• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

If I report a dog bite...

JumpinJack

DP Veteran
Joined
Aug 19, 2013
Messages
6,628
Reaction score
2,971
Location
Dallas, TX
Gender
Female
Political Leaning
Independent
I'm staying in a rental temporarily while house hunting.

If I go to an ER Clinic for treatment for a dog bite, and tell them it was 2 small dogs (wearing collars & tags) I encountered on my walk in the neighborhood, when I tried to break up a fight, and I got bitten accidentally by one of the dogs (I put my arm in the pathway of a dog biting in the air), do you think they'll send someone out to investigate?

I don't want to start a big thing or get dogs in trouble. I just want to have one of the punctures looked at and maybe get antibiotics.
 
I'm staying in a rental temporarily while house hunting.

If I go to an ER Clinic for treatment for a dog bite, and tell them it was 2 small dogs (wearing collars & tags) I encountered on my walk in the neighborhood, when I tried to break up a fight, and I got bitten accidentally by one of the dogs (I put my arm in the pathway of a dog biting in the air), do you think they'll send someone out to investigate?

I don't want to start a big thing or get dogs in trouble. I just want to have one of the punctures looked at and maybe get antibiotics.

You'll need to know if the dogs have had rabies shots. The owner will have to produce evidence that the dogs have valid shots. You need to do this for your own protection. The police don't need to be involved unless the dog owner(s) are uncooperative.
 
I'm staying in a rental temporarily while house hunting.

If I go to an ER Clinic for treatment for a dog bite, and tell them it was 2 small dogs (wearing collars & tags) I encountered on my walk in the neighborhood, when I tried to break up a fight, and I got bitten accidentally by one of the dogs (I put my arm in the pathway of a dog biting in the air), do you think they'll send someone out to investigate?

I don't want to start a big thing or get dogs in trouble. I just want to have one of the punctures looked at and maybe get antibiotics.
yes I get that you want to protect the dogs....you can explain, but you have to go to the ER and if they can't find the dogs they will give you the rabies treatment at some point

it happened to my girlfriend...she had the treatment...not as bad as it used to be but very necessary

sorry you got bitten :(
 
I'm staying in a rental temporarily while house hunting.

If I go to an ER Clinic for treatment for a dog bite, and tell them it was 2 small dogs (wearing collars & tags) I encountered on my walk in the neighborhood, when I tried to break up a fight, and I got bitten accidentally by one of the dogs (I put my arm in the pathway of a dog biting in the air), do you think they'll send someone out to investigate?

I don't want to start a big thing or get dogs in trouble. I just want to have one of the punctures looked at and maybe get antibiotics.

You definitely need to go to the hospital, you need to tell them about the dogs, as humbolt said you'll need to find out if the dogs have had their rabies shots.

Otherwise, you may be able to forgo the dog thing, I'm not sure, but in that case you will need to go through rabies treatment procedure, which can be rather painful.
 
I'm staying in a rental temporarily while house hunting.

If I go to an ER Clinic for treatment for a dog bite, and tell them it was 2 small dogs (wearing collars & tags) I encountered on my walk in the neighborhood, when I tried to break up a fight, and I got bitten accidentally by one of the dogs (I put my arm in the pathway of a dog biting in the air), do you think they'll send someone out to investigate?

I don't want to start a big thing or get dogs in trouble. I just want to have one of the punctures looked at and maybe get antibiotics.

Tell them they don't have to worry about it, because you already put it down with your walking stick.
 
yes I get that you want to protect the dogs....you can explain, but you have to go to the ER and if they can't find the dogs they will give you the rabies treatment at some point

it happened to my girlfriend...she had the treatment...not as bad as it used to be but very necessary

sorry you got bitten :(

Okay....that was just the story I was going to give them. Actually it was MY dogs fighting over food area. In breaking it up, one of my dogs accidentally bit me several times as he was flailing in the air (my other dog was holding him by his ear, so he couldn't bite the other dog & just was biting in the air). It was my fault for getting in the way.

I don't want MY dogs to get in trouble. They're current on their shots. They're not mean dogs. This was a food fight, and the dogs weren't injured.

I'm afraid they'll take my dogs away or something. I guess it's not wise for me to involved imaginary other dogs, and possibly get other dogs in trouble for nothing.
 
You'll need to know if the dogs have had rabies shots. The owner will have to produce evidence that the dogs have valid shots. You need to do this for your own protection. The police don't need to be involved unless the dog owner(s) are uncooperative.

They're actually MY dogs. They are current on their shots. The dogs weren't injured. It was a food scuffle. I got injured breaking it up, when I got in the way.

