If you love dogs, it’s hard not to want to pet every ball of fluff you see, especially when they’re puppies.
Unlike adult dogs, however, puppies are still learning how to socialize, and they often don’t know when it’s appropriate to nip or bite, and they often don’t know their own strength.
What’s the big deal about a little “love bite” from a puppy? Maybe nothing – unless one or more of those sharp little milk teeth happens to break your skin.
Every dog bite has the potential to be dangerous
While an adult dog or even a puppy from a big breed can both inflict a ton of damage on someone’s body if they attack, most people don’t realize that they could be in serious danger from just a tiny nip.
Experts recommend that – if your skin is broken from a bite, no matter how small the wound – you see a doctor within eight hours for safety. You will need antibiotics because the chief danger from a dog bite is infection.
Despite urban legends that claim that a dog’s mouth is “cleaner than a human’s mouth,” the reality is that there are all kinds of bacteria carried in the mouths of our furry friends – none of which play nice with humans. Some of those include:
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Moraxella spp.
- Pasteurella canis
- E. coli
- Enterobacter cloacae
- Pasteurella multocida
Left to reproduce in your bloodstream without stopping, any of these can leave you very sick, turn septic and require intensive medical care for weeks or months. You can even be left with permanent nerve damage or amputations if an infection rages out of control.
In short: Take every dog bite seriously, no matter how accidental the nip or how small the dog is. If you’ve suffered financial losses and have medical bills piling up because of a bite from a dog, it may be time to explore your legal options.