What do I do if a dog has bitten me?
Weston Schuster
2025-05-18 17:45:03
Count answers: 2
If you’ve been bitten by an animal or another person: clean the wound immediately by running warm tap water over it for a couple of minutes – it’s a good idea to do this even if the skin doesn’t appear to be broken. Remove any objects from the bite, such as teeth, hair or dirt. Encourage the wound to bleed slightly by gently squeezing it, unless it’s already bleeding freely. If the wound is bleeding heavily, put a clean pad or sterile dressing over it and apply pressure. Dry the wound and cover it with a clean dressing or plaster. Take painkillers if you’re in pain, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen – children under 16 years old shouldn’t take aspirin. Seek medical advice, unless the wound is very minor. If the bite has broken the skin, you should seek immediate medical attention after cleaning the wound. Minor bites can be treated at your GP surgery, or by staff at your local walk-in centre or minor injuries unit. For particularly severe bites, visit your local accident and emergency (A&E) department.
Ludwig Batz
2025-05-18 16:29:16
Count answers: 2
If a dog bites a person it will be presumed to have been ‘dangerously out of control’. A court could also decide that your dog is dangerously out of control if it injures someone’s animal. University Hospitals Sussex (UHS) Safeguarding Children and Young People Team have been advised by Sussex police that if a child has been injured by a dog, the dog has to be reported to police by staff before your child is discharged. Your child’s wound will be thoroughly cleaned and afterwards we will prescribe a 5 day course of the antibiotic co-amoxiclav to stop any infection developing if the bite has broken the skin. You should bring your child back to hospital to be seen by a doctor or nurse practitioner as soon as possible if there are any signs of infection, such as redness, pain that is out of proportion to the wound, swelling, smelly discharge. Your child’s bite wound is already infected, but seems to be getting worse or no better despite antibiotics. Your child becomes unwell with fever, vomiting and / or diarrhoea, poor appetite, or a rash close to the wound.
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