posted
As if all that other crap wasn't enough to deal with, I just experienced a dog bite. While it hurts, I can still walk. So I'm thankful that I can still send the stuff that was bought on eBay.
I'll post pictures later today.
Anyway...What happened is that I was out walking in my neighborhood listening to my iPod as usual. Then I see 'that' dog. He's the stereotypical dog that always barks at you while you're walking down the street. I'd had an encounter with it before when it ran out the gate, but thankfully I wasn't walking my cat at that moment(yes, I'm one of those) and the neighbor's husband got to it on time.
Well, I saw 'that' dog again as he was being walked. "No gate is keeping her safe this time!," thought the dog as he took a nice bite out of my very lovely, but unfortunate, behind.
The person who was handling the dog at the time was the neighbor's mother who is from Venezuela and was told to NOT go out with the dog. I go over there after taking pictures and the neighbor comes out and tells me that her husband is out at work right now and he's got all of the dog's papers.
I could tell they were pretty worried and afraid that I might try to file a suit against them so they offer to nurse my wound a put a bunch of alcohol and Neosporin on it.
Then they gave me a Venezuelan tamale(which was surprisingly good) and some pound cake.
During the conversation, my boyfriend came up. I told them all about how he's from Vegas and they were like 'Oooooh!" And they're like, "You should invite him over and we'll give him some Venezuelan tamales too!"
I'm making a doctor's appointment later today after I get the dog's papers.
I had never been bitten by a dog before, it hurts like hell , but not as much as I thought it would.
Posts: 3389 | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
Dogbites need to be rinsed very very very thoroughly, if the skin was broken and there was a chance the dog's saliva came in contact with the wound.*** This is more important than using alcohol, or probably even soap. Plastic surgeons recommend rinsing the area with running water for a minimum of 30 minutes, continuously.
The use of alcohol and/or Betadine is associated with decreased healing and increased scar formation. Very thorough irrigation and use of simple handsoap (with debridement, if necessary) is what is typically recommended by plastic surgeons. That, and a screening for rabies update, along with a report to animal control in many cases.
Good luck. Hope all this works out as best as it can for you. This has been a tough time.
-----
***Edited to add: Dog saliva has specific enzymes (lipases) that break down subcutaneous fat tissue. This causes ongoing damage as the tissue beneath the skin surface degrades and melts, increasing scar problems. It also provides an increased breeding ground for later infection.
By the way, I'm posting this as general information of possible interest to some readers. I trust you will make the best decision for yourself in any case, AoD, whatever that may be.
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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posted
How advanced is your iPod? I suggest selling that, mine broke down for a little while and I adapted pretty quickly.
But to the topic at hand: what if it had been a small child instead of you, and a bite on the neck instead of your behind?
Posts: 368 | Registered: Aug 2007
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Yes please, please call animal control. I've told this story before, but my daughter was bitten only one day after my roommate's dog bit one of our neighbors. In other words, the dog bit a neighbor, he did not call animal control, and I was seriously calling them myself when the dog bit my child. Even with me in the room, trying to keep a close eye on the dog and my kids. And I had a four-year-old cousin who was literally mangled by the "friendly household pet" of her neighbor. She had to have part of her face stitched back on, and required five surgeries. Please, if you care about kids at all, call animal control. Or, if you're afraid to do it, go see a doctor. They will call for you.
Posts: 6367 | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
Emp, I cannot sell that iPod for two very important reasons: #1, it's my main tool for transporting my data and project files to and fro. Without my iPod, I can't take my digital stuff to school, it's like my digital backpack and not having it would be a HUGE handicap.
Reason #2 is that it was a gift from my boyfriend from May last year. We finally got together again after so long and the fact that he engraved it with a very deep message means a lot to me. It's an item that holds a LOT of sentimental value to me.
But if you must know, it's a Gen5...
I also don't understand why a small child and a neck are relevant. Is it because I said that the bite didn't hurt as much as I thought it would? When I thought about how much it would hurt, I thought about how much it would hurt me. I'm very sure that the situation would be very different if a child and a neck were involved, but that is not what happened at all so I don't get why you mentioned that.
I will go to the doctor, but I won't until I have the dog's papers which I will be getting later today. I remember when I had this one cat that got big in the inner tigh by this HUGE dog. The bite was oozing with puss that we had to squeeze out and we got a lot of peroxyde and alcohol in it. We kept very good watch over his wound and that cat got to live his life always thankful to us for having saved his life.
