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Animal Bites - Medical Negligence Compensation

Animal bites can result in a bruised area of skin, a break or laceration in the skin or a puncture wound in the skin. It can result from a bite from a dog, cat, ferret, rat or bat, in particular. Puncture wounds are most likely to get infected and should be watched closely. The biggest risk for an animal bite is rabies. All your animals need to be vaccinated with rabies. Rabies is potentially lethal so, if there is a chance of rabies, you should get vaccinated for the disease shortly after becoming infected with rabies. This gives you immunity before any symptoms arise. Think about rabies anytime you are bitten by a wild animal or if you were bitten unprovoked by an animal, even if it is your own unvaccinated animal. It is the responsibility of any pet owner to keep a potentially rabid pet out of the way of unsuspecting victims.

Animal bites can cause disfigurement, especially if they get infected. Disfigurement is most common on the face but can be seen in the arms or legs as well. Most animal bites come, however, from a person's own pet. Cat bites have a higher risk of infection than dog bites because their teeth are pointier and longer and puncture wounds are more likely. It's important to remember that wild animals such as raccoons, skunks and bats bite thousands of individuals yearly.

Symptoms of an animal bite include a break or laceration in the skin that may or may not bleed. There can be bruising, crush injuries to the skin or punctures. The area isn't usually red in the beginning but, if there is an infection, there is localized redness, swollen glands nearby, purulent discharge and fever. Headaches and flu-like symptoms are possible as well.

If you are bitten by an animal, keep the animal in sight and notify animal control to pick up the animal and have it tested for rabies. Do not try to capture the animal yourself. Wear latex gloves if possible or wash your hands carefully before tending to the wound. Remain calm. Wash the wound thoroughly with a mild soap and run plenty of water over it. Apply direct pressure to the wound in order to stop active bleeding, if present. Call the doctor if the hand or fingers are affected by the bite. Watch the area for infection for the next 2 days and if infection occurs with warmth, redness and increased pain, see the doctor for further evaluation. If the wound is actually a laceration that needs medical attention, see the doctor. Not all lacerations are sutured, especially if cosmetics aren't a problem. It is better to leave an animal bite open so infection can drain out. If it must be sutured, antibiotics are often given in order to prevent infection.

Don't get too close to a possibly rabid animal or one that is acting aggressively. Animals that are not acting normal for their species might have rabies and may cause you serious harm. You need to contact 911 if the injury is severe or if there is severe bleeding. Go to the emergency room if the animal is unknown, if you are not up to date within the last five years on your tetanus, if there is pus from the wound, redness, swelling or increasing pain. If the bite is on the face, hands or neck, go to the emergency room. If you think you might need stitches, see a doctor immediately.

Animal bites may be provoked or unprovoked. A provoked bite is when you tease an animal or get too close to it when it is feeding. Unprovoked bites are more dangerous because there is a higher risk of rabies. This happens when a raccoon or bat just comes up to you and bites you. Teach children animal etiquette and that they shouldn't approach or touch strange animals.

The animal bites that are the most dangerous are dog bites, because there is a risk of a crush injury, cat bites, which involve deep punctures, and wild animal bites, which could be rabies infected. If a bite is from a stray animal, seek medical attention as soon as possible. If there are teeth or dirt in the wound, see the doctor. If there is excessive bleeding, apply pressure and seek medical attention. If you experience weakness or numbness in an area away from the wound, talk to the doctor as there can be nerve damage.

Doctors will examine you and will clean out debris and teeth. An X-ray may be required if there is potential for a bony fracture or teeth imbedded in the wound. The doctor will irrigate the wound with saline and will debride any dead tissue before deciding whether or not it needs stitches. A tetanus shot is given if necessary and determinations will be made on the topic of rabies vaccination. Antibiotics may be necessary to keep infection away in particularly crushed or dirty wounds. If a wound is sutured, it is often treated with antibiotics at the same time to have the best chance of a good cosmetic repair without infection.