Beware of - Dogs and dogbites!!!

Dogs and dog bites

A dog is supposed to be a man's best friend. Dogs are cute and humane. We once had a dog called Mickey a Labrador breed- jet black in color and with large eyes and a longish face. Looking in his eyes one felt like Mickey was actually talking and conveying something. For years Mickey remained my only friend and confidante; we went for long walks and sometimes I even talked to him, while he gazed back knowingly, sometimes evening nodding and barking in approval or disapproval. When my young niece (3 years) was brought home to be looked after by my parents, Mickey had to be given away. I never learnt whom dad gave away the dog to, but for years whenever I met a similar looking dog I used to call out loudly ‘ ! Mickey!’  Mickey! ’ thinking that maybe this is my lost dog -Mickey. Now 25 years later Mickey still remains in my heart having etched a permanent impression of love and friendship.

Dogs can be troublesome and sometimes dangerous too... they keep shedding their hair and this is a mess especially if you are staying in an apartment. In humid climates and rainy seasons they can actually stink. Fleas can be problematic and be all around them if not taken care of. They may even have intestinal worms and will have to be de –wormed regularly. 

Dogs can bite and their bites can cause wound infections and if the dog has rabies then this can be transmitted to the person who is bitten. Some breeds can be aggressive and one should refrain from keeping these breeds as pets. 

Dog bites may need multiple levels of treatment. Tetanus toxiod and immunoglobulin may be needed to start with depending on the extent of the wounds. Anti rabies treatment protocols need to be followed. The oral cavity of dogs has a lot of organisms and antibiotic coverage will be needed to prevent wound infection.

Local care of he wound is very important and a through wash and debridement should be done. Some wound may be closed primarily while other may be secondarily closed. Some wounds will also need injection of immunoglobulin into and around them.

I would suggest two good links for those who are looking for more info on dog bites as adding more details on the topic would only be a repetition:

http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/dog-bites/index.html

http://www.aafp.org/afp/2001/0415/p1567.html

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