Dog bite infection

The Dangerous Bite

Dogs, even though they rarely bite people unless they are provoked or taught to do so, can deliver numerous problems if their teeth get sunk into human flesh. Namely, even though most of us know that licking wounds has a healing property for canines, their saliva can be very bad for our well-being if it gets into our organism through the bite. This happens due to the number of bacteria and fungi inside the dog saliva. While this lively mixture can do nothing to them since they are immune to its effect, if they bite people and our organism gets in contact with the dog saliva, we can instantly get an infection.

What Makes Dog Bite Dangerous

There are numerous things to worry about if you are to get bitten by a dog. Dogs have, through the history of their development, become much more connected and used to people. However, some of their primal instincts prevailed nevertheless and they remained very territorial and protective when it comes to themselves and their owners. Therefore, if provoked, whether consciously or unconsciously, they may attack and deliver a series of extremely painful and harmful bites. Both, their teeth and jaw are very strong and capable of tearing through human skin and muscles, even reaching bones. The infection may take place directly inserted into the human body, overpowering its defense mechanisms. Therefore, most often, medical assistance is a must, when it comes to disinfecting a dog bite.

There are more than 20 possible types of microbes inside the canine saliva. We are unprotected against most of them, therefore, inevitably getting infected once bitten.

What to Do If Bitten?

In case you get bitten by a dog, it is extremely important to get the wound disinfected. Numerous medical solutions and products may be used for these purposes. However, due to the reasons mentioned above, non of these will heal you completely. You can notice an infection taking place if you pay attention to the symptoms. Namely, white pus getting expelled from the wound, or, perhaps, an irritation manifesting itself through red spots around the bite spot, all are clear indicators of an undergoing infection. Therefore, waiting is not an option. Rather, you should seek medical attention during the first eight hours after the dog bite.

Nevertheless, there are more things to be afraid of. Namely, if the dog had been rabid, there is a high likelihood you will get rabies as well. Hallucinations being the main symptom, you need to react quickly in order to avoid the deadly outcome. Additionally, you may get tetanus or may end up being poisoned. For all these reasons, medical assistance is crucial and mandatory.