"Bite Wounds" in dogs and cats
Dr. Meisner and I often see a dog or cat presented with a bite wound. These can be inflicted from another dog or cat and observed by the pet owner, or even worse, an unknown assailant. They are always to be taken very seriously, for if left untreated, a serious, and in some cases life-threatening infection can result.
The problem with most bite wounds is that because of the pet's hair coat, the extent of the injury is often difficult to see. For this reason, we will first clip the hair over the area and evaluate the injury. Clearly visible will be the laceration in the skin, caused by shearing force of the tooth/teeth. In the vast majority of bites however, this is just the proverbial "tip of the iceberg". Compression injury causes the deeper layers of the skin and muscle below to be involved. This results in a crushing injury to deep tissues, and often inoculated the bite with bacteria from the victim's skin and the attacker's mouth.
If left untreated, these bacteria can rapidly grow, invading the damaged tissue, and resulting in a badly infected wound. This infection may spread via the bloodstream throughout the body. Bites therefore cannot only cause local inflammation, swelling, and infection, but can lead to respiratory paralysis and cardiovascular collapse, resulting in death of the patient.
Bites can also cause broken bones if enough force is applied. Even more serious, the chest and/or abdomen can be punctured, causing tissue damage and internal bleeding.
With some bites, the damage is relatively superficial, and we will only need to clean the wound and place a dog or cat on an appropriate antibiotic. In other cases, we need to sedate/anesthetize the pet and explore it. We may need to remove the damaged tissue (debride), clean the deeper tissues with an antibiotic solution (lavage), and place a drain to allow surrounding tissues to heal.
On occasion, the extent of the damage to surrounding tissues is difficult to completely evaluate, even with a thorough exam. For this reason, we may need to schedule periodic reexaminations, and take the steps necessary during each visit to allow for a successful outcome.
One last word of caution; Bite wounds can transmit several viral diseases, including rabies in dogs and cats, and in cats, feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus. If possible, the rabies vaccination status of all biting animals must be quickly established.
Unvaccinated animals that bite a pet or its owner may need to be quarantined, as advised by the Erie County Health Department. If the attacker is unknown, we will recommend a rabies booster be given.
One of the biggest myth's I have heard, is that an animal's mouth is cleaner than that of a human. I vividly recall my mom telling me that as a child, when our dog would lick me on my face! There are a variety of serious pathogenic bacteria found in dog's and cat's mouths. For this reason, all bite wounds should be taken very seriously.
As always, should you have any questions or concerns regarding any of the material presented in this blog, please do not hesitate to contact me or a member of my staff at: 655-0305.
Thanks for "listening".....
Dr. Keem
Dr. Meisner and I often see a dog or cat presented with a bite wound. These can be inflicted from another dog or cat and observed by the pet owner, or even worse, an unknown assailant. They are always to be taken very seriously, for if left untreated, a serious, and in some cases life-threatening infection can result.
The problem with most bite wounds is that because of the pet's hair coat, the extent of the injury is often difficult to see. For this reason, we will first clip the hair over the area and evaluate the injury. Clearly visible will be the laceration in the skin, caused by shearing force of the tooth/teeth. In the vast majority of bites however, this is just the proverbial "tip of the iceberg". Compression injury causes the deeper layers of the skin and muscle below to be involved. This results in a crushing injury to deep tissues, and often inoculated the bite with bacteria from the victim's skin and the attacker's mouth.
If left untreated, these bacteria can rapidly grow, invading the damaged tissue, and resulting in a badly infected wound. This infection may spread via the bloodstream throughout the body. Bites therefore cannot only cause local inflammation, swelling, and infection, but can lead to respiratory paralysis and cardiovascular collapse, resulting in death of the patient.
Bites can also cause broken bones if enough force is applied. Even more serious, the chest and/or abdomen can be punctured, causing tissue damage and internal bleeding.
With some bites, the damage is relatively superficial, and we will only need to clean the wound and place a dog or cat on an appropriate antibiotic. In other cases, we need to sedate/anesthetize the pet and explore it. We may need to remove the damaged tissue (debride), clean the deeper tissues with an antibiotic solution (lavage), and place a drain to allow surrounding tissues to heal.
On occasion, the extent of the damage to surrounding tissues is difficult to completely evaluate, even with a thorough exam. For this reason, we may need to schedule periodic reexaminations, and take the steps necessary during each visit to allow for a successful outcome.
One last word of caution; Bite wounds can transmit several viral diseases, including rabies in dogs and cats, and in cats, feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus. If possible, the rabies vaccination status of all biting animals must be quickly established.
Unvaccinated animals that bite a pet or its owner may need to be quarantined, as advised by the Erie County Health Department. If the attacker is unknown, we will recommend a rabies booster be given.
One of the biggest myth's I have heard, is that an animal's mouth is cleaner than that of a human. I vividly recall my mom telling me that as a child, when our dog would lick me on my face! There are a variety of serious pathogenic bacteria found in dog's and cat's mouths. For this reason, all bite wounds should be taken very seriously.
As always, should you have any questions or concerns regarding any of the material presented in this blog, please do not hesitate to contact me or a member of my staff at: 655-0305.
Thanks for "listening".....
Dr. Keem
