DOG BITES, SAFETY AND FIRST AID

 Dogs are domestic animals which have been known to be friends of man for a very long time. Some use it as pets while others use it for security purposes.
 Dogs like any other wolf, can be very aggressive and inflict serious injuries to people around

DOG BITES AND RABIES 
 When a dog bites, it is advisable to meet the dog owner and inquire its health status. If the dog owner owner does not vaccinate the dog or if it is a stray dog, you may need to quarantine the dog and place it under observation. The rabies infected may die within 10 days.

The quarantine is set at 10 days because a rabies-infected animal can only transmit the disease after clinical signs have developed and once these signs have developed, the animal will die within 10 days. If the animal lives beyond the 10th day, it can be said with certainty that it was not shedding the rabies virus at the time that the bite occurred. If the animal dies before the 10th day, it can be tested for rabies. If the test is positive, a human bite victim will still have enough time to receive post-exposure vaccinations and prevent the disease. It doesn't really matter if the rabid dog bites someone or not. The rabies virus will ultimately paralyse the respiratory system and asphyxiate the dog to death in a few days (10–30 days in most cases) after the animals starts showing rabid symptoms. Hence the assumption that rabid dogs die only after biting someone is false and that it is the normal course of the disease which results in the death of the rabid animal.

First Aid following a dog bite should go in the following steps:

1. Ensure that the victim and you the first aider are safe from another attack by the offending dog. Safety first. We don't want to have two or more victims instead of one. One is bad enough.

2. Quickly ascertain from the victim or those who witnessed the dog bite attack whether it was a provoked or unprovoked bite. Rabid dogs bite people even when unprovoked. It goes on a biting spree like a vampire in Blade: Starring Wesley Snipes and Triple H.

3. The first aider should try and examine the victim for dog bite sites. He or she should also try to classify the bite as category one( Intact skin) , category two (bruised skin) and or category three ( broken skin ). The veterinarian would perform a more detailed classification.

4. Try to reassure the bite victim, and keep a confident attitude along with a calm voice. Not all bites are death sentences, yet no bite incident is to be treated with kid gloves.

5. Attend to the wound if it is category two or three by washing the bite site with soap and clean water copiously. Let the water run over the wound from a height. Best if it is hosed down. This is to remove a lot of bacteria contained in the wound from the victim's skin and clothing, and from the offending dog's mouth (teeth, tongue, gums, saliva which would contain the rabies virus if the dog was rabid) and claws. 

6. Next disinfect with potent household antiseptic disinfectants like Dettol.

7. If you have Hydrogen peroxide, apply a solution of it unto the wound.

8. As soon as is possible, report with the victim to the nearest Veterinarian, Veterinary Clinic or a Hospital.

9. If the dog is yours or a neighbour's ensure it is quarantined until veterinary and medical investigations are concluded. Furnish the Vet or Physician with the dog's anti rabies vaccination status.

10. Follow your doctor's counsel and present the victim and offender as requested by the Vet or Physician.

11. A first aider could be a witness in a law Court following a dog bite case. So it is important to write down what happened in your diary or first Aider's report immediately after the incident.


Thanks. You might just have saved a human life and prevented an offending dog from being killed by a mob

 While it is good to have a dog, it is also important to vaccinate it regularly and also avoid stray dogs as they have no training and are mostly very aggressive .

Contributions from Dr Tagwi balami