All dog bites are serious and should be examined right away, but it’s also clear that some are far more serious than others. In some cases, you can certainly tell right away that a bite is dangerous. The severity of the damage and level of blood loss, along with the location of the bite, can tell you if it’s severe right away.
If the bite is small, however, do you need to go to the hospital or can you just clean it at home?
The problem that some people make is in assuming that you can always know how serious the bite is by looking at it. Issues can be hidden. For instance, puncture wounds are so deep that they may not bleed much, and a lot of the damage is internal. This makes them appear less severe, but they also carry far greater risks of infection, which can make them some of the most dangerous injuries of all.
How can you know if it’s infected?
Spotting infection early is always beneficial. Some signs you can look for include:
- Pus and drainage
- Redness and warmth around the bite
- Pain that does not decrease with time, but that only gets worse
- Severe pain to the touch
- Swelling
- Difficulty moving
- The onset of a fever or related sickness
An infected bite can make you very sick and may lead to fatal symptoms if not treated properly. Even with treatment, it can be very dangerous. It could lead to complications, disabilities and disfigurement. If any of this happens to you, it is incredibly important that you know what legal options you have to seek compensation for your bills from the dog’s owner.