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Got Bitten By A Dog? Here’s What You Need To Do

Sometimes the unthinkable happens. You were minding your own business, taking a nice stroll through the park and suddenly you’re on the ground, screaming for help as blood drips from your arm where a dog just bit you. What do you do now? The answer is simple: call 911 and then follow these steps to take care of yourself until medical assistance arrives!

Find a personal injury lawyer

Personal injury lawyers specialize in cases where someone was injured due to another person’s negligence. If you’ve been bitten by a dog, this means that the owner may be liable if they knew or should have known their pet had dangerous tendencies. The problem is that without any form of warning, it will be very difficult for an attorney to build your case. If the accident happened in Georgia, you should better seek a Georgia personal injury lawyer in order to cut your expenses. With their help, you’ll have a much better chance of obtaining compensation for your injuries and medical expenses so that you can focus on recovering while they handle all legal matters.

What to do after an animal bite?

The most important thing is not to panic! If possible, quickly clean off any saliva by washing with soap and water, or if it’s in a location where this isn’t easily done (such as the face), use gauze soaked in cold saline solution or plain sterile water which should be kept nearby at all times (just like people who hike through bear country always carry around bottles of water). The reason why we want to remove any traces of potentially dangerous bacteria from saliva is that research has shown that even if the wound is minor, the infection can set in within 24 hours of being bitten.

How to help keep an animal bite clean?

The first step you should take after a dog bite or any other type of animal attack happens is to call 911 if there’s serious bleeding. 

However, for smaller injuries without heavy blood loss that are in areas where applying pressure over them would be difficult (such as fingers), try using Quick Clot which helps stop bleeding rapidly by forming a natural clot over the injury so it stops right away. If possible, use some gauze and wrap this around your hand tightly before taping it securely into place with medical tape so that no air gets through but don’t worry about covering up the injured area beyond this since doing more than that is not necessary and could actually cause more harm than good at this point.

Apply an antibiotic ointment or cream to prevent infection

Once medical assistance arrives, they’ll be able to clean your wound with soap and water which is the most effective way of getting rid of dangerous bacteria. However, you can apply an antibiotic ointment or cream over it when they’re gone in order to prevent infection from setting in during the hours before it’s possible for the return if necessary (such as those living far away from emergency care centers). Neosporin is a very popular choice that has been used by millions since its introduction into market shelves but other brands such as Polysporin are also available.

Cover the wound with a sterile dressing, such as gauze or clean cloth

After you apply the antibiotic ointment or cream, cover your wound using a sterile gauze pad and then secure it in place with medical tape so that no air gets through. This should be done by someone who knows what they’re doing since if applied incorrectly, this can actually hurt rather than help while also covering up parts of the injury which could increase the risk for infection spreading to other areas such as your hand or fingers.

Call your local animal control to report the incident

You should also call your local animal control agency to report what happened since they need to know about the incident even if you don’t plan on filing a lawsuit against them right away. In most areas, this number is available online or by calling the police but it’s important that they’re aware of anything which has happened with an unknown dog just in case there are others who were a bit at around the same time and didn’t go into medical care immediately.

If you or a loved one has been bitten by an animal, it’s important to know what steps need to be taken afterward. Carefully read all of these steps above in order to remain safe when treating an animal bite whether it’s from a dog, cat, or any other type of mammal.

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