Dog Bite

[❤LovesPoodles❤]

Tonight when partner and I have gotten home 2 of my dogs had a fight in the house and OH got bitten separating them. It's not bad bled a bit there is a tooth indent on his wrist which is a bit deep will he need a tetanus shot?

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Edited February 18, 2012 by krystal&coco

[pebbles]

You will probably get both answers, yes and no, to this. I've been bitten many times, used to have a dog grooming business, judging dogs and my own for various reasons and I've never even thought about tetanus shots and never had a problem. Run water over the wound, put a bit of ointment and a band aid on it and it's been fine but maybe I've been lucky.

[coogie]

Depends - if he has had the 3 courses/doses and at least one "booster" dose recommended prior to adulthood he may not need one. These days a further dose is recommended for adults at 50,if it is a long time since they had one. I would call Qld Health and ask - people still get tetanus in Australia and it is very, very unpleasant and as it is preventable I wouldn't take a risk for the sake of getting a vaccination. But that is probably because I have seen the consequences of not bothering to get a shot, so am probably a bit more of a if in doubt jab type of person.

[❤LovesPoodles❤]

His had his booster ones growing up and one 10 yrs ago when he got a fish hook through his finger. He is worried about infection so off to the hospital we will go. Thanks guys!

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[Bluefairy]

I'm glad he's getting a Tetanus shot, you are supposed to have one every 10 years, or when you have an accident and its close to that time.

I had to have one when I got bitten on the hand by my friends GSD when I was about 14, still love the breed :)

Lynn

[pebbles]

A sort of a funny story about tetanus shots - Not one of my kids, OH or myself have ever had tetanus shots. Years back the OH was delivering milk around the town. It's so far back that the milk was in bottles (anyone remember that?) anyway he slipped going up a driveway, fell, broke the bottles in his hand and ended up with a bad cut. This happened next door to the local Doctor's home, he heard the crash, came out, saw OH's hand and knowing we had horses, told OH he had to get a tetanus shot. OH duly goes to the hospital, gets the shot. By evening he had to be rushed to hospital, allergic to the shot, spent a couple of scary days as he was pretty bad. No more shots here!

[Simply Grand]

Pebbles I'm not sure that's really a funny story ;)

I don't know much about tetanus, is there treatment available if you do get it? Are there early symptoms (I remember it bein called lock jaw, it causes the muscles to freeze up doesn't it? Do you have much time to get the shot/treatment after you have an injury? I think my last shot would have been about 20 years ago (that makes me feel old!!), when I was 12 and we moved overseas...

[pebbles]

Saxonpup, that's why I said "sort of funny story" lol. We had been involved with horses for years and as the tetanus vaccine comes from horses it was a kind of a family joke that it was 'the horses getting back at OH". I should have added that bit before.

[LizT]

Saxonpup, that's why I said "sort of funny story" lol. We had been involved with horses for years and as the tetanus vaccine comes from horses it was a kind of a family joke that it was 'the horses getting back at OH". I should have added that bit before.

I think with a dog bit there is more concern of infection than tetanus. Being around horses we try to keep ours up to date JIC, at least every 10 years.

The only dog bite I've had was when I was 16 years old and my Mini Poodle got hit by a car. My fault. When I picked him up he sunk his teeth into my hand. I still have a puncture mark where it was. He spent the whole car ride to the vets licking my hand. Poor fellow must have been in a lot of pain as he had smashed his hip joint and the vet wanted to put him to sleep but I begged him to try to save him and next day my boss gave me a months advance in my pay for the vet bills. The surgery was sucessful, the joint rewired, teh leg saved and the boy lived to 17 years of age. :) Did I ever learn my lesson about off lead dogs at parks that day.

Incidently I never had any treatment for my bite, I was too busy worrying about Benji, luckily it didn't get infected. Benji's first aid (constant licking) in the car probably did it good. :laugh:

[LizT]

By the way was it the two Huskys fighting?

Do be cautious as I know one is a recent adult addition and you may have upset the dynamics of your household somewhat. Stay alert. :)

[Kadbury]

I was bitten on the finger by a dog, just a small nick but I ended up in Hospital having surgery three days in a row - a picc line inserted to deliver the antibiotics was an inpatient, then hospital in the home for 6 weeks....followed by 2 months of hand therapy to get the hand working again.

[Peace_Of_Mind]

I don’t think it is necessary to get a tetanus shot; just thoroughly clean the wound to ward off infection.

Edited February 19, 2012 by Peace_Of_Mind

[Abilene]

A sort of a funny story about tetanus shots - Not one of my kids, OH or myself have ever had tetanus shots. Years back the OH was delivering milk around the town. It's so far back that the milk was in bottles (anyone remember that?) anyway he slipped going up a driveway, fell, broke the bottles in his hand and ended up with a bad cut. This happened next door to the local Doctor's home, he heard the crash, came out, saw OH's hand and knowing we had horses, told OH he had to get a tetanus shot. OH duly goes to the hospital, gets the shot. By evening he had to be rushed to hospital, allergic to the shot, spent a couple of scary days as he was pretty bad. No more shots here!

