Dog Bites and Scratches

Why is it important to treat dog bites and scratches? Dogs have beneficial effects on the lives of their owners. They influence psychological, social, and intellectual development in children, promote an active lifestyle and provide companionship. Dogs can also be able to ease the stress or anxiety of owners.

Even though dogs are beneficial to their owners, people should be aware that dogs of any age can harbour a wide range of disease-causing pathogens. Any dog breed can reproduce viruses resulting in various illnesses, from minor skin afflictions to life-threatening health conditions.

The best way to avoid illness is to wash your hands after interacting with dogs, taking care of, feeding, or cleaning them.

Dogs spread zoonotic diseases that are vaccine-preventable. It is essential to vaccinate dogs before exposing them to viruses that can easily be spread to humans through dog bites.

How can l stay healthy around dogs?

• Before you adopt or purchase a dog make sure it is the kind of companion that will be well-suited to your way of life. Speak to your veterinarian about the type of dog that will best suit your wants and needs before buying or adopting a dog.
• Be aware that dogs can sometimes carry infectious diseases, even when clean. Schedule routine veterinary care with your veterinarian to prevent diseases and keep your dog healthy.
• Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water after dealing with dogs, their food and water dishes, and their supplies.
• After contact with dog saliva or poop.
• Adults should always supervise hand washing for children under five years of age. Adults should always be in charge of handwashing children under five.

Soap and water are the best way to get rid of germs in most circumstances. If soap and running water is not available, you can typically use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Cleaning up after handling your dog helps keep the environment clean and reduces the risk of diseases spreading to pets and people.

Ensure that you always pick up poop and dispose of it properly, especially in areas where children may play.

Protect against dog scratches and bites.

Though dog bites can cause pain and injury, they are also great transmitters of bacterial agents and zoonotic diseases like Rabies or Canine Distemper Disease. About 1 out of 5 people bitten by a dog require medical attention. Any dog can bite at any time, in some cases as part of a play or a reaction to stress, hunger, or loneliness. Dog bites may also occur when a canine isn’t feeling well and wants to be left alone.

In general, any dog can bite, but most dog bites are preventable. Practising the safe handling tips below can help you avoid dog bites.

Ways of preventing dog bites and scratches

• Ask whether it’s acceptable to reach out to pet someone else’s dog before doing so, even if the dog looks safe.
• When a new dog approaches you, ensure to remain still to allow it to feel comfortable around you.
• Responsible pet ownership, including socializing your pet and leashing them in public, can prevent dog attacks.
• Before receiving a dog, don’t permit children to play with it without adult direction if the child has previous experience with it or if it is your dog.
• Beware of approaching a strange dog, even if it seems friendly or healthy. Call the local authorities if you see a dog either upset or running loose.
• Be calm, do not fuss, and avoid running away whenever a dog chases you.
• Do not direct eye contact with an unfamiliar dog and stay calm. Say “no” or “go home” firmly in a deep voice and stand with your body perpendicular toward the dog. Slowly raise your arms to your neck with elbows and wait for the dog to pass or slowly back away.

What to do if bitten or scratched by a dog

• Even if a dog bite or scratch’s duration is brief, the germs can still be transmitted.
• For minor injuries, minor scrapes and other injuries.
• Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and running water.
• Apply an antibiotic cream to the wound.
• Cover the wound with a clean bandage after applying the antibiotic.

For deep wounds:

• Apply pressure with a clean, dry cloth to stop bleeding. Then go to a hospital.
• Use a calm, dry cloth to apply pressure to stop the bleeding. Then seek medical attention.
• If bleeding cannot be stopped or you feel faint or weak, call an ambulance or your emergency medical provider right away.
• If a child has been bitten and is in pain, give them pain killers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

Get Medical Care If The bite was from:

• A wild or stray animal.
• A pet that isn’t up-to-date on rabies shots.
• An animal that is acting strange
• The bite has broken into the skin.
• The bite is on the head, face, neck, hand, foot, or near a joint.
• A bite or scratch becomes hot, red, swollen, or more painful.

