reconstructive surgery.What should you do if a dog bites you?
Dog bite accidents are very unforeseen but they happen, more than people realize. If you or your loved one gets bitten by a dog, the first thing you need to do is seek medical attention. It might be that the bite is superficial and not severe, but there are also those that can cause severe nerve damage. Not to mention that dog bites can become infected, can cause permanent scarring etc. Once you arrive at the hospital, you will most likely receive a prescription for antibiotics and a tetanus shot or rabies vaccine. If the dog bit your face, a plastic surgeon will be brought in to assess the wound. After getting the necessary medical attention there are a few things you should do:- Take photos of the injury
- Make sure that you collect the contact information from the dog owner
- If the police created a report of the dog bite accident, make sure that you get a copy
- Let your local health authority know that you were bitten by a dog