DH was bitten by a dog yesterday..

sunsetbeach · ‎03-15-2010

I wasn't sure where to post this, but had an eye opening experience yesterday. My DH walks daily in our neighborhood. We have walking trails, sidewalks etc. He was walking on one of the trails and a lady approached with 2 dogs on leashes. My DH stepped completely off the trail to give her room to go by. One dog growled and in the blink of an eye, the other jumped and bit him on his forearm. DH did not provoke at all. Needless to say this was upsetting as he is 72 with COPD and recently had surgery for colon cancer. The lady said "did he get you?" and my husband said yes, and she said I'm sorry. He asked her address and she went on her way. DH called me and when he got home, we went to urgent care. They cleaned his arm, bandaged it, gave him a tetanus shot and put him on antibiotics for a week. They called Animal Control who came to see us and took the report.

We learned from the doctor that when bit by any animal it's imperative to get it checked. Infection from animal bites can be devastating and you can wind up in a hospital. Surprisingly, cat bites are worse than dog bites. So, if you are ever bit, don't just fluff it off, even if the animal has had its shots or is a pet. He also told us he sees people in urgent care all the time because they have been bitten, so I guess its more common than I ever thought.

SeaMaiden · ‎03-10-2010

So sorry to hear this... how awful that the dog was so vicious... that is NOT OK. I hope something is done...you may have to go to small claims court to get any kind of compensation.... but you should do that for pain and suffering anyway.

BlueFinch · ‎08-31-2019

So sorry to hear of your husband's injury. I've had a dog bite before, too, and I can attest to the fact it is painful and traumatic.

Also, in my case, I actually needed a few stitches, but they never want to close bite wounds because it may entrap the bacteria.

Keep a close eye on the wound site, but with your immediate attention it's unlikely you'll see complications.

Now, the dogs. What the heck! Obviously not under control by the owner.

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

I'm so sorry he had to go through that, it's very scary and unsettling. Yes, from what I see in ER visits where I work dog bites are more common now. At one time, it was very rare but very severe when it did happen. Now I see more incidents like your husband's. I think it's because people take their dogs everywhere with them now and we all forget that dogs are animals, even the most loving, sweetest dog can bite for reasons known only to the dog. Cats too. I know that cat bites can be much more serious than a dog bite because my cat who I had for about 17 years at the time, my old loving comfy cat, sailed across the room and bit me on the ankle one morning. She'd been sleeping in her usual spot in our bedroom and I thought she must have had a nightmare. Apparently, some cats carry a type of bacteria in their saliva which can cause a serious infection in humans. Yes indeed. We should all be up to date with our tetanus injections and we should see a doctor for any animal bite.

sunsetbeach · ‎03-15-2010

Thank you everyone for your kind words! The animal control person was from the sheriff's office and after she left, she was going to the address the lady gave us. Apparently, there is a 10 day quarantine on the dog, which can stay home with the owner. They say if it dies within that time, DH will have to get rabies shots, ugh. Needless to say, we are hoping that does not happen.

BirkiLady · ‎02-22-2015

@sunsetbeach So sorry about your husband's encounter with the dog, which resulted in being bitten. You were absolutely correct to have it checked out by a medical professional. Hopefully, this will have no effects on his current physical conditions. Sending thoughts for a speedy healing and safe walking in the future.

Money screams; wealth whispers.

Big Joanie · ‎01-02-2015

Sorry about DH .... hope they check the dog out ... if that were a small

child it would have been their face .....

SeaMaiden · ‎03-10-2010

@Big Joanie wrote:
Sorry about DH .... hope they check the dog out ... if that were a small
child it would have been their face .....

@Big Joanie That was also a concern.... no dog should be biting someone who is just walking by them.... especially on a leash... that dog is dangerous. I hope something is done to have the dog checked out by someone to see if it is aggressive and dangerous to the public. What if it had been loose...would it attack other dogs and people near by?