Posts: 3389 | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
Get to the doctor at a minimum and preferably to the ER. Get a report filed with animal control. And present ALL of your related medical bills to the family that owns that dog.
This dog has been a problem before, right? The family told the mother specifically not to go outside with the dog. And the family is now freaking out that you're going to sue them. The "nursing you up" and feeding you is an attempt to make you feel like they're nice people and not want to inconvenience them by making them be responsible.
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
Yeah, right now I'm just waiting to get my hands on the dog's medical history. I'll be handing that out to my doctor and I'll also feel better if I have hard proof that the dog has it's shots. I don't want no rabbies!
EDIT: I'll see if I can have my doctor call animal services. But I'd be worried if they want to put the dog down, because I really don't want that to happen.
Posts: 3389 | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
I doubt they would put the dog down, unless the dog has bitten before. Most likely, the owners will be ticketed.
Posts: 2064 | Registered: Dec 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Altáriël of Dorthonion: I remember when I had this one cat that got big in the inner tigh by this HUGE dog. The bite was oozing with puss that we had to squeeze out and we got a lot of peroxyde and alcohol in it.
What a shame it went on to get infected. Hopefully you will be able to prevent that this time.
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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quote:EDIT: I'll see if I can have my doctor call animal services. But I'd be worried if they want to put the dog down, because I really don't want that to happen.
You did miss the point of the child/neck comments.
The dog is a danger to people. It is not well controlled.
posted
I'm a huge dog lover, and I might have some instinctual reservations about putting a dog to death, but logically it's a no-brainer. All it takes is for those owners to have another lapse of control for someone human to die.
I know you're having a rough time of it, but please, report them to animal control.
Posts: 368 | Registered: Aug 2007
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posted
The first concern is always the possibility of rabies, since that can be fatal. You have to make sure the dog does not have rabies. I was bitten by a wild squirrel when I was five, and had to have a series of rabies vaccination shots. They made me very sick, and I had to discontinue them half-way through the prescribed course (my allergic asthma was a factor), and just hope that was enough to protect me if the squirrel did have rabies.
Most communities have a two-bite policy. Every dog gets one bite, but after that, a second bite and it is mandatory that the dog be put down. Probably every Doberman or Rotweiler or Pit Bull Terrier in existence would be put down, if the owners are not very careful to make sure the dog never has an opportunity to bite anyone. (Personally I wonder why the Pit Bull Terrier is allowed to exist as a species.)
It is up to you whether you feel it is worth it to report the bite to the authorities. As others here have argued, there are reasons to do so, but not so overwhelming that you should necessarily be condemned as irresponsible if you don't. The owners showed you the dog's papers, so you could see it had been immunized against rabies. The owners usually do keep the dog confined. But they are the ones who made the mistake, and you have to weigh your willingness to forgive against the likelihood of someone else--possibly a child--being bitten in the future. Does it seem to you the owners are making renewed efforts to keep the dog under control?
Posts: 3742 | Registered: Dec 2001
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quote:EDIT: I'll see if I can have my doctor call animal services. But I'd be worried if they want to put the dog down, because I really don't want that to happen.
You did miss the point of the child/neck comments.
The dog is a danger to people. It is not well controlled.
It should be put down.
IMO.
Yeah, I understand what you meant now. This whole day has been such a mess.
I just came back from the doctor. I'm up-to-date on my immunizations and I got some oral anti-biotics. I'm part of an HMO so I'm making a follow up appointment with my primary physician for next week. Right then and there I was given the form to report the dog bite to Animal Control. I filled it out and turned it in.
My wounds been bandaged up and cleaned.
I got a call from the owner of the dog saying that he was home and telling me that he feels sorry about all this and he was worried about the dog being put down because "he didn't have any children and the dog was like a kid to him." I told him that I wasn't home, I was coming back from the doctor and I wasn't sure we'd be able to meet today because I was out. I got home a few minutes ago, but I really don't want to continue putting up with this for today. I have the guy's number and I'll talk to him tomorrow because I'm tired and just want to rest and continue working on getting my rent.
Posts: 3389 | Registered: Apr 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Ron Lambert: Probably every Doberman or Rotweiler or Pit Bull Terrier in existence would be put down, if the owners are not very careful to make sure the dog never has an opportunity to bite anyone. (Personally I wonder why the Pit Bull Terrier is allowed to exist as a species.)
This clearly disqualifies you as being any sort of expert - or even lay person - on dogs.
