4896. Facial expressions of a biting dog.

 

 

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But dogs that are stressed, scared, injured, or ill can easily cause harm to unsuspecting humans. 

 

Dogs are, for the most part, our best friends — many of us have given in to the temptation of petting a stranger’s adorable, trusting dog as it passed us on our evening walk.

In most cases, nothing other than a moment of delight with a friendly animal takes place.

Sometimes, however, dogs have been known to turn from friend to foe and suddenly snap and bite at a hand outstretched to pat.

Some studies suggest that, all in all, around 1,000 persons end up in emergency rooms every day due to dog bites, and in some cases, infected wounds may place a person at risk of rabies or tetanus.

 “Prevention messages could emphasize the risk of leaning over a dog and simply advise avoiding contact with a dog when possible or in doubt,” she concludes.

 to educate the public about being safe around dogs. As well as working on much needed national campaigns with the Task Force, my free time is spent teaching bite prevention to children.

 

Why have bite incidences increased so much?

• This dramatic increase over the last ten years is alarming but not surprising considering how popular dogs have become. Census data indicates that approximately 31% of British households own a dog and that dogs now outnumber children in American households (43 million households have dogs compared to 38 million with kids under the age of 18).
• Most of these dogs are valued members of the family with nothing more to do than lie on the couch all day. Fewer dogs with jobs means more bored animals who suffer stress and anxiety as a result.
• Most dogs receive no formal training, but of those that are taken to class and are trained using punitive, out-dated methods, an increase in negative behavior is often the result. Meghan Herron, DVM, lead author of a veterinary study published in The Journal of Applied Animal Behavior (2009), says that confrontational training methods practiced by many trainers and handlers in the United States and Britain are a contributing factor to dog bites. Dr. Herron states that, "Our study demonstrated that many confrontational training methods, whether staring down dogs, striking them, or intimidating them with physical manipulation such as alpha rolls [holding dogs on their back], do little to correct improper behavior and can elicit aggressive responses."
• Poor breeding practices are utilized by the puppy mill industry and backyard breeders. Puppy farmers care little for the dogs they breed as long as they make money, churning out puppies with no attempt to breed for good temperament or to socialize them with humans and other animals. Lack of socialization causes fear and insecurity, which is a leading cause of aggressive behavior.
• Irresponsible people who use their large breed dogs for protection and intimidation without adequately socializing them, are responsible for the greatest number of incidences.

 

Is there any correlation between serious maulings and human deaths from dogs?
While investigating many of the more serious maulings and fatalities over the last ten years, Victoria and her team noticed a common theme.

• Many of the attacks, particularly on children, are from dogs that are known to the children, but do not live with them full time. The child is either visiting a friend or family member, or the dog is staying with the family while the owners were away at the time of the attack.
• Most attacks on infants occur within a couple of months of birth and many of these attacks happen while the parent or guardian has left their infants in a valued area such as the parents’ bed, that is also shared by the dog.
• Many of the dogs that kill have a history of aggressive response and high prey drive.
• After the attacks occur almost all the dogs are quickly euthanized before being properly assessed by professionals. The need to get rid of the pet that has mauled or killed a family member surpasses any desire for an evaluation, which might otherwise provide valuable insight as to why the attack occurred.

 

 

• A young child should never be left unsupervised with any dog at any time and all interactions need to be actively supervised between them.
• If active supervision cannot take place, the child and dog need to be safely separated so that no interaction can occur between them.
• A dog should not be allowed to sleep with a child at any time according to many pediatric surgeons that I have interviewed, as some of the worst bites have happened when a sleeping dog has been awakened suddenly, either by a child knowingly waking it up, or accidently rolling into the dog while they are sleeping.
• All dogs need to receive a humane canine education to help them live successfully in a domestic situation and if a dog is showing worrying behavior, help should be sought from a qualified professional. Dogs with big mouths can inflict the most devastating and potentially fatal injuries, but a well-placed bite from even a small breed of dog can cause major damage.

 Observing Body Language = Important for Bite Prevention
Body language signals are easy to miss because they are either misunderstood or so subtle that a person doesn’t see them. However it is vital to learn when a dog is uncomfortable because these are all warning signs that communicate what a dog is feeling. These signals can happen by themselves or in combination with other signals so it’s important to look at the whole body to get a clearer picture of what the dog is feeling.

 

 In a veterinary study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Behavior (2009), lead author Meghan Herron, DVM says that confrontational training methods practiced by many trainers and handlers in the United States and Britain, are a contributing factor.   Dr. Herron states that, "Our study demonstrated that many confrontational training methods, whether staring down dogs, striking them, or intimidating them with physical manipulation such as alpha rolls [holding dogs on their back], do little to correct improper behavior and can elicit aggressive responses.

 

 Other contributing factors to dog bites include bad breeding practices utilized by the puppy mill industry and back yard breeders.  These people only breed dogs for money, churning out puppies with no care or attention to correctly raising those puppies to be sociable and comfortable around humans and other animals.  Lack of socialization causes fear and insecurity, which is at the very heart of aggressive response. Irresponsible dog ownership, particularly by those who own large breed dogs for intimidation or protection, is also a major factor.

 

 The Humane Society of the United States reports that 50% of children will be bitten by a dog before their 12^th birthday.  Children under the age of five are most likely to be bitten and most of these bites come from a dog that the child knows; the family dog or that of a relative or friend.  Children are most likely to be bitten in the face as they are closer to a dog’s eye level making it easier for a dog to feel threatened by eye to eye contact.  Children love to kiss and hug dogs, even though these expressions of affection do not translate well in the dog world.  Fast movements can stimulate a dog’s prey drive and/or chase instinct.  Higher pitched voices can sometimes startle a dog and make it fearful.   A dog can be frustrated through rough play or by teasing and a child can inadvertently inflict pain with the pull of a tail or a poke in the eye.  It is also hard for a child to read and understand a dog’s body language, therefore missing vital signals that can put them in harm’s way.

 What they should have taught her was NEVER to approach a dog that she didn’t know without asking her parents if she could ask the handler first and if consent was given, to pet the dog appropriately and never kiss a dog on the nose. If the child had been bitten the dog and the handler would have been blamed when the real blame should have been with the parents.  Fortunately in this instance the dog was very friendly and no one got bitten, but you get my point.

 

 

 

What to Do Immediately After a Dog Bite

If your child has been bitten by a dog:

1. Apply gentle pressure with a clean cloth to the injured area to control bleeding. If the bleeding doesn’t stop after 10 minutes, or if the wound looks deep or the dog bit your child’s face, call your pediatrician.
2. If the bleeding stops, carefully clean the injured area with a saline solution or soap and water. Apply an antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin immediately and cover the wound with a bandage.
3. If you don’t know the dog, report the incident to your local health department. The health department should be able to find out if the dog is vaccinated against rabies, a disease that is transmissible to humans. Rabies, when left untreated, is fatal.
4. Contact your pediatrician to find out if a tetanus shot is necessary.

 

When a Dog Attack Ends in Plastic Surgery

Stitches reduce the risk of scarring. Unless the injury occurred on or near the face, however, it is unusual for a physician to use stitches to close a dog bite wound because of the risk of infection. In some cases, a wound may be so severe or noticeable that plastic surgery is necessary.

With the right treatment, dog bite reconstructive surgery can eliminate or reduce the appearance of dog bite scars. In the most serious cases, multiple surgeries are necessary. If you are unsure whether or not your child requires medical attention, make an appointment anyway, because early evaluation followed by prompt treatment often results in improved outcomes.