Putting kids around animals they are not familiar with can be risky at times. Even family dogs that belong to someone else can be dangerous under the wrong circumstances. Your child may simply play with the dog, and the dog could take that action the wrong way and lash out.
What do you do when your kid is bitten by a dog? We will walk you through the immediate steps to take as well as the medical and legal follow up in this awful situation.
Get to Safety
The first step is to separate the dog from the child. Make sure that there is no chance that the dog can bite the child again. Once bitten, your child may cry out and scream, which could make the dog angrier or more distressed, leading to another attack. Separate the two and place the dog somewhere it cannot get loose from until the child has been completely removed from the property.
Clean the Wound
The next step is to clean up the injury site. It is very possible that the dog will have germs in its saliva that could cause an infection. Dogs are not known for being very clean, and they can carry all sorts of pathogens in their mouth, which are then transferred to kids as they bite them.
So, use running water and a mild soap to cleanse the affected area. This will wash away germs, kill pathogens, and prevent a lot of potential infections. If the bite punctured the skin, then there is a greater risk of infection. Be sure to wash the area for about five minutes to cleanse away as many of the germs as possible.
It is wise to check the dog’s vaccination records to see if their shots are up to date. If their vaccinations are not current, then the dog could easily spread some dangerous disease onto a human child. Knowing that information upfront can help yourself and any doctor involved to treat the bite more effectively.
Seek Medical Help
How do you know if your kid needs to see a doctor after they have been bitten? There are a few things that you can look for that will indicate that medical expertise is needed.
First of all, look for heavy injuries where there is lots of bleeding or deep puncture wounds. These kinds of injuries are serious and may need more than just a bandage and at-home treatment. In these cases, there may be underlying injury that is hard to see. There could also be an infection that may not be immediately apparent but needs to be treated with a course of antibiotics. A doctor will know which antibiotics to use and how to treat a serious infection.
Take Down Some Information
If your child has been attacked by a dog, then you may be eligible to receive compensation from the dog’s owners. Now, the owners could be friends or even family members, and you might not think that there will be any issue getting them to help you pay for medical expenses, but you could be surprised by how some people react in these sorts of situations.
It is for your own safety and peace of mind to take down the pertinent information about the attack and have that info for your files in the future. Write down the place that the attack happened, the name and breed of the dog, the time the attack happened, and the names and contact information for the owners.
All of this will help you to make the compensation process easier later on. The owners of the dog may give you some trouble when you try to get them to reimburse you for the medical bills or other expenses. If that happens, you will have all the information you need to pass on to your insurance company or to a lawyer.
You should also take pictures of the child’s wound. The wound may look different just hours later, and it could take weeks to process a claim for compensation. Having a picture of the injury right after it happened is very important to building a strong case that is likely to end in your favor.
Act Quickly
If there is any chance that medical help is needed for the child, then seek that help quickly and get a copy of the medical reports as well. The sooner you get help, the sooner a medical case can be established and the more helpful the doctor’s records will be in establishing the severity of the injury.
If you wait a few days to see how the child heals and if the injury becomes worse, then you may regret it. The injury could grow worse and need more intense treatment, and you may also miss your window to establish a strong case for compensation. It would be wise to contact an Edmonton lawyer as soon as possible after the attack in order to get the ball rolling on a legal defense. Our recommendation would be to do that as soon as you realize there is a need for medical attention.
Do not wait to handle the medical and legal aspects of the case, as you will need to gather facts quickly for the best possible legal defense and the most effective medical treatment. Your child may need to be seen by a doctor immediately following the attack, and you may have trouble being contemplated for the medical expenses if you don’t act quickly.
In most cases, the dog’s owners will be held legally responsible for covering all medical expenses if their animal bites your child. If your child antagonized the dog, then there will be less legal help for you, but generally speaking, the owner will have to pay for any reasonable medical expenses and legal fees that have been accrued. If they offer to pay for the medical bills upfront, then that can help them to avoid paying any legal expenses.
Marissa is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist turned stay-at-home mom who loves sharing her tips, tricks, and ideas for navigating motherhood. Her days are filled starting tickle wars and dance parties with three energetic toddlers and wondering how long she can leave the house a mess until her husband notices. When she doesn’t have her hands full of children, she enjoys a glass (or 3) of wine, reality tv, and country music. In addition to blogging about all things motherhood, she sells printables on Etsy and has another website, teachinglittles.com, for kid’s activity ideas.
