Immediate Medical Response to Dog Bites

If you are bitten by a dog, you should see a physician within eight hours following the incident, and ideally, much sooner. Optimally you should get to a hospital as soon as possible. The major danger from dog attacks is an infection, and for serious or very deep bites, you may need to be hospitalized and treated intravenously with antibiotics. When in doubt about what to do when a dog bites you, go to the nearest hospital emergency room to be checked for any necessary immediate treatment. Especially if you have diabetes or immune system deficiencies, your risk of infection may be high. If your wound is not excessively deep or serious, your physician will most likely clean and dress the wound with an antibiotic ointment, which is a crucial step in what to do after suffering a dog bite attack in NJ.

Approximately 50 percent of dog attacks introduce bacteria into the victim’s system, including staphylococcus, streptococcus, Pasteurella, and Capnocytophaga, all of which can cause infections and inflammations, which are what to look for after a dog bite. Stray dogs or dogs that have not been vaccinated can also carry rabies, so your doctor may also give you a rabies shot as a precaution and as another important step in what to do after a dog bite. Dog bite wounds are usually left open while healing to help prevent infection. However, if your wound is deep and likely to leave prominent scar tissue when healing, your doctor may close or partially close your wound with stitches, explaining that this is sometimes a helpful part of what to do if you get bit by a dog.

MEASURES TO TAKE IMMEDIATELY AFTER A DOG BITE

There are certain steps you can take right after a dog bite attack in NJ that helps prevent heavy bleeding or the onset of infection before you see a doctor, including the following:

• Put gentle pressure on the wound, increasing bleeding to flush out any harmful bacteria as another step in what to do in case of dog bite.
• Wash your wound with mild soap and water.
• Press a clean cloth gently against the wound to slow the bleeding.
• Apply over-the-counter antibiotic or antibacterial cream.
• Wrap your wound in a sterile bandage until you see a physician.

If a family member, friend, or helpful passerby is available, this person can help you perform these measures as part of what to do if someone’s dog attacks you. As soon as your wound is bandaged, you or the person helping you should contact a dog bite attack attorney and your local police department and animal control office to report the dog bite incident as steps in what to do after dog bites someone. Both the fact that you have reported your injury from a dog bite to the local police and that you seek medical treatment for your wound from a licensed physician will be of vital importance to your NJ dog bite attack lawyer’s ability to pursue any legal action against the owner of the attacking dog.

If you are a dog owner or live in a neighborhood in which many dogs of different breeds, ages, and dispositions coexist, it is a good idea to be aware of the dog bite attack laws that pertain to dog-inflicted bites and to know about the laws covering victims of dog attacks as well as the resulting injuries, whether major or minor. Since more than 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs across the nation each year, it is essential to know what steps to take following a dog biting incident.