If your dog is attacked by another dog, you should take him to the veterinarian immediately, even if the injuries do not appear serious, as they can sometimes be worse than initially thought.
Dog attacks are rising In England, some areas saw an increase of up to 62 percent, figures show.
Freedom of Information requests to all police forces in England have been submitted by ITV News, with 23 forces responding. These forces recorded 11,373 dog attacks between July 2021 and June 2022. From July 2022 to June 2023, 13,940 attacks were reported.
But these attacks are not only dangerous for people, as dogs can also attack other animals. This week we reported on a dog owner who didn’t take her bulldog to the vet after it was seriously injured in a fight with another of her dogs dogs has been imprisoned.
Kevin Turner’s dog, Babe, was found by RSPCA Detectives were found to have a large open wound on the right side of the ear, neck and face where the skin was hanging when they arrived at the home. He was taken to court by the RSPCA and pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the bulldog by failing to seek veterinary advice, as well as failing to ensure the dog’s needs were met. On October 11, at North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court, he was jailed for 10 weeks and given a 10-year ban on keeping animals.
The main signs a dog gives before attacking are: growling, snarling, startling, baring its teeth, showing the whites of its eyes, licking its tip, and lunging. Dogs often get into disagreements, but if your pet is attacked, you should make sure to take him to the vet immediately.
According to the charity PDSA, it is important to have your dog examined because although sometimes the injuries do not appear serious, bites are often “much worse than they look” due to damage to the muscles and tissues beneath the skin and bacteria carried in the dog’s mouth. When you arrive at the veterinary clinic, you must inform the receptionist that your dog has been involved in an attack, explains Animal emergency service.
The veterinarian will then perform a physical examination of your dog and, if there is significant trauma, may need to begin life-saving interventions. They will provide relief from your dog’s pain along with antibiotics to prevent infection from bacteria entering the body through wound sites.
The website adds: “Surgical intervention is usually necessary so that the extent of injuries can be assessed, wounds debrided, decontaminated and closed if possible to ensure a good recovery of the animal. Sometimes repeat surgeries are necessary and sometimes drains are placed temporarily to help. decontaminate the wound and reduce “dead space” (space created by the animal’s jaw shaking the diapers). If the veterinarian is concerned about internal injuries, imaging such as x-rays and ultrasound may be performed.
There is also a risk of puncture wounds, which can extend into the abdomen and cause organ damage and internal bleeding. In this case, emergency abdominal surgery may be necessary. If your dog has been attacked, a veterinarian may also perform a blood test, and in cases of a serious bite, a blood transfusion may be necessary.
But if your dog attacks another dog, you need to make sure you stay calm, distract your pet, put it on a leash after the attack is over, and provide your contact information to the owner of the attacked pet. If a dog has bitten someone, attacked another dog, been attacked or shows signs of a possible attack, you must report the incident to the police on 101 or to your local dog warden.