FEAR OF DOG BITES = PREVENTION = FIRSAT AID = TREATMENT

FEAR, FEARLESSNESS

AND COURAGE

FEAR OF DOGS

 AND DOG BITES

In the previous post, we saw much about poisonous snake bites, how to avoid them, and what is the First-aid,  and how fast one should go for treatment.

This whole series is intended to FREE EACH OF US from each such Fears.

If we are trying to interact / play FOOLISHLY with poisonous snakes, or move in snake infested places without adequate caution, or if we do not know exactly what to do when a snake bite occurs – then there is need for FEAR.  Otherwise, there is no need to be afraid of poisonous snakes.

The other day, I was watching on a TV channel how a Chinese man and his son were playing with poisonous snakes very daringly. They say, they were bitten several times earlier by poisonous cobras. But they also say, they take some herbal roots immediately, and the effect of the poison is OFF from their body. I have also seen many Indians playing with poisonous Cobras. Some of them say, they also take some herbal roots when the cobras bite. Both these Chinese and the Indian snake charmers don’t take any of the modern treatments. But, the herbal treatment taken by them seems to be Highly effective. They don’t seem to suffer even minor side effects!

We also find on some of these TV channels that some persons who get bitten by Cobras die at times, when they are rushed for modern treatment, which typically is far away.

The intention of this blog post is to stir a healthy research into effective, herbal remedies which appear to be very quick and safe and available every where. This must be in addition to the allopathic methods of research, which are also found to be effective if administered within the correct time. Before closing the topic of the poisonous snakes, it is stressed that courage, quick reflexes, adequate knowledge and immediate action are the REAL ANTIDOTE for any fear.   

We will now deal with the next widely prevalent Fear - of Dogs and Dog Bites.

Dogs are a strange contradiction.

A normal, healthy Pet Dog is the most lovable animal for its owner, for the simple reason that it too loves its owner a lot and is almost absolutely harmless to the owner.

But, the same Pet Dog is merciless on strangers and very harmful in biting and injuring strangers. As we know, many people grow PET DOGS  for warding off strangers and thieves. Clearly, Pet Dogs can be merciless on strangers.

But, most of the owners typically do not give much attention to the justified fear of the strangers. Some of them even leave their pet dogs on streets unattended and unleashed. This must be avoided by the canine owners. Love your pet dog by all means. But, understand the justified fears and needs of others and restrain your pet dog from others one hundred percent of the time.

Street Dogs are a bigger menace. They are unattended and not medically treated for any safety. The local authorities must remove them from human habitations or, exercise safety / medical measures on them to ensure that they don’t catch infectious diseases / rabies. One can never predict when a street dog may catch an infectious disease and bite some one. You can see them quarreling and biting each other daily.

If you have a pet dog or dogs – dog bites can be common in your house hold – for children and for elders.

In such cases, the safety of the bitten person as also of the dog should both be attended to, promptly in the following ways.

• KEEP THE DOG AWAY FROM THE VICTIM : This is important. The dog must immediately be kept away from the victim and it must be secured in a place where it cannot bite any one else. Ensure that the dog doesn’t attack the victim or any one again. It can also be taken to a veterinary doctor – to check, if it has any infection / rabies.

• DO NOT IMMEDIATELY KILL THE DOG : It is generally advised to secure the dog and watch if it develops symptoms of rabies or infection for at least a 10-day period. If it does not develop any infection / rabies, the chances of the bitten victim getting rabies are very LOW, but not nil. He must therefore any way take the treatment for prevention.
• IF YOU ARE THE RESCUER : Use Gloves etc, if available, to give first aid. Be your self careful, not to get bitten by the same dog in the process of separating the dog and the victim.
• WIPE OUT DOG’S SALIVA FROM WOUND: Wipe the saliva from the bitten place by using a clean cloth. Ensure that you do not touch the Saliva yourself in the process. The cloth must not a used / dirty towel etc, which itself may carry bacteria into the wound. Discard the cloth safely where it will not be further touched by any one.

• BLEEDING CONTROL & CLEANING THE WOUND : If there is bleeding, wait a few minutes for bleeding to control. With bleeding, a portion of bacteria also will go out of the wound.
• TRIMMING THE HAIR : After bleeding stops from the wound, trim and shave the hair around the affected area softly to improve air flow and visibility to the wound.

·         CLEANING THE WOUND : Once the bleeding is controlled, clean the wound with anti-bacterial soap and warm water. A running stream is even better as it washes of the saliva and bacteria significantly. Clean the inside of the wound to the extent you can. Then rinse off the soap from the wound with same running water. Do as much washing as possible before you see the doctor. About 5 minutes washing will help a lot – since there may be some time lapse before your Doctor sees you – in which time, the bacteria can multiply – unless you have washed off most of the bacteria as above.

·         DRY DRESSING : Cover the wound with a clean, dry dressing. Do not put carbolic acid, nitric acid etc. on the wound. Otherwise, in cases of delay, you can also apply antibiotic ointment (Betadine Iodine / Hydrogen peroxide etc)on the wound before covering. Some signs of infection to watch for are : Redness;  Swelling;  Heat;  pus.

·         SEEING / CALLING DOCTOR : See a doctor as quickly as possible i.e., IMMEDIATELY. Time is of essence in treating Dog Bites – as we emphasized in case of snake bites also, though the effects of dog bites appear much slowly. The bacteria in the wound multiply quickly and therefore  treatment should be given before they reach the central nervous system.

