when to seek medical care after LA dog bite

If you’ve been bitten by a dog, it’s important to tend to the injury right away to reduce your risk of bacterial infection. You also should assess the wound to determine the severity.

In some instances, you’ll be able to administer first aid to yourself. In other cases, you’ll need immediate medical treatment.

Whether the dog is yours or someone else’s, you may feel shaken after being bitten. If you need medical attention, call for help rather than driving yourself to the doctor or hospital.

First Aid Steps

First, be sure the dog that made the attack is secured and that the person who has been bitten is moved away from the animal. Once the person is safe, continue first aid.

If you can't secure the dog (or if it continues to attack), contact animal control or the police right away.

Treating a dog bite should always start with the safety of all involved, including the victim, the rescuer, and, if possible, the dog. Be careful about starting any treatment until there is a reasonable expectation that the dog won't attack again.

The Steps to Take Immediately after a Dog Attack or Bite

Whether it is yourself or a loved one, knowing what to do immediately after a dog bite is crucial. These steps can help doctors provide the correct treatment for the bite as well – especially when to seek medical care after LA dog bite if they know the dog’s medical history.

Before you leave the scene, if it is safe enough to do so, try to identify the dog. If you know the dog, then you will know the owner, which you can tell the police when you file your report. If you do not know the dog or the owner personally, get that dog owner’s information or their address if you know where the dog came from.

You will want the dog’s vet records, specifically their immunizations. If the dog has not received its rabies shot, you may need treatment for a potential rabies exposure.

Even if you do not know the dog and cannot find the owner, try to write down a description of the dog as best you can so that animal control will know what to look for.

Do not wait. Instead, seek medical care immediately after the bite occurs. If the bleeding is too severe, contact emergency responders. You will want a doctor to clean the wound thoroughly, because these bites are at higher risk for infection. The physician may put you on a course of antibiotics, and they may swab the wound for further testing to make sure the dog was not carrying any diseases. While there are only a few very rare diseases that can pass from canine to human, if you do not know the dog or their medical history, it is best to test for these diseases to be safe.

You will want to contact your local authorities to file a bite report. In Pennsylvania, you should report the bite or attack to the local police department, and you should also contact your local Department of Health. The police should automatically notify animal control authorities. If the dog and owner are already identified, animal control will take the dog into custody for an automatic quarantine and test.

If the dog is not identified, they will want to know the details of where the attack occurred and the type of dog they are looking for so that they can, hopefully, find the dog before it bites someone else.

You will want to take photographs of the bite wounds as soon as you can. You also should photograph their healing process and any scars that remain after they heal. These photographs can help paint a picture of what you endured while you were recovering and show a jury how severe they were at the time – since your injury will likely heal before your injury claim goes to court.

Even if you do not plan to file a lawsuit against the dog’s owner, you will want to file a claim with their homeowner’s insurance policy to receive compensation for your out-of-pocket costs and other financial losses. An attorney who has experience with dog attack cases can help you file a claim, negotiate with the insurance company to receive a fair settlement, and investigate the instance to see if the dog’s owner was grossly negligent.

What Compensation Will I Receive?

Compensation in a dog bite case varies, depending on the severity of the bite, your total damages, and the owner’s actions. If the bite is not severe and you will make a full recovery, compensation would be less than someone who suffers permanent disfigurement.

Stay safe: If you are a rescuer, practice universal precautions and wear personal protective equipment if available.

Stop the bleeding: Controlling bleeding can often be done as you're making the area safe, especially if the patient can help hold pressure. Control any bleeding by following the appropriate steps. Use a clean towel to apply pressure to the bite. Avoid using a tourniquet unless there's severe bleeding that cannot be controlled a

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