Yes, I certainly remember the bottles... always had cream on the top and my brother and I would fight over who got the first drink out of the bottle, and got all the cream.... mum would try and shake the bottle so that the cream would mix in... I think they had these thick foil lids from memory... also remember the baker delivering bread and he would bring me a nice warm bread roll with either poppy seeds or sesame seeds.. I was only very young but boy did I love it when the baker came once a week to deliver the bread, those bread rolls were delicious.

I have been bitten a couple times, once required stitches and antibiotics and a tetanus shot, but it was a bit nasty and left a bit of a scar... the dog that bit me was a nasty bugger too!!! This pic was taken after I drove myself to the hospital and they cleaned it up... I think it is routine that medical staff give tetanus shots after dog bites, just as a precaution. Funny I can look at the photo but at the time I couldn't look at it, I would have fainted before I got to the hospital if I dared look, I only knew it wasn't good because of all the blood...:laugh:

Hope he is ok,,,,, ...........Funnily, despite the wound from the dog bite.. which incidentally didn't hurt... my shoulder after the tetanus shot was more sore than the wound

Edited February 19, 2012 by Abilene

[coogie]

You can get treatment for tetanus but some people who get it will die despite treatment. Good hygiene practices in this country (generally) probably keep the incidence rates down.

Epidemiology reports vary this is from Health Australia -

"There were 18 notified cases of tetanus during 2001–2005, but 120 hospitalisations (July 2000–June 2005) where tetanus was the principal diagnosis. This discrepancy suggests under-notification. During 2001–2005, there were 2 deaths from tetanus. The case-fatality rate in Australia is about 3%. "

There are no reports of death in vaccinated adults, however there are incidences of partially vaccinated adults contracting it which makes sense as no vaccine is going to have 100% efficacy. I think you are more at risk of other infections with dog bites, I guess if you have previously had tetanus shots without any bad reaction you should probably err on the side of caution and have one, but as Pebbles OH found out a reaction to the vaccine can be pretty bad as well. There are more than likely thousands of people who cut themselves every day and "should" have one but don't and don't get tetanus either.

I grew up in East Africa and I worked in London as an immunisation coordinator for 6 years and saw some not very nice things hence - I tend to be jab, jab, jab. I suspect for every person who holds my opinion you will find one who thinks vaccinations are unnecessary and in some cases harmful/evil. I tend not to argue,things get very heated around this subject. :)

Krystal&Coco I hope the bite heals quickly and cleanly, and you don't have any more dogfights.

[mumof4girls]

I don't think it is necessary to get a tetanus shot; just thoroughly clean the wound to ward off infection.

Ouch that looks nasty..

[❤LovesPoodles❤]

I myself have never had a tetanus shot. We went to the hospital and the nurse cleaned it up but wouldn't give a tetanus shot as she couldn't couldn't tell how deep the puncture mark was so we waited til 2am to see a doctor and partner wanted to leave as he was sick of waiting. We were the only ones sitting in there! He is going to go see our GP tomorrow as his hand is a bit sore to move. It is bruised and you can see the teeth marks on his hand but there is only the one punctured bit. Stupid public hospitals

[❤LovesPoodles❤]

By the way was it the two Huskys fighting?

Do be cautious as I know one is a recent adult addition and you may have upset the dynamics of your household somewhat. Stay alert. :)

Yes it was the Huskys

There has been a few growls from the new addition at dinner time. We got home late last night so they got fed later new husky (Mishka) started it we got her away but then Misty just bolted for her and went at her. Neither of us were expecting it but I guess Misty is fed up with it and just stating her position in the pack. Mishka urinated everywhere when it happened and was nervy the rest of the night.

Today they are fine and happy as larry, playing together and slept in the bed with me this morning. Dinner time tonight was fine.

We don't know much about Mishka's past this is her 3rd home and she is only 2. Guess she is scared she isn't going to get food and Misty will get it All dogs get fed seperately and its been that way since day 1. We will just keep an eye on it.

[LizT]

In my own experience a 'visitor' dog if it gets along well rom the onset is tolerated for a period of time. After a while though a pecking order is established and often fights break out when there is a rush to greet family members. It's quite likely this is why a fight occurred on your return.

Then there are those fights that happen for no reason we have been able to assertain, usually because we are not present with the dogs at the time. One night years ago we heard an almightly bang and the dogs were at each other (an entire Border Collie X bitch and a Male desexed GSD), by the time I got to the back porch it was over. In their fight they knocked over a heavy pine outdoor seat that smashed a hole in the fibro and I think the noise startled them both out of the fight. I'll never know what it was about? For the most part these two dogs got on well from the time the GSD was about 7 months old, but prior to that the older Border X bitch could not be trusted unsupervised when he was a young puppy.

Hope your girls continue to get along and I know you are sensible enough to seek help if it continues. :) I just hope little Coco doesn't get caught up in it!