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Take the bite out of a dog’s bark
By Dr. Lewis First For The Essex Reporter.
Dr. Lewis First
With kids and dogs out and about this summer, something is bound to happen when the two groups encounter each other, particularly if a child provokes a dog, resulting in a dog provoking a child. Believe it or not, there are over 4.5 million dog bites a year. If you want to take the bite out of a dog’s bark, let me provide a few suggestions.
First, teach your children to be careful around pets. They should ask permission from a dog’s owner before petting the dog and never approach a strange dog they do not know. Remind them never to bother a dog that’s caring for puppies, sleeping, or eating, and never leave a baby or small child alone with a dog. It is also important to make sure if you own a dog, that your dog is vaccinated against rabies.
If a dog appears threatening, teach your children to stay calm, and avoid eye contact. They should stay still or back away slowly until the dog leaves, but never turn and run. If a dog knocks a child down, he or she should curl into a ball and keep their hands over their face and neck.
If a bite does occur, apply pressure to stop the bleeding and then wash it out with soap and water under running water for several minutes. Then, cover it with sterile gauze or a band-aid and seek medical attention to determine whether further treatment such as stitches, antibiotics or rabies prevention is indicated.
If your child has received a bite and in the days that follow, you notice that it appears hot, swollen, red, drains pus or your child develops a fever, you should seek medical attention because this may represent an infection brewing as a result of the bite.
Hopefully, tips like this will cover any pet-ticular issues you have, and avoid any cat-tastrophes when it comes to worrying about your child getting bitten by dogs.
Lewis First, M.D., is chief of Pediatrics at Vermont Children’s Hospital at Fletcher Allen Health Care and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Vermont College of Medicine.
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