Just been bitten by dog- shot required?
Discussion
As title suggests I've just had a dog (staffie cross) have a rather good go at my hand. Damage isn't too bad, I just have a couple of small puncture wounds and a bit of swelling.
Rather than waste the time of the NHS I thought I'd see if there are any doctors in the house on the PH forums.
I've put germolene on the wounds, cleaned them and put plasters over. Should I be thinking about going to the doctors and getting a shot?
Thanks for your time. Andy B
Rather than waste the time of the NHS I thought I'd see if there are any doctors in the house on the PH forums.
I've put germolene on the wounds, cleaned them and put plasters over. Should I be thinking about going to the doctors and getting a shot?
Thanks for your time. Andy B
Not my field but you don't want infected puncture wounds in the hand - if nasties get into the tendon sheaths (the lubricant-filled tubes which surround the tendons and allow them to glide freely) or into joints you can get a lot of trouble. The bacteria in dog bites are often not as nasty as those in people's mouths (the bacteria in our mouths are adapted to live in humans so can cause specially nasty hand infections, specially in people who punch others in the mouth, teeth causing dirty cuts to their knuckles) but I'd not take a chance with your hand as it's an important piece of equipment. Get it seen to. The ED will give you a tetanus booster as well.
PS you are in the UK, not in a country with rabies?
PS you are in the UK, not in a country with rabies?
Edited by Revisitph on Tuesday 6th May 21:05
Well guys, I'm in the minor injuries unit at the moment and will get it seen to properly by a trained professional. Better safe than sorry, etc.
I feel worse for the dog than myself to be honest. She's a rescue dog from Romania that had her ears cut off in a field so she's obviously been through a lot of trauma. I leaned over to let her have a sniff of my hand before I got any closer and I think I was either too close to start with or was somehow a bit intimidating to her.
I feel worse for the dog than myself to be honest. She's a rescue dog from Romania that had her ears cut off in a field so she's obviously been through a lot of trauma. I leaned over to let her have a sniff of my hand before I got any closer and I think I was either too close to start with or was somehow a bit intimidating to her.
Stu R said:
Recommended that you have a tetanus jab every 10 years and sooner if you have a puncture wound or similar injury - so probably worth the minor inconvenience.
As other posters have suggested other infective agents may be more of an issue with bite wounds - as opuncture wounds can be good growing ground of anaerobic bacteria.
current advice is that if you have had a full course of 5 or 6 tetanus, vaccines you are unlikely to need further doses
you may require immunoglobulins if the wound is very high risk but this is NOT the vaccination
http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1316.aspx?CategoryID=6...
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Tetanus/Pages/Introdu...
http://www.patient.co.uk/health/tetanus-immunisati...
from the green book - Professional advice https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploa...
Edited by mph1977 on Wednesday 7th May 10:14
mph1977 said:
Stu R said:
Recommended that you have a tetanus jab every 10 years and sooner if you have a puncture wound or similar injury - so probably worth the minor inconvenience.
As other posters have suggested other infective agents may be more of an issue with bite wounds - as opuncture wounds can be good growing ground of anaerobic bacteria.
current advice is that if you have had a full course of 5 or 6 tetanus, vaccines you are unlikely to need further doses
you may require immunoglobulins if the wound is very high risk but this is NOT the vaccination
http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1316.aspx?CategoryID=6...
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Tetanus/Pages/Introdu...
http://www.patient.co.uk/health/tetanus-immunisati...
from the green book - Professional advice
Oddly enough, the last time I had a tetanus prior to this, was for a dog bite, administered by Durham Uni Hospital's finest.
Edited by Stu R on Tuesday 6th May 20:02
ModernAndy said:
She's already had that and has been in the country for nearly a year. We'd know if she had rabies by now I hope (although I base that on absolutely no knowledge of rabies)
Though I asked, in case you were not in the UK, I don't think there is any concern about rabies - the animal is infectious only when the rabies virus is excreted in the saliva, after it has reached the brain, and there is then only a window of a couple of days before clear signs of disease are shown (usually aggression, increasing paralysis and hypersalivation / foaming at the mouth). The animal then dies within a few days. When the virus is travelling up the nerves from the site of bite to the brain the animal is not infectious. Although very long incubation periods have been described, especially if the original bite was a long way from the brain (e.g. on the foot), I think it very unlikely that she could have been incubating rabies, especially if she's been vaccinated in the interim. Of course the horror of rabies is that "animal" includes us, and it is incurable once it has reached the brain. Once it has all that can be done is to sedate and paralyse the patient in ITU so that they don't suffer. There is only about one case of rabies every few years in the UK, all people who were infected abroad, and a dog in quarantine died in 2008. A man was infected and died from a similar virus found in bats in the UK in 2002.
How's the hand? What did they do?
I'm in Edinburgh and the bite occurred in a place near Dunfermline.
My hand is ok today. Still a bit sore but much better than last night. I never really appreciated how nasty a Dog's bite could be until getting it cleaned up by the nurse last night, I could hardly move it at all last night but today everything apart from my index finger is fine.
I got a tetanus jab and anti-biotics so that should cover all the bases.
Thanks for everybody's advice, I think it was definitely the right decision to get it seen to.
My hand is ok today. Still a bit sore but much better than last night. I never really appreciated how nasty a Dog's bite could be until getting it cleaned up by the nurse last night, I could hardly move it at all last night but today everything apart from my index finger is fine.
I got a tetanus jab and anti-biotics so that should cover all the bases.
Thanks for everybody's advice, I think it was definitely the right decision to get it seen to.
ModernAndy said:
I got a tetanus jab and anti-biotics so that should cover all the bases.
I think it was definitely the right decision to get it seen to.
This sums up the thread nicely and pleased you got it sorted. Its the bacteria from the bite that will cause the problems plus the need for a tetanus booster. A professional will also check for any underlying ligament damage that has been put down to 'swelling'. I think it was definitely the right decision to get it seen to.
ModernAndy said:
I never really appreciated how nasty a Dog's bite could be until getting it cleaned up by the nurse last night, I could hardly move it at all last night but today everything apart from my index finger is fine.
Niether did I until i got bitten. A Great Dane grabbed my arm - It wouldnt let go and was throwing me about like a rag doll. Its not like im 8 stone either it was strong as hell - it bloody hurt. Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff