Dog Bite

1. See Also
   1. Dog Bite Infection
   2. Rabies Prophylaxis
2. Epidemiology
   1. Incidence in United States: 4 Million bites per year
   2. Dog Bites account for 80-90% of Animal Bites in U.S.
   3. Mortality: >12 per year in U.S. (most are children)
      1. Pit bulls accounted for 44% fatalities 1979-1988
   4. Infection rate: 15-20%
3. Risk of bites associated with breed
   1. Aggressive dogs
      1. Dogs associated with fatal attacks
         1. Pit Bull
         2. Malamute
         3. Chow-Chow
         4. Rottweiler
         5. Siberian Husky
         6. German Shepherd
         7. Wolf hybrids
      2. Other Aggressive dogs
         1. Bull terrier
         2. Cocker spaniel
         3. Collie
         4. Doberman Pinscher
         5. Great Dane
   2. Less aggressive breeds (Family dogs)
      1. Boxer
      2. Dalmatian
      3. English Setter
      4. English Springer
      5. Golden Retriever
      6. Irish Setter
      7. Labrador Retriever
      8. Spaniel
4. Pathophysiology
   1. Crush or avulsion injury from Dog Bite
5. Disposition
   1. Outpatient Wound Check in 24-48 hours Indications
      1. Usually indicated over inpatient care
      2. All hand wounds should be rechecked
6. Management
   1. See Animal Bite
   2. See Dog Bite Infection
7. Prevention (Teach to children)
   1. Do not approach an unfamiliar dog
   2. Do not disturb a dog eating or sleeping
   3. Do not disturb a dog caring for puppies
   4. When approached by a dog
      1. Never scream near a dog
      2. Never run from a dog
         1. Be still (Like a tree)
         2. If you fall, become a log
      3. Allow the dog to first sniff you before petting him
      4. Do not make direct eye contact with the dog
   5. Reporting guidelines
      1. Report Dog Bites to an adult immediately
      2. Report stray dogs or unusual behavior immediately
8. References
   1. Bradshaw (1996) Vet Rec 138:465-8
   2. Lazzetti (1998) J Pediatr Health Care 12:73-9
   3. Presutti (2001) Am Fam Physician 63(8):1567-72
   4. Presutti (1997) Postgrad Med 101(4): 243-54
   5. Sacks (1996) Pediatrics 97:891-5