Posts: 2409 | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
It's really unlikely you would get rabies even if the dog weren't vaccinated.
And I have met one Pit Bull I thought might bite, possibly a Rottweiler, I've never met a Doberman I even worried about. In the summer I worked at a vet clinic I was most concerned with the Pugs.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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quote: I got a call from the owner of the dog saying that he was home and telling me that he feels sorry about all this and he was worried about the dog being put down because "he didn't have any children and the dog was like a kid to him."
Well then, one can only assume he will follow every precaution necessary to make sure it doesn't bite a second time. If it does, tough beans. That's the end of the story.
Posts: 930 | Registered: Dec 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Ron Lambert: Most communities have a two-bite policy. Every dog gets one bite, but after that, a second bite and it is mandatory that the dog be put down. Probably every Doberman or Rotweiler or Pit Bull Terrier in existence would be put down, if the owners are not very careful to make sure the dog never has an opportunity to bite anyone. (Personally I wonder why the Pit Bull Terrier is allowed to exist as a species.)
I knew you were an ignorant, biased and ill-informed person.
Thank you for confirming it for me.
Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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I have spent 28 years volunteering at shelters and animal control centers, and the only time I have been bit there I was bit by a mini poodle.
Pits, when raised as pets and not weapons, are some of the best dogs I have ever seen. Even so, I didn't have a lot of experience with them until a few years ago, as the shelter in MA I worked at (occasionally, when I had the time) didn't get a lot of them.
I go to the dog park at least 3 times a week, and my pit mix plays with full Pits, Dobies, Rotti's, Great Danes, and German Shepards...and I have yet to see a fight there that was more than growling and snapping.
On the small dog side there have been 4 dogs seriously injured, and 6 dogs kicked out in 3 months....more than everything combined on the large breed side in the 2 years the dog park has been opened .
Most of the dog types you mention are large, and they can cause injury...but breed specific legislation has been a HUGE failure everywhere it has been tried to date.
The few examples of success have NOTHING to do with reducing injuries to people...pits are the ONLY breed of dog large dog to be raised specifically NOT to bite humans (the damn pit handlers have to be able to break up the fight when it is done)...
The laws DO make prosecuting people who raise pits for fighting easier, but only at the expense of every other dog owner out there.
My dog was listed as a pit, when in fact it turns out he is probably a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix. Yet in Miami he would be put down because a police officer...who isn't trained AT ALL at determining breeds of dogs...put pit down as his breed.
Close to 90% of reported pit attacks aren't even caused by pits. They are mixes, and may or may not even have pit in their background.
But don't let actual facts interfere with your uninformed opinions. Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
Whenever anyone tells the truth about Pit Bull Terriers (there is not a year goes by without a report of someone--usually a child--being bitten or mauled or even killed by a Pit Bull, in virtually every community) there are always some bleeding hearts who speak up in defense of a breed that exists because it was bred for fighting. Kwea, I will match my knowledge against yours any day--in any field. Clearly you cannot match my objectivity.
Posts: 3742 | Registered: Dec 2001
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Dog Bite Law says both sides are sort of right. While dog bites seem to occur in all breeds, fatalaties are most likely to be caused by pits, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios (whatever they are) and their mixes. So they are more dangerous than other breeds in the extremely rare instance where someone dies.
From 79 to 96, there were an average of 17 dog-big deaths annually. In 2007, there were 33. Out of 300 million folks, that's .000011%. And about a fifth of the deaths occured in Texas (7).
The other thing I found interesting was that in over 50% of bites in general occur on the dog owner's property. 77% of the time, the victim is family or a friend.
So I'm curious how that works. Because I know my dog is very skittish when people come into the house. I ask everyone not to touch her and keep her on my lap as much as possible. Then after she's settled down I let her wander around and get to know everyone, again, asking them not to stick their hands in her face or lean over her - which they still want to do for some reason.
Then there's my neighbors who just open their front doors and let their dogs wander around so my baby on her leash and harness is still almost getting in fights. It makes me so crazy. I just wish people would have a little more respect for animals and use a little common sense with them.
Posts: 2283 | Registered: Dec 2003
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I agree. I don't have dogs but I do have kids, and common sense. I don't go near a dog I don't know, and of dogs I do know, I don't go near them until I have the owner's permission. Every. Single. Time. I approach the dog I ask if it's okay-- I figure the owner knows his/her animal better than me and I may not pick up clues that s/he would. (Of course, I'm also allergic, so that limits my contact to mostly open-air, where they tend to be controlled on leashes.)
