Dog bites are serious injuries that demand great care. Even if the wound isn’t deep, there is a chance that you could end up with an infection. This is why it is imperative for dog owners to be responsible pet owners. Socialization and containment are two ways that owners can prevent attacks.
If you are bitten by a dog in Detroit, your first call should be to emergency services so that you can get medical care and the dog owner can be located. This will likely mean that animal control gets involved, which might result in the dog being quarantined, especially if it wasn’t up to date on the rabies vaccination.
You will also need to seek medical care. Typically, you will need to have the wound washed out so that there is less chance of germs and bacteria remaining in the wound. The depth and severity of the wound will determine what happens from here. Some bite punctures are left open to heal so that bacteria from the environment doesn’t get trapped in the dark, deep puncture.
You will likely be given antibiotics to help stave off an infection before it even starts. If the bite wound was serious, you might also get pain medications.
You might opt to make a dog bite claim to help defray the expenses you have to cover due to the injury. The dog’s owner or the insurer for the owner are two possible places you can turn for compensation. Naming these parties, as well as any others you find that might be liable, in a lawsuit is likely your first step toward getting compensation.
Source: WebMD, “Dog Bites,” accessed May 03, 2017
