Every year, almost five million people are bitten by dogs and require millions of dollars of medical attention.
16 Saturday Morning?s Pet Vet, Dr. David Visser, has helpful information to help keep yourself and your family safe.
In recent weeks we have talked about dangerous dogs and more importantly, careless pet ownership. A dangerous situation with a dog is a two-sided coin ? the way dogs are raised, for one, and what we can do to prevent getting bitten is the other.
This week is the 17th Annual National Dog Bite Prevention Week. The American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the US Postal Service have teamed up to sponsor this awareness week to help educate people on how to avoid dog bites.
There are a number of things that you can do to avoid dog bites, ranging from properly training and socializing your pet to educating your children on how, or if, they should approach a dog.
In preventing bites from your own dog, here are some important steps to take:
- Carefully select your pet. Puppies should not be obtained on impulse.
- Make sure your pet is socialized as a young puppy so it feels at ease around people and other animals.
- Don?t put your dog in a position where it feels threatened or teased. It?s even important to avoid games that teach dogs to work against people, like tug-of-war.
- Neuter or spay your dog. This will reduce biting tendencies. And, keep up on rabies vaccine.
- Finally, train your dog; the basic commands ?sit,? ?stay,? ?no,? and ?come? help dogs understand what is expected of them and can be incorporated into fun activities that build a bond of trust.
It is very important to be cautious around strange dogs.
Because children are the most common victims of dog bites, parents and caregivers should:
- NEVER leave a baby or small child alone with a dog.
- Be alert for potentially dangerous situations, like playing around the pet food dish or reaching for the dog?s toy.
- Teach children, including toddlers, to be careful around pets. Children must learn not to approach strange dogs or try to pet dogs through fences. Teach children to ask permission from the dog?s owner before petting an unknown dog.
When a person is bitten by a dog, it can be a very scary time; but similar to being in an auto accident, you have to remember to gather information:
- If you have been bitten by a dog, and if the dog?s owner is present, request proof of rabies vaccination, and get the owner?s name and contact information.
- Clean the bite wound with soap and water as soon as possible.
- Consult your doctor immediately or go to the emergency room if it?s after office hours.
- Contact the dog?s veterinarian to check vaccination records.
It?s important to know that medical providers are required by law to report animal bites to the local health department and animal control agencies.
For more information on preventing dog bites, visit the American Veterinary Medical Association?s website by clicking here.
If you want to contact the Pet Vet, Dr. David Visser, you can reach him at the Roseland Animal Hospital by calling 574-272-6100 or at the Center for Animal Health by calling 888-PETS-VETS.
You can also shoot him an email at MichianaPetVet@comcast.net.
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