I teach my kids to never approach a dog not on a leash, to leave the area or yell for help if they are in an area with a dog not on a leash, and to never approach a dog until they ask the person holding its leash whether it's okay, and then to ask HOW to touch the dog (i.e., "Should I pet its head or its back? Does it want to smell my hand?") before touching it.
This is just common sense. I hope the people with the dogs have as much common sense, and have them on leashes and under control when we encounter them.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
I knew a couple that owned two well-mannered Dobermans. Then they had a child, and when she was about two or three, one of the dogs inadvertently knocked her down hard, just by turning excitedly and wagging its tail. Neither dog attacked the toddler; just by being so big, they were a danger. The couple found a new home for their dogs.
Posts: 3742 | Registered: Dec 2001
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posted
Completely anecdotal evidence, but the dog that bit my daughter was half pit. He'd been raised to be a family friend, not for defense or anything of the sort. My roommate thought of him as her kid, which I think may have been part of the problem. He was very good with adults, but proved to be dangerous to other dogs and small kids. The grown man that he bit only got bitten because he tried to protect his own dog from an attack by my roommate's dog.
Posts: 6367 | Registered: Aug 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Ron Lambert: Whenever anyone tells the truth about Pit Bull Terriers (there is not a year goes by without a report of someone--usually a child--being bitten or mauled or even killed by a Pit Bull, in virtually every community) there are always some bleeding hearts who speak up in defense of a breed that exists because it was bred for fighting. Kwea, I will match my knowledge against yours any day--in any field. Clearly you cannot match my objectivity.
What objectivity? Any field>? LOL
Pick one.
In all the years I have been reading what passes for posts for you I have yet to see a single bit of intelligence, objectivity or even common sense.
BTW...every community? Every year? That would be thousands of deaths a year by Ron's account. Possibly millions of attacks every 2 or 3 years. lol
Objectivity my butt. How many attacks a year, from all dogs?
That doesn't even come CLOSE to being one HALF of what you claim.
Do large dogs need special care? Yes. If they bite they are more likely to cause damage....but there are millions of dogs in this country. How many of those attack were strays? How many were not pets but working dogs? How many were caused my neglect or abuse...because if I hit a dog and that dog bites me, it is counted in those reports despite the fact the dog was merely defending itself.
How many pits are there in the US. How many attacks a year are from full blooded pits? What breeds are included in the definition of Pit Bull...which BTW isn't even an actual breed. It is a term coined by people too lazy to actually do their homework?
How many years personal experience do you have working with any large breed dog? Aby dogs other than a personal pet? How many years training experience do you have again?
How many dog attacks a year result in hospital visits, and what breed of dog is statistically most likely to bite? How many of reported pit attacks are by mixed breed dogs? How any are from dogs specifically raised for fighting? (unfortunately those usually DO need to be put down for everyones safety.)
How many Pit mixes are used for drug tr4acking and other law enforcements uses just in the US, and why are they considered one of the smartest breeds?
Also...pit breeds weren't originally meant to fight, they were raised for bull baiting and assisting with the slaughter of large animals. They would draw the bull's attention while people closed in for the kill by attacking the nose of the bull then hanging in for dear life....lol...
Let's not forget that in your "unbiased and objective" opinion you weren't JUST talking about Pits...you were also talking about Dobermans and Rotti's .....how many of those bit people per year vs how many are owned in the US? What percent if "almost every (blank) in the US, as you claim?
If google was down you wouldn't be able to answer ANY of those questions, would you.
Ignorance is bliss....making you perhaps the happiest person I know.
quote:Originally posted by PSI Teleport: Completely anecdotal evidence, but the dog that bit my daughter was half pit. He'd been raised to be a family friend, not for defense or anything of the sort. My roommate thought of him as her kid, which I think may have been part of the problem. He was very good with adults, but proved to be dangerous to other dogs and small kids. The grown man that he bit only got bitten because he tried to protect his own dog from an attack by my roommate's dog.
Some of the worst bites I have seen have been from so called "family" dogs such as Labs and Golden Retrievers. They are great dogs, but they are also large dogs and can cause serious damage. ANY breed can be dangerous, and needs be be approched with care.
Working in the shelters I have had many dogs TRY to bite me, but on had one serious bite. Damn poodle....lol....
Dobies have their tails cut, but they still wag what is left....along with their entire butt. I have been knocked down by my neighbors Dobie doing just that and I am a 200 lbs adult. Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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