Canine Injuries: What to do About Dog Bites

Posted on March 18, 2010
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The best first aid is to avoid dog bites from the get go. Here are some simple steps to prevent dog bites

• Supervise young children around dogs
• Teach them to treat dogs with care
• Do not roughhouse with dogs
• Do not fight with them, hurt them, kick them etc
• Do not try to pull apart dogs that are fighting amongst each other
• Avoid sick animals especially if they do not know you
• Do not pull food away from strange animals or bother them when they are eating
• Keep your dogs on a leash when outside
• Select your dog carefully, taking into consideration its temperament and your household requirements

First Aid Steps to take if you suffer from dog bites:

• To stop the bleeding you need to apply pressure to the dog bites
• Gently wash the wound with soap and water
• Apply an antibiotic
• Wrap the area in a clean bandage
• Make sure the wound is elevated above the heart to slow down swelling and/or infection
• Continue to apply antibiotics several times a day
• Report the dog bites to the police and identify the dog in question

See your doctor when dog bites produce these conditions

• A large gaping or deep cut
• Dog bites on the hands, feet and head
• The wounds are red, swollen or tender
• The dog bites feel warm or hot to touch
• You develop a fever
• There is pus seeping from the site
• There is continuous bleeding for at least 15 minutes
• Broken bones
• Nerve damage is suspected
• Other serious injuries

You will also need to seek medical attention if:

• You did not have a tetanus shot within the last five years
• You suffer from Diabetes, AIDS, Liver or Lung Disease, Cancer, and any other serious condition that can affect your immune system.

What to expect when you see your doctor for dog bites:
• The doctor will check for nerve damage, broken bones, tendon damage
• Check for infection
• Clean the wound with an antibiotic solution
• Possibly suture the wound
• Administer a tetanus shot if applicable
• Schedule a follow up appointment
• Refer to a specialist
• Intravenous antibiotics for special cases
• Surgery for bad mauls

The question of the transmission of rabies always comes up when humans suffer dog bites. Rabies in general, does not possess a threat in the United States. If you know the owner of the dog that bit you, you will want to ask for its medical papers to show that it has had its rabies shots. When you don’t know the dog that bit you, the animal control center will locate the dog and test for rabies. If the dog has not been found your doctor may schedule a series of rabies shots for you; just as a precaution.

Brown Recluse Spider Bites Call For Medical Attention

Posted on March 16, 2010
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The good news is that brown recluse spider bites are not terribly common. The bad news is that when these creepy crawlers do bite, medical attention is generally advised. Brown recluse spider bites can cause serious problems, so immediate first aid and medical review of the bite is likely in order.

Found primarily in the Midwest and Southeastern United States, brown recluse spiders are known for their distinct violin pattern on their cephalothorax. Brown recluse spider bites are not generally easy to spot – at first. The initial bite is generally quite painless. At the most, it will feel like a bee sting. Within a few hours, however, the real symptoms of brown recluse spider bites appear.

In most cases, brown recluse spider bites tend to become rather painful. Victims might feel pain, itching, nausea, fever and even start vomiting. After the initial bite, the bitten area will appear red and will likely have fang marks. Eventually, brown recluse spider bites will blister and may even lead to necrosis of the skin.

Initial first aid for brown recluse spider bites involves very basic steps. Ice may be applied to lessen swelling. The area should be washed with cool water and soap and elevated. Strenuous activity should be avoided. It is not smart to apply heat to an area where brown recluse spider bites have taken place. Also, creams should not be applied and suction should not be used to remove the venom. The best bet if brown recluse spider bites are suspected is to seek medical attention immediately.

Because brown recluse spider bites can cause serious complications in some people, medical attention is always advised. Although brown recluse spiders do have a nasty reputation, fatality is usually not a concern, but it is not out of the question. In some cases, these bites can leave incredibly nasty reminders behind. Due to concerns about secondary infections, it is not uncommon for these bites to involve hospitalization as part of the treatment. Antibiotics are also normally prescribed to ward off infection. If necrosis of the bite area does present, plastic surgeons may be called in on the case to help.

Brown recluse spider bites are rather uncommon outside of the spiders’ main territory. Only a few cases have been reported in states outside the Midwest and Southeast. If a brown recluse bite is suspected, immediate first aid and professional medical attention is strongly urged, however. Bites can cause serious complications with the affected skin and may lead to secondary infections that can be quite dangerous. While these bites are not very common, immediate action should be taken if brown recluse spider bites are suspected.

Pretty in Pink: Pictures Of Spider Bites

Posted on March 16, 2010
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Often time spider bites go undetected, but it is very important to know if you have been bitten by a spider and to remedy the situation as fast as possible. Though very few spiders cause serious harm to humans, those of a venomous nature can cause severe damage and death in some cases. The trouble is many times the victim is not aware of being bitten by a spider, by taking pictures of spider bites, medical experts can more readily identify if this was the case.

Many times the victim of a bite did not see the actual spider and may mistake the spider bite for a mosquito bite. Spider bites are characterized by two puncture marks, whereas mosquitoes will only produce one. Having pictures of spider bites would be the first step in diagnosing which type of spider is the culprit. Some spiders are harmful to humans while others are not. Treatment is contingent upon which spider has done the biting.

The black widow spider is the most dangerous to humans. Its venom can kill a human and medical treatment at a hospital is needed immediately after noticing the bite. If you are not sure if you have been bitten by a black widow, you can view pictures of spider bites on the internet. The telltale sign of a black widow bite is a red circle around the puncture.

The Brown recluse spider is a pretty dangerous spider. Pictures of spider bites produced on the internet are not pretty in pink at all. The spider will puncture human skin with wound marks.

The Brown recluse spider venom releases a kind of digestive fluid which is toxic to humans. The area around the bite becomes pink to dark red resulting from inflammation. The wound site is pretty visible because a lesion filled with dark fluid appears. However, the pictures of spider bites of this variety, is not sufficient to actually see the puncture marks; that must be done with a microscope. The skin tissue around the bite will begin to die and it takes months before any healing effectively occurs.

The hobo spider will produce a venomous bite similar in appearance to mosquitoes and the brown spider. The area surrounding the bite will become red and inflamed and the wound will eventually harden and scab over.

Though both these spiders rarely result in death of the afflicted human, pictures of spider bites where the skin has already rotted away is not a pretty sight. The open black wound is very deep and ghastly looking. Looking at pictures of spider bites is not for the faint of heart.

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