·         INFORM MUNICIPAL AUTHORITES / POLICE : In some places, the laws require information to Municipal authorities or Police – who will monitor cases of Dog Bite and ensure that the bite cases do not spread further.

• STREET DOGS : If you are bitten by a street Dog or by an unidentified Dog, it is always safer to follow the above precautions, consult a doctor and start ANTI RABIES VACCINE TRATMENT immediately. Any unidentified dog runs the risk of carrying rabies. If the dog cannot be identified and the owner cannot show proof of rabies vaccination, you must seek medical attention. Untreated rabies is almost always fatal. Do not neglect it. Some dog bites with deep wounds will require antibiotics.
• SURGERY : If the bites are wide and deep, sometimes surgery may be needed to prevent scars, loss of function of limbs and for other reasons. Hence, in all such cases, a surgeon may be consulted – even while the anti rabies vaccine treatment is in progress.
• WHAT IS RABIES : Rabies is a viral disease transmitted by the saliva of an animal infected with it and it causes inflammation in the brain. Normally, Symptoms of rabies in human beings occur in thirty to ninety days after the initial bite. This long period lulls some people into carelessness in taking treatment immediately. This must be taken note of. If a human being develops signs of rabies, it is almost always fatal. The early signs of rabies are unusual behavior, behavioral changes such as insomnia, anxiety, confusion, unusual excitation, hallucinations, agitation, pain or tingling at the sight of the bite, seeing strange things, fear of drinking water (because of spasms in the throat) and paralysis. Subsequently, the person usually goes into a coma and then dies. Because of this, immediately after the BITE,  it is advisable to take the treatment for rabies before it develops.
• TREATMENT : Treatment for rabies is called HRIG which is Human Rabies Immune Globulin. This is given by injection in the wound and then the remainder is given in the hip. Followed by five injections in the arm on days 1,3,7,14 and 28. As with any vaccine some soreness or redness may occur around the injection sight. But, the methods of ANTI RABIES TREATMENT  are improving fast and now only the 5 injections on days 1,3,7,14 and 28 are considered enough by many doctors. Where the immune system is weak, an additional injection may be given on 90^th day.
• PRE-EXPOSURE VACCINE : If you are frequently in contact with such animals and getting bitten by them,  you are advised to go for the Pre-Exposure rabies vaccine, which is very effective in preventing rabies.
• WHICH ANIMALS SPREAD RABIES : Dogs, cats, bats, Foxes, Racoons and many other animals are know to spread rabies through their bites. Dogs are specially mentioned, being the most widely grown per animals and also widely seen on streets. It implies that you must consult a doctor – even if you are bitten by a cat or a horse.
• ARE ALL DOG BITES CARRY RISK OF RABIES INFECTION : No. Dogs bite, if they feel threatened in any way. Some dogs are aggressive by nature and may bite at the slightest provocation. Keep away from such aggressive dogs. Warn the owners of such aggressive dogs not to bring them on to streets. If a street dog is usually seen to be aggressive, report to Municipal / Police authorities – to take away such dogs from the vicinity. In general, only a bite from a dog that is infected or carrying the rabies virus, is dangerous. But, even for a dog without rabies – you may need anti-biotic treatment to prevent infection. Rabies / other infection spreads through the saliva that gets into the wound. Hence, it is very important to wash off as much of Saliva from the wound as possible in running water and wash with anti bacterial soap, immediately after the bite. This helps tremendously.

• HOME REMEDIES : There are many home remedies also for dog bite treatment. But, since the anti rabies treatment is usually found to be very effective, there seems no need for using home remedies. But, application of fine Asafoetida powder thickly on the bite is said to draw the infection and virus out. Likewise, application of fresh onion juice and honey is also suggested by some. It is stressed however, the modern method of treatment is found quite effective.

PREVENTION

• Get immunization injections administered to ALL PET ANIMALS periodically as prescribed by Doctor. This way, the pet animal is safe and you are also safe.
• Do not disturb dogs when they eat, sleep or when they care for their puppies.
• Do not leave children alone with a dog. Teach children all dog related precautions.
• Keep Your Pets invariably on a leash in public places.
• If you want a PET, Select it very carefully. Be sure to keep its vaccinations prompt.
• In case of a Dog attack, protect your head portion (face, neck etc)   by keeping it far away from the attacking dog. If necessary, cover the face etc with hands or any thing available with you.
• You may have a Pet Dog. But, do not behave with other dogs as you behave with your Pet Dog. Likewise, do not allow your children to commit that mistake.
• ANIMALS : Approximately, same procedure is required if your pet animal is bitten by a unknown dog. In animals, the neurological symptoms can include a lack of fear of humans or other predators. It may show other unnatural behavior such as being out during the day if it is nocturnal. If you observe animals that are acting against their normal behavior or foaming at the mouth it is best to be wary of these animals since they may have rabies. If you see such animals close to home, call relevant authorities to control them . But, do not try to approach an affected animal.

Note : We have tried to collect as much authentic material as possible on the subject. However, Seeing a Professional Doctor, immediately after the first aid is the most essential step. As always, Readers are requested to kindly offer suggestions, improvements and corrections for mistakes, if any, so that – the matter herein can be improved further and made uptodate.

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