Animal Health & Diseases : University of Guelph : Ontario Veterinary College : Zoonotic Diseases : Guelph, Hamilton, Ontario

A recent report by the Insurance Information Institute stated that 1/3 of US homeowner insurance liability claims that were paid in 2007 were due to dog bites. This represented a cost of over $356 million! The average cost per claim was an astounding $24 511.

This is just one more piece of evidence indicating the importance of dog bite prevention. The $356 million cost is just insurance claims. Not all bites are associated with insurance claims but can still be associated with financial costs, in addition to the obvious pain and emotional costs. There were ~14 500 insurance claims in 2007,  but it is estimated that 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs in the US each year, with 800 000 people requiring medical care.

In the US, dog owners are liable for injuries caused by their pets in the following circumstances:

• if the owner knew the dog had a tendency to bite
• if a state statute makes the owner liable, whether or not the owner knew the dog had a tendency to bite
• if the injury was caused by carelessness on the part of the owner

It is important that everyone, pet owners and non-pet owners alike, know how to reduce the risk of being bitten by a dog. More information on bites can be found in the bites archives or in the dog information sheets in the Resources section.

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It's National Dog Bite Prevention Week in the US.  This is a  good time for dog owners, parents and the general public to think about ways to avoid bites from dogs and other animals. Dog bites are very common; many cause only minor injury, but some can even be fatal. It is estimated that 4.7 million people in the US are bitten by dogs each year, and that 800 000 of these people require medical attention for their dog bites, and that 10-34 people die as a result of their wounds.  In the majority of cases, people are bitten by a dog they know, either their own or a neighbour's dog, but strays and other dogs may also bite. Not owning a dog, therefore, does not make someone immune to the risks. Someone who does not know how to interact with a dog could be at higher risk of being bitten when they do encounter a dog. It is very important that children be taught when they should not and when they may approach a dog, and how to safely interact with a dog to reduce the risk of being bitten. It is also critical for people to know what to do if they are bitten.

Some key points to teach children:

• Never approach a strange dog
• Be careful and quite when approaching a dog - never make sudden movements or loud noises
• Do not play with a dog without adult permission and supervision
• Never disturb a dog that is eating, sleeping or taking care of puppies
• Never take something out of the mouth of a dog
• Avoid direct eye contact with strange or aggressive dogs
• "Be a tree": If confronted by a strange or aggressive dog, remain still and quiet
• If knocked over by a dog, curl into a ball and remain still
• Tell any adult about any bite. Try to remember as many details as possible about a dog that bites so that the owner can be found and the rabies vaccination status of the dog verified
  

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Sometimes when you fall and scrape your knee, or cut your hand, your favourite furry friend, in an act of unhindered devotion, will do to you what they would do to their own cuts and scrapes – they will try to lick it clean. The story that is often cited is the one about dogs and cats having enzymes in their saliva that help clean the wound. While it can’t be denied that there are various enzymes in the slobber, when you consider what else is in your little friend’s mouth, you’d be better to pass on their touching offer to help you clean up your cuts.

First of all, think about where that mouth has been, and what’s been in it! Does your cat hunt mice and birds around your house? Does your dog have a habit of eating unidentifiable bits of garbage or poop when out on walks? Or maybe your dog, like so many, enjoys a snack from the cat’s litter box every once in a while. You probably want to keep things like garbage and poop out of your cuts, and if your pet’s mouth has been there, it shouldn’t be near your wounds either.

Even dogs and cats that don’t have any distasteful eating habits have millions of bacteria of many different kinds in their mouths. Most of the time the bacteria don’t cause a problem, and the “good” bacteria help to keep the “bad” bacteria in check. But if the “bad” bacteria are put somewhere the body’s defense systems have already been breached – like an area of broken skin – those same bacteria suddenly have a prime opportunity to move in and start multiplying in their new home. Some bacteria like Pasteurella multocida can cause very serious infections in situations like this. This species of bacteria is one of the primary culprits in bite wound infections, which are especially common with cat bites.

So why do animals lick their wounds in nature? Well, “dirty” is in fact a relative term. An animal can use its tongue to get the worst of the dirt and debris out of a wound, and the wound will be cleaner. But compared to how clean you can make a cut by even just washing it with a lot of water and some soap, and maybe a little disinfectant, a lick from a cat or a dog is counterproductive to say the least. So the next time you have a boo-boo that Fifi or Fido wants to kiss better, say thanks, but no thanks.

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