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March 8, 2006
Dog Bite
It's possible that most runners have an innate fear of dogs. Whether it's because dogs chase runners, because they are often uncontrolled by their owners, or because sometimes they are downright unpredicatable, we runners generally try to avoid the strange ones. Some of us avoid all dogs. Me, I do love dogs, but I love only the ones that I know are good.
I was trail running on Monday afternoon with my dog (who was on leash), and we were approached by a dog unaccompanied by any human. We were on a wilderness trail, but only about 1.5 miles from civilization. The dog was unleashed and uncollared. It approached and attacked my dog, to which my dog fought back. In the process of trying to seperate the 2 dogs, the strange dog administered a series of bites to my left hand. After this, I gave the strange dog a hard kick to its butt, and it backed off, but continued following us for a short distance. In the end, I couldn't find any drawn blood on my dog, just missing tufts of hair. My left hand, around my thumb, had one deep puncture wound from the canine tooth, other areas of broken skin from the molar teeth, and a series of scratches from the whole scuffle. It was immediately painful. My hand ached so badly with the pounding of each footfall as I ran back to the trailhead!
I called my friend, a paramedic, after I got back from running, and he recommended that I go to an emergency room. There, I learned all about dog bites. I learned that, worldwide, people die of rabies transmitted through dog bites with frequency. In the US, there have been no documented cases of such. Whether that is because most dogs don't have rabies in the US due to adequate veterinary care, or because anti-rabies shots are readily available to people who have been bitten, officials don't really know. So, when bitten by an unfamiliar dog, rabies is of concern. Next, I learned that the transmission of tetanus and bacteria through a dog bite is also plausible. Among bacteria, any kind present in a dog's mouth can give you a nasty infection, but there is one particular kind (I can't remember its name.) with fast onset (As in, the infection occurs the same day as the bite.) that can cause permanent tissue damage.
So, what happens at the emergency room when you get bit by a dog? First, an anti-rabies shot. You should get this shot as soon after the bite as you can. They give it to you at the site where you were bitten. In my case, on my hand. Then, every 5 days for the next 30 days, you have to get another anti-rabies shot (6 total). Next up, a tetanus booster. The emergency room doctor recommended this if you haven't had a booster within the last 7 years. And, finally, an oral antibiotic prescription. Dog bite wounds are generally not sutured, unless it is a very bad wound. They say this increases the chances of infection. Instead, you're supposed to clean the wound with warm, soapy water 3 times a day, using a syringe for increased water pressure, and apply an antibiotic to it after each wash. As a side note, I turned down the oral antibiotic prescription, much to the doctor's dismay. By the time I had face time with the doctor, it was hours after the incident. He said that the very bad type of bacteria would already be causing symptoms of infection (high fever of 102 degrees F or higher, extreme redness around the bite, and swelling that extends beyond the bite site) and I didn't have any of those. I reasoned that I would clean the bite well, and if it began to look infected, I would re-seek medical attention. I worry about other affects of antibiotics such as increased reaction to sun exposure and long-term antibiotic resistance problems.
Now, a few days afterwards? My hand is swollen and black and blue. The swellling limits my hand's mobility, but that is slowly returning. The wounds aren't infected, and they're healing nicely. I ran yesterday, and my hand ached while I was running, but not so much that it stopped me from going out. Every time we see another dog, my dog wigs out. She was clearly affected by the exerience as well.
Phew, what a mess! Watch out for strange dogs in the woods!
Posted by Meghan at March 8, 2006 8:14 AM
Comments
Most enlightening, thank-you for sharing, best wishes to get better soon. Luckily the dog backed off after your well placed kick. Trail running is wonderful. Yet I remember some running advice from some years ago that encouraged carrying sticks, batons or stones when running in unsafe, wild-crazy-dogs infested places. corrado.
Posted by: corrado giambalvo at March 8, 2006 10:02 AM
Argh! Horrible. There is actually a rabies vaccination I think you can get prior to traveling to countries where rabies is an issue. I always elect not to get the vaccination then end up stressing the whole time I'm out running that I'm going to be bitten by a dog or a monkey or something.
I hope you and your dog recover quickly!
Posted by: alweiss at March 8, 2006 11:12 AM
woah. take care of the hand!! i can't believe treatment is so intensive. i had no idea you had to get follow-up treatment for so long.
(and that' s interesting you declined the antibiotics. wouldn't have been my choice-i have taken them for literally months in a row when my toe had a post-surgical infection and a literal hole in it-with no ill effects, and i always seem to end up on them all the time for one reason or another. it hasn't bothered me.)
Anywhoo, i am super glad it seems to be all healing and i hope the swelling, etc. gets better asap.
Posted by: Audrey at March 8, 2006 2:44 PM
woah, poor puppy! i hope she recovers quickly and is the protective, mt. lion fighter that we've come to love. and good on you for kicking that mutt in the butt. i think that is the most damage that we can deliver to a dog, other than grabbing it by the head.
glad to hear that your hand is healing up. guess that's just the price we pay for enjoying the outdoors. when it's wild, we play by the wild's rules. hang in there, my hardcore friend. =)
Posted by: jeff at March 8, 2006 4:42 PM
Take care of your hand and keep it clean!
Posted by: Blondie at March 8, 2006 7:08 PM
Ouch! I'm such a wimp when it comes to shots and you have to get one every 5 days for the next 30 days. Wow! I hope your hand feels better.
Posted by: Caitlin at March 8, 2006 7:58 PM
That's awful, Meghan! I hope your hand is feeling better soon.
Posted by: barb at March 9, 2006 6:22 PM
I hope your hand healed well. I feel for you as I am nursing the same thing now but by a dog I know and who I scared and he flipped. Sadly though, that poor dog in the woods was prbobaly dumped there on purpose by some idiot thinkng someone would find him and take him home. Well he is freaked out obviously and no one will be able to touch him!
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