dog bite

Discussion in 'Labrador Health' started by hd, Jul 28, 2013.

  1. hd

    hd Registered Users

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    HD got bitten by another dog today when I was out with her.

    My two girls were with me and it was a rather awful event.


    The dog had done it before but was neither muzzled nor leashed. The owner refused to put the dog on a lead even after the event.

    The woman tried to blame HD. Apparently HD had sniffed her dog's nose.

    It has bitten honey on the side of her muzzle and drew blood. Her muzzle has now swollen.

    It has really frightened me and the girls. We then met a blind Springer who honey wagged her tail at.

    So any experience gratefully received. Tales of how the dog will be fine definitely needed! Do I need to see the vet?

    How awful.

    Sarah
     
  2. heidrun

    heidrun Supporting Member Forum Supporter

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    Re: dog bite

    What a nasty experience! :(
    Have you got something like hibiscrub? Very good to clean minor wounds. I always have it in the dogs' and horses' first aid kit. Then just a dab of sudocrem to soothe it and hd should be fine. :) If it is a deep puncture wound you might have to take her to he vets.
     
  3. JulieT

    JulieT Registered Users

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    Re: dog bite

    How horrible - it must have been very distressing for you. I hope she is soon on the mend.
     
  4. Karen

    Karen Registered Users

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    Re: dog bite

    Oh dear, poor Honey! She will be fine, honestly, but it is so horrid when your dog gets bitten :(
     
  5. drjs@5

    drjs@5 Registered Users

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    Re: dog bite

    :(
    Poor thing - hope it doesn't put her off other dogs

    jac
     
  6. charlie

    charlie Registered Users

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    Re: dog bite

    Poor girl, I really hope she is OK and not too traumatised. Let us know how she is please. Helen x :(
     
  7. Oberon

    Oberon Supporting Member Forum Supporter

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    Re: dog bite

    So sorry she got bitten :( It's always so much more awful when the owners deny any responsibility. Biting in response to a muzzle sniff is dreadful behaviour.

    Obi got bitten a few months ago (big gash in his side) and he is still 100% fine with other dogs and his wound has healed very well (except he has a slight opportunistic skin infection on the site which we are treating with a cream from the vet). Because his bite was bad he had staples, injectable antibiotics and topical antibiotics. Just depends on how bad the bite is.

    Poor girl - give her a pat from us!
     
  8. hd

    hd Registered Users

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    Re: dog bite

    Goodness Rachael how absolutely dreadful. Funny thing is that I have started to walk her in much more "normal" areas instead of the woodland and fields etc we usually walk in. Simply because with the in yer face puppy around she values her space and a quick sniff and she's done with other dogs.

    It's a national trust place so nice for my kids.

    It's upset them and I would imagine them being frightened when they go out with us in the future. My little one has SpLD which means that she was badly affected by the shouting I did.

    The lady with the blind Springer was just so kind.

    Hopefully it'll take longer for me to get over it than anyone else!
     
  9. heidrun

    heidrun Supporting Member Forum Supporter

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    Re: dog bite

    My Caddie was attacked by two lurchers when she was a puppy. She never really got over it and has formed a 'learned helplessness' strategy when meeting new dogs. She rolls over and exposes her tummy. At the time of the incident I absolutely freaked, so I don't know if it was my reaction or being ragged by a lurcher that has contributed to this behaviour. :-\
     
  10. bbrown

    bbrown Moderator Forum Supporter

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    Re: dog bite

    What a horrible experience for you all :(

    Riley has had a couple of dogs have a pop at him but never really hurt him, as a result he's super cautious until he thinks they're friendly when he goes a bit too far the other way which sometimes results in a telling off so he gets a bit confused. I tried hard to socialise him but this all seems pretty ingrained now. I get extremely cross when people should muzzle their dogs and don't. Riley had a terrier nearly take his nose off, luckily it hit the end of it's lead before it got to him. It's owners were apologetic but they knew he was aggressive which is why they kept him on a lead, if they'd muzzled him they would never have to apologise again - it's ridiculous.

    Hopefully hd and your kids recover quickly and you can get back to normal. Big hugs from us :)
     
  11. Oberon

    Oberon Supporting Member Forum Supporter

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    Re: dog bite

    Poor Caddie :( Such an awful thing to have happened to such a sweet girl.

    Our main worry when Obi got bitten was that he'd become fearful around other dogs. But he seems ok on that front. We weren't there when it happened (it was at day care as many of you know, having read the thread) which means he didn't get to hear me scream my head off which I definitely would have done had I been there.

    I hope your kids start to feel more settled soon, hd. You might wish you hadn't shouted but it's only natural when you see your beloved dog assaulted. At fault was the dog that bit and its owner, definitely not you.
     
