Cleaning a dog bite is difficult. With any type of puncture wound, there is a chance that bacteria will get trapped in it. Even if you wash it out, this can still happen. In fact, puncture wounds often look less dangerous because they don’t bleed as much, but bleeding is a natural way to clean the wound, so a lack of bleeding could be an indicator that an infection is more likely.
How can you tell? You need to know what signs to look for.
The signs of a possible infection
Always get medical attention after a dog bite. Then return and get more assistance if you see any of the following potential signs of infection:
- You come down with a sudden fever that you did not have before the bite.
- The bite wound has any sort of serious discharge, such as pus.
- Rather than feeling better as the days go by, the wound hurts more than it did before.
- You see an increase in swelling and redness around the bite.
- Your lymph nodes increase in size and become swollen, which can indicate that the infection is spreading.
If you ever think your bite may be infected, do not wait. Talk to a medical professional. The above are not all of the potential symptoms you could see but should give you a general idea of how things go. Medical professionals can help you determine what steps to take next.
Of course, that type of assistance can be expensive. You may deserve compensation from the dog’s owner, so you also need to know about your legal options.