There are some inevitable situations where a dog can bite you out of nowhere. Sometimes you would not even see it coming and just come to realize when the dog has bitten you. Dogs will bite when they feel threatened and scared. They can also experience stress and anxiety, causing them to get aggressive and bite out of character. Even the most well behaved and well-trained dogs can lose their cool and control, so it is unavoidable to encounter this kind of situation. When this circumstance happens to you, it is necessary to take precautions so that you will not get any infections.

Here are some things you need to do immediately when a dog bites you unexpectedly.

First Aid

The first thing you need to do is apply first aid, especially when you are far from a clinic or hospital. If the wound is deep and is bleeding, you need to prioritize stopping the blood. First, you need to wash the wound to remove any dirt and apply a cream that is prescribed for dog bites when you have some available. After that, look for a clean cloth and use it to press on your wound. This method is going to help you stop the bleeding until you reach the nearest clinic or hospital.

Seek Medical Attention

Seeking medical attention is a must because of the possibility of infections. There are viruses and infections that you can get when you get bit by a dog, and this case will require medical attention. Going to the hospital for medication will of course cost you money, and this is a responsibility that you can demand from the owner of the dog who bit you. In cases of disagreements or when the dog owner does not agree to pay for your medical bills, you can seek the help of a lawyer to make your case. You must point out that the infection you can get from the injury you sustained from the bite is going to be dangerous to your health. One example of a virus that a dog bit transmits is rabies. This virus can affect the central nervous system and cause death to people that dogs have infected. If a dog bit you and there is a high chance of possibility that he has rabies, you should go directly to the hospital to get the treatment you need. You need to receive rabies vaccinations to avoid or prevent yourself from getting infected.

Watch your Injury

After getting treated in the hospital, it is still important to observe your injury. Even when you have already taken a vaccine, it is still better to take precautions just in case the vaccine does not work because rabies is a deadly virus. Watch out for out of the normal bruising or swelling of the skin because there might be other infections that have reached your body. Also, it is important to note that you will not go through all these inconveniences when you are careful enough to not get bitten by a dog.

These preventive measures are all necessary, but nothing will beat the prevention of being careful. Stay away from rabid dogs or from dogs that do not show much discipline and training. Also, if you are the owner of a dog, it is your responsibility to train and watch over them when they are around people. Dog bite incidents are not only going to be harmful to the person who was bitten. But it is also going to affect the owner of the dog. Dog owners who are negligent and careless can be sued by the person who got bitten by the dog, so you need to take precautions and be responsible.