Many dog bites never get infected. It’s a good idea to clean the bite wound as soon as the attack happens. If it’s serious and you receive medical care, they may give you antibiotics, ointments or other types of treatment options. There are steps you can take to avoid an infection and let yourself heal.
That said, always remember that a dog bite is a puncture wound. It’s probably not just the surface level, even though that’s all you see. When the teeth puncture the skin, they can push bacteria down into the deeper tissue levels. Other types of debris could also become trapped in the wound.
This is why dog bites have such a high infection rate. Puncture wounds are more difficult to clean and they often don’t bleed as much, so they don’t benefit from this natural cleaning process. Bacteria and debris become trapped, which then leads to the infection.
How do you know if this has happened?
Keep an eye on your symptoms. Generally speaking, you should feel less pain and your symptoms should improve over the next few days.
If your bite is infected, though, the symptoms will probably move in the opposite direction. Pain will increase or the wound will begin to feel very tender. It may become swollen, with red streaks moving under the skin. The wound could even start to leak pus or other types of discharge. When an infection gets very serious, you could develop chills or a fever. The wound may feel stiff and difficult to move.
An infected dog bite may need extensive medical treatment. Be sure you know how to seek financial compensation.
