Infection After a Dog Bite in Texas
Over 38% of all American households own a dog according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. That translates to amount of homes in the country that have dogs being roughly 48,255,413. The possibility of a dog bite is a real threat. If you are attacked by a dog you have many issues to be concerned about and pain is just one. Infection is another as there are more than 300 strains of bacteria that live in a dog’s saliva. Everything from:
- Streptococcus
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Pasteurella
- Escherichia coli
- Fusobacterium
- Peptostreptococcus
- Capnocytophaga
When a dog’s bite tears open the flesh of its victim, bacteria have an open door to enter the wound site. Very deep bites have the potential to circulate in the bloodstream, get into the bone and muscle, and result in a nasty infection that can render the victim incredibly sick.
What Are The Signs That Your Wound Is Infected?
When you have sustained a dog bite, the following signs and symptoms are strong indicators that your injury is infected:
- When you see inflammation and swelling, this is a red flag. This response will happen fairly quickly. It won’t take any longer than a day to show up and many times inflammation will set in within hours of the attack.
- The skin around the wound will not only rise, but it will also become very red as the infection progresses. The skin can be entirely red or a victim may see red streaks. The skin will also be warm when you touch it and highly sensitive.
- Drainage of liquids and pus is a clear indication of infection.
- When you experience a fever shortly after a bite. If you wake up with a fever or go to sleep with a higher temperature, you should seek medical attention.
Dog bites can be very intense and severe. If left untreated, the damage they have the ability to cause is significant. A bad enough infection or extreme loss of blood can even lead to death.
How Are Dog Bites Treated?
When you have an infected wound, you will be prescribed antibiotics to kill the bacteria. These are some examples of which may be prescribed:
- Amoxicillin is an oral antibiotic and can be administered for seven to fourteen days.
- Penicillin is an oral antibiotic that treats infection and helps to prevent it too.
- Doxycycline is another oral antibiotic that is an alternative for those individuals who are allergic to antibiotics which are penicillin-based.
You can obtain compensation for the damages you sustained when another individual’s dog attacked you. Consulting with a Texas personal injury attorney is the best way to recover the costs associated with your damages. The Houston pedestrian accident attorneys at the Connolly Law have more than a decade helping victims in the area obtain the most compensation after their accident.
Contact us today and schedule your free consultation with one of our experienced Texas personal injury attorneys at (832) 767-3568.