Always think prevention

Some animal bites can be prevented. Keep an eye on children around animals, even when it’s a pet. Teach kids to handle pets gently, not tease pets, and stay away from wild or stray animals.

Key facts about Rabies

Rabies is a vaccine-preventable viral disease in more than 150 countries globally.

Rabies is among Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Dogs are the leading carriers of human rabies deaths, contributing to 99% of all rabies transmissions to humans. It is transmitted through bites and scratches, most often through saliva.

Infection of Rabies causes tens of thousands of deaths every year, mainly in Asia and Africa. Rabies is present on all continents.

According to statistics, 40% of people bitten by suspect rabid animals are children under 15.

Immediate and thorough wound cleaning after contact with a suspected rabid animal is crucial and can potentially save a life.

Dog bites can be prevented through vaccination and the promotion of dog safety.

Rabies is practically 100% fatal once clinical symptoms begin.

Eliminating Rabies in dogs globally

Rabies virus is a vaccine-preventable disease.

The most effective technique for preventing Rabies in individuals is mass dog vaccination. It is very cost-effective.

Dog vaccination helps reduce deaths caused by dog-mediated Rabies and the need for PEP as a component of dog bite patient care.

Awareness of Rabies and preventing dog bites

Educating people about proper dog behaviour and bite prevention is a significant part of a rabies vaccination program and can help reduce dog bites and the associated medical expenditures.

Expanding comprehensive awareness of animal rabies control in communities includes education and information on responsible pet ownership, how to prevent dog bites, and immediate care measures after a dog bite.

Engagement and empowerment at the community level increase reach and uptake of essential messages.

Immunization of people. Pre-exposure vaccination is recommended for people in certain high-risk occupations, such as laboratory workers handling live rabies and rabies-related (lyssavirus) viruses. People (such as animal disease control staff and wildlife rangers) whose profession or personal life puts them in close contact with carnivores or other animals that may be infected.

Pre-exposure vaccination might also be required for individuals travelling to and living in remote areas with a high risk of having rabies exposure and limited access to rabies jabs. Foreign-born children and those living in or vacationing in remote areas are being advised to also be vaccinated. Since they play with animals, they are more prone to getting bitten or may not disclose a bite.

Symptoms of Rabies

The typical incubation period for Rabies is between 2 and 3 months, but it can range from a week to a year based upon factors such as the location of virus entry and volume.

Early symptoms of Rabies include a high temperature and strange sensations, pricks, or burning sensations at the wound site. As the virus’s systemic spread progresses, it develops into progressive, fatal central nervous system inflammation.

There are two primary forms of Rabies:

1. Furious Rabies. It has symptoms of Rabies, such as hyperactivity, excitable behaviour, hydrophobia (fear of water), and aerophobia (fear of drafts or fresh air), which can often manifest. Unless the victim is attended to within 2 to 3 days following the onset of these symptoms, death results.
2. Paralytic rabies accounts for about 20% of total human cases of Rabies. It has a long and very mellow course compared to the furious form, and the muscles gradually weaken. The bite or scratch site is where the initial paralysis happens. The corpse undergoes a gradual coma due to its muscles’ weakening and finally dies. The paralytic form of Rabies can be misdiagnosed, playing a role in underreporting the disease.

In conclusion, dogs have many beneficial effects on their owners. They promote children’s psychological, social, and intellectual development, provide companionship, and lead to a more active lifestyle. For all of these reasons, dogs make great pets and should be considered when bringing a pet into the home. Hence it’s essential to take care of these pets by vaccinating them for a healthy co-existence.

Join Eco Clubs of Kenya and #EndRabiesNow by vaccinating 3000 dogs within 30 days. https://ecoclubsofkenya.co.ke/donate/