Dogs and other pets are usually just friendly companions. But sometimes, they attack people. Knowing how to handle a dog bite or animal attack prepares you in the unlikely event that it happens. As loving as dogs are, they are also dangerous. An angry dog can take your arm off if it’s scared or provoked. Serious injuries like that need to be handled well because there are sometimes life long damages.
What To Do Immediately After A Dog Bite or Animal Attack
Here’s a list of how to handle a dog bite right after the fact. Dog teeth are sharp and strong. They tear into your flesh easily, and wounds like that are at risk of serious infection.
1. Press on the dog bite gently.
This forces out some of the blood directly touched by the dog’s bite. Flushing out this blood helps prevent infection. Bleeding a small amount is good because there is a lot of bacteria in the first couple of drops. Letting that blood flow away from the wound significantly decreases the risk of serious infection.
2. Clean the dog bite.
The second thing to do is to clean the wound. Wash the wound thoroughly but carefully with soap and warm water. It’s a simple step, but the most important. If you let bacteria and germs fester in the wound, the wound will hurt even more. Clean the wound well to ensure that no bacteria can harm you.
3. Slow down the bleeding.
Severe bleeding should be slowed down. Depending on the seriousness of the bite, you may require stitches or medical glue to stop the bleeding. However, before that, the best way to slow bleeding is to hold a clean cloth on the wound. This will act as a very thick and temporary bandage.
4. Apply antibiotic cream or ointment.
If you have it, apply antibiotic ointments like Neosporin immediately. After you’ve done all the steps above, applying antibiotic cream is a great way to double down on infection prevention. However, if you do not have it and the wound is serious, just head straight to emergency care.
5. Wrap the wound as best as you can.
The next step would be to bandage or wrap the wound. If you are in a place where a bandage is not available, anything from a clean tee-shirt to a towel will work. The idea here is to prevent blood loss and protect the wound from any aerobic or anaerobic threats.
6. Go to the hospital.
You will be able to tell how serious the dog bite is. You may feel you don’t need to go to the hospital immediately. However, you need to go there that same day for medical advice. You may underestimate the seriousness of the injury or play it down because the dog was your own. It is not worth the pain of infection. Dog bites are serious.
7. Keep an eye on the wound.
The hospital usually gives you some antibiotic pills or even an IV antibiotic medication in serious instances. This usually allows the body to heal the wound free of infection or complication. Keep your eyes open for redness or itchiness because that is a sign that the wound is infected. You’ll want to return to the doctor for more medicine and advice.
How to Handle the Legal Side of the Dog Bite Problem
Thankfully you knew how to clean the dog bite and handle the situation like a pro. You are infection-free and the wound is on its way to healing. However, the medical bills are coming in now. You owe money for medicine or maybe even an ambulance in serious situations. And that dog is still a danger and threat to others. Here’s how to handle the legal side.
Know this moving forward in your Milwaukee dog bite lawsuit:
- Unless you did something to instigate the attack by harassing or mistreating the dog or trespassing on the marked property, the dog owner is fully and personally responsible for financial damages.
- In the case of small children under the age of 7, the dog owner is always responsible, even if the child was engaging in inappropriate behavior. Small children are not capable of understanding the cause and effect of their actions. It is up to the dog owner to keep children away or to supervise the dog.
Worried About Hospital Bills? Don’t Be.
Wisconsin laws ensure dog bite victims that the dog’s owner is 100% responsible for all financial aspects of the dog bite treatment. That includes anything from the bandages you buy to medications you require to appointments you make.
Contact A Milwaukee Dog Bite Attorney
If you need advice and experienced trial counsel on a dog bite claim or any other personal injury or property damage case involving animals of any kind, contact a Milwaukee pet negligence attorney at Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C.
Our comprehensive knowledge of Wisconsin personal injury law and long experience in state and federal trials can give you the advantage both in court and in settlement negotiations. Milwaukee premise liability attorney Merrick Domnitz has long been recognized as one of Wisconsin’s leading litigators. In 2009, Wisconsin Lawyers voted him a Top 10 Super Lawyer, and in 2002 he was named Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Wisconsin Association for Justice. The previous year, he became one of the few Wisconsin civil trial attorneys honored by the nomination and election to the American College of Trial Lawyers.