Many dog bites are puncture wounds. This means they are especially likely to become infected. With surface wounds, bleeding will naturally clean the wound, and it’s much easier for a person to clean it themselves. But with puncture wounds, some of the debris or bacteria can be pushed so deeply under the skin that it’s impossible to clean out effectively.
An infected dog bite can have much more serious ramifications, and people can become very sick. That’s why it’s so important to know what potential signs and symptoms to look for.
5 common signs
It’s certainly true that every injury is unique, and you should always seek medical care if you or a child has been bitten by a dog. That said, here are five common signs of infection that may show you the injury is more serious than you thought:
- You develop a fever as your body tries to fight the infection.
- Rather than feeling better over time, the wound becomes more painful and starts to feel warm to the touch.
- Along with this warmth may come significant swelling and redness, which can sometimes move away from the bite mark itself. These red streaks can move along below the skin.
- You see pus or other liquid coming from the wound on a consistent basis.
- It becomes difficult to move the body part that was injured, as it is painful and stiff.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is simply that the bite should be healing. If your condition seems to be getting worse instead, it is likely infected. You need to know how to get proper medical care and what legal steps to take to seek compensation from the dog’s owner.