First Aid tips if bitten by your pet

PANCHKULA, India - June 28, 2013 - PRLog -- Who doesn’t love their pets? In fact dogs, cats, rabbits, etc have over time proven to be the most affectionate creatures known to the human race. They share a strong bond of love and loyalty with their masters. But these pets also have the potential to cause us harm. They may bite or bruise us under some particular circumstances. Dogs are more likely to bite as compared to cats and other pets. It takes less than a fraction of second’s time to cause harm to someone, knowingly as well as unknowingly. Dog bites can be fatal as well, depending on the health and vaccination regime of your dog. However, cat bites may cause infections. Pet bites may be a reason for the transmission of various serious infections as well as illness. At times, it may pass on from an affected individual to another, if not treated properly.

Mentioned below are some handy First – Aid tips that can be performed in case you get bitten by your pet:

First aid for minor injuries
If a pet bite appears to be less dangerous, i.e. there is just a small bruise on the affected area, you need not panic in such situations. This small bruise can be easily handled like we handle a small wound.

Immediately after you are bitten by your pet, wash the wound with clean water and soap, preferably Dettol, Savlon or any other antiseptic liquid.

In case there is no need to seek any medical help, apply some effective antibiotic cream on the clean and dry wound. This would keep infections at bay.

After applying the cream, cover the wound with a clean bandage.

First aid for deeper and major injuries
In case the bite is deeper and there is blood coming out if it due to the tearing up of tissues, immediately press the wound with a clean cloth. Try to curb the bleeding as soon as possible.

Preferably, tie a cloth near you wound to prevent the flow of blood from this part of the body to the rest of the body. After this, immediately seek medical help from the nearest hospital without any further delay.

Infection causing bites
In case you notice any symptoms of a potential infection, rush to the nearest doctor for help. There may be symptoms such as swelling, pain, itching, redness or water coming out of the affected area.

Wounds potentially leading to rabies
In case your pet is not vaccinated from time to time or you suspect that the animal may carry viruses causing rabies, immediately rush to the nearest hospital. Animals that carry this virus are generally wild and have a temporal behaviour. However, domesticated animals may not show any signs. In any case, it is suggested that every animal must be given a Tetanus- diphtheria vaccine in every 10 years.

Not all pets cause rabies or infections. Properly immunised pets cause very little harm to their masters. Rabies is more likely to be acquired from undomesticated animals such as foxes, racoons, jackals, skunks and bats as compared to domesticated animals like cats and dogs. Rodents like squirrels and pets like rabbits hardly carry rabies.

Visit http://www.dog-breeds.info for details about all dog-breeds and pet care.