  12. debsie

    debsie Registered Users

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    Re: dog bite

    poor HD, horrible thing...hope she's ok....Cuillin had a sort of Caddie experience too, though she was not really attacked, she just got really rumbled by a couple of lurchers when she was a wee one, they chased, and she panicked and ran so they really chased her then...and rollled her over and over. She now has a huge fear of anything that looks like a lurcher ...one of the park rangers by me has a pack of seven, they walk where we walk, all wearing hunting bells. They are nice dogs, but they completely freak her out, she just turns and runs off barking, tail between legs, no amount of trying to help her to change this response to groups of lurchers has worked for her...
     
  13. JulieT

    JulieT Registered Users

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    Re: dog bite

    So Charlie hasn't had any too bad experiences, yet - he has been pushed around a bit by bigger males, and usually legs it back to me and stands behind me with his head sticking out front between my knees when this happens.

    What should I do if he gets bitten/attacked? I know my instinctive reaction is to scream and cuddle him, of course, but if I have in my head an alternative better response, I might be able to moderate myself.
     
  14. David

    David Registered Users

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    Re: dog bite

    Hi Sarah. What an unpleasant experience. Not much you can do really either. Just lucky it was superficial. Dogs are experts at reading body language and normally they can avoid or diffuse a potential situation, but it won't work for an un-socialised dog like the one you met especially when the owner has no clue that one dog attacking another is not normal - and it isn't. I think that like any hunting animal they have developed strategies for avoiding conflict and injury to each other whenever possible for obvious reasons.

    My dog Lady is very timid and her strategy (which can be a bit of a pain) is to go flat and then roll over to shown complete submission when she meets new dogs and she's off the lead. Interestingly when she's on the lead she does not go flat but stands to face the other dog and she has been known to show aggression in this situation. I think it's because the lead removes the dog's ability to apply its plan A ie go flat and submissive, so all that remains is plan B ie be ready for action, so I'm always a bit circumspect when meeting an unknown dog and Lady is on the lead.

    Hope Caddie recovers quickly with no ill effects. :)
     
  15. hd

    hd Registered Users

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    Re: dog bite

    Thanks to all.

    Can't believe the number of dogs that have been attacked. quite extraordinary. HD has not been herself today so off to the vet .

    Thank goodness I went as it would have got much worse. she had a raised temperature, and an infected cheek with lots of puss in her mouth. She had a painkilling injection and has been put on a course of antibiotics for a week. Vet wants to see her again on Thursday.

    I'm going to be circa £100 lighter. My main regret is not getting that woman's contact details so I could shove this bill up somewhere this forum is too polite to discuss.

    I am angry. fuming actually as it's really upset my youngest daughter. she's been in tears tonight.

    sorry this isn't great news.
     
  16. drjs@5

    drjs@5 Registered Users

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    Re: dog bite

    Oh Sarah, thats not good news for you and HD :(
    I do hope he makes a speedy recovery.
    Vet treatment certainly puts a dent in your wallet. I guess if you weren't so stressed by it all you might have got a name, but by the sounds of it she wouldn't have made it easy for you.
    I don't suppose either the police, or even the National Trust if it was their property, would be interested?
    Bad enough that it was your poor dog, but what if it was one of the kids ?? (not that I am aiming at worrying you any more than you are already)
    Just hope HD is ok after all that.

    jac
     
  17. JulieT

    JulieT Registered Users

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    Re: dog bite

    So sorry to hear that! How distressing. I would be SO upset if it were my Charlie. Hugs from me, slobber from Charlie, for a speedy recover - for you all.
     
  18. Karen

    Karen Registered Users

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    Re: dog bite

    Yes, nothing worse than the irresponsible dog owner who won't take responsibility for the bad behaviour of their dog... Unfortunately, in my experience those are also the ones who won't even think of covering your vet bills... :mad:

    Do hope poor Honey is ok.
     
  19. Oberon

    Oberon Supporting Member Forum Supporter

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    Re: dog bite

    So sorry about poor HD :( The antibiotics will soon see her right. Infection is always the worry with a dog bite. When Obi saw the vet he was out on a course of antibiotics straight away as a preventative (now that I recall, he had an injection, tablets and a cream...).

    Also totally understand how mad you are. Your poor daughter :(

    If anyone is in this situation, get the name, phone number and address of the owner. Your council will need the address to serve any notice on the dog owner.
     
  20. Dexter

    Dexter Moderator Forum Supporter

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    Re: dog bite

    Oh no,oh no,missed this as I was travelling .....how dreadful of everybody concerned ........I hope she is ok and doesn't suffer long term with worry about other dogs.It makes me mad ( and a bit scared too :()owners out there not taking responsibility.How's your daughter .? Has she been out again with you since....this whole scenario makes me incensed ,if it happened to me I would have been a nervous wreck.best wishes x
     

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