Bites

[SLS61185]

If this is in the wrong spot, feel free to move it.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20090308/hl ... stinsummer


SUNDAY, March 8 (HealthDay News) -- Young children are at the greatest risk for dog bites in the summer and are especially vulnerable to severe bites in the head and neck areas, say researchers who analyzed 84 cases of dog bites in children.


It's not clear why children are more likely to suffer dog bite injuries in the summer, but it may be because children spend more time outdoors playing with dogs in warmer months, the researchers suggested. Or it may be that dogs are generally more irritable in hot weather.


The study found that 27 percent of dog bite injuries were caused by family pets. The most common sites of bites to the head and neck were the cheeks (34 percent), lips (21 percent), and nose and ears (both 8 percent). Sixty-four percent of the children suffered dog bite wounds in more than one location, and the average wound size was 7.15 centimeters. Pit bulls were the breed most commonly involved in attacks.


The findings were published in the March issue of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery.


In the United States, dog bites account for about 1 percent of all emergency room visits, including 44,000 cases per year of facial injuries.


Implementation of more accurate and timely reporting of dog bites to local health officials can help educate medical professionals on how to identify dog bite trends and develop prevention strategies, the study authors said.


They recommended a system for uniform data collection that includes all the circumstances of the dog bite: signs of provocation; adequacy of child supervision; breed and sex of dog; spay-neuter status; history of prior aggression; dog restraint; time of event; patient's previous history of dog bites; length of dog ownership; location where injury occurred; disposition of dog after the event; and dog's vaccination history.


The researchers also said families need to be made aware that the risk of dog bites increases during the summer.

[Malli]

today, a child was bitten by another client's dog IN our waiting room

The dog was a Chihuahua, the child asked to pet the dog, and the woman's response when the dog bit the child "he's never broken the skin before"

W T F ?






I was hoping the mother of the child would report the bite to AC, but no such luck I think.

And the owner? Her question for our vet in the exam room; she was concerned that the child may have germs from the the dog that they came in with, and would her dog have gotten those germs. The vet's response : that the dog the child came with was not contagious and that she (the vet) was more concerned about the child's bite wound.

seriously, WTF is wrong with people? Why would she let the dog be pet when it has bitten before? And WHY would she then EXCUSE it!

anywho....

[pitbullmamaliz]

Malli, that's unbelievable.

In the United States, dog bites account for about 1 percent of all emergency room visits, including 44,000 cases per year of facial injuries.

This is what gets me. One percent. One. Yet it's a "trend" and they have to figure out how to stop it. How about adequate supervision? But I'd rather we focus on the "trends" that bring in more children to the ER - child abuse? Bike injuries? Pool injuries? Allergies? I could keep going. It just really annoys me.

If you haven't read it before, I HIGHLY recommend "Dogs Bite, But Balloons and Slippers Are More Dangerous." It's not an exciting read because it's got a lot of statistics, but you'll just shake your head as you read it when you see how insignificant dog attacks are in the grand scheme of injuries.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw_0_ ... =dogs+bite