I'm concerned with getting my dogs in trouble, because if animal control comes out to investigate, one of my dogs will growl & bark at him/her; she doesn't like strangers, esp. in her territory. So she won't make a good impression, although she's not big and is harmless. (It was the other dog that inadvertently bit me.)
 
Okay....that was just the story I was going to give them. Actually it was MY dogs fighting over food area. In breaking it up, one of my dogs accidentally bit me several times as he was flailing in the air (my other dog was holding him by his ear, so he couldn't bite the other dog & just was biting in the air). It was my fault for getting in the way.

I don't want MY dogs to get in trouble. They're current on their shots. They're not mean dogs. This was a food fight, and the dogs weren't injured.

I'm afraid they'll take my dogs away or something. I guess it's not wise for me to involved imaginary other dogs, and possibly get other dogs in trouble for nothing.

It probably won't be dealt with by police but the local animal control. They are very busy people and probably won't even say boo unless someone presses the report. You'd be best just to tell the truth to the medical personnel and that, plus the bill, will be the end of it.
 
It probably won't be dealt with by police but the local animal control. They are very busy people and probably won't even say boo unless someone presses the report. You'd be best just to tell the truth to the medical personnel and that, plus the bill, will be the end of it.

Thanks. That makes sense. If I start lying, well, you know what they say. Oh, what a tangled web. As Judge Judy says, "You don't have to have a good memory if you tell the truth."
 
The dog owner need to prove the dog has had its rabies vaccination.

If the owner can't do that, the dog needs to be quarantined at a vet clinic for 10 days. If after 10 days it shows no signs of rabies you are good to go.

If you can't track down the dog then you need to undergo rabies treatment.
 
I'm staying in a rental temporarily while house hunting.

If I go to an ER Clinic for treatment for a dog bite, and tell them it was 2 small dogs (wearing collars & tags) I encountered on my walk in the neighborhood, when I tried to break up a fight, and I got bitten accidentally by one of the dogs (I put my arm in the pathway of a dog biting in the air), do you think they'll send someone out to investigate?

I don't want to start a big thing or get dogs in trouble. I just want to have one of the punctures looked at and maybe get antibiotics.

As an aside to the legitimate medical concerns, which are being well addressed by others, I'd contribute that it's never good idea to get into the middle of a dog fight, even if one or both of those dogs are yours and especially so if these dogs are not familiar to you and they not with you.

Dog fights are most often settling the pecking order, dog politics if you will, and rarely cause any damage other than loss of tufts of fur. The most often effective action is to shout at them louder than the noise they are making, putting yourself in their minds as the larger yet dog not liking their 'political discussion'.
 
Okay....that was just the story I was going to give them. Actually it was MY dogs fighting over food area. In breaking it up, one of my dogs accidentally bit me several times as he was flailing in the air (my other dog was holding him by his ear, so he couldn't bite the other dog & just was biting in the air). It was my fault for getting in the way.

I don't want MY dogs to get in trouble. They're current on their shots. They're not mean dogs. This was a food fight, and the dogs weren't injured.

I'm afraid they'll take my dogs away or something. I guess it's not wise for me to involved imaginary other dogs, and possibly get other dogs in trouble for nothing.
okay I totally get it then, yes forget the story....go get the bite looked at

as long as you aren't ripped apart it should be fine...

my girlfriend got scratched to crap by her psychotic cat twice and they had to run antibiotic meds into her both times...they think she is nuts for keeping the cat but other than rolling their eyes nothing more was done
 
okay I totally get it then, yes forget the story....go get the bite looked at

as long as you aren't ripped apart it should be fine...

my girlfriend got scratched to crap by her psychotic cat twice and they had to run antibiotic meds into her both times...they think she is nuts for keeping the cat but other than rolling their eyes nothing more was done

Thanks. I will do that.
 
Thanks. I will do that.
Good luck JJ.

Since you're an adult, they're your dogs, and (I assume) it's the first contact of this sort for you at this specific care facility, I very highly doubt anything more would come of this than you receiving the proper treatment.
 
I'm staying in a rental temporarily while house hunting.

If I go to an ER Clinic for treatment for a dog bite, and tell them it was 2 small dogs (wearing collars & tags) I encountered on my walk in the neighborhood, when I tried to break up a fight, and I got bitten accidentally by one of the dogs (I put my arm in the pathway of a dog biting in the air), do you think they'll send someone out to investigate?

I don't want to start a big thing or get dogs in trouble. I just want to have one of the punctures looked at and maybe get antibiotics.

Yes, you should report it. No matter what the size of the dog is or the circumstances behind the bite, a dog in public and out of the owner's control is a problem. Next time, it may be a small child who gets bit in the face (I have a good friend with a very noticeable scar from a cocker spaniel bite as a child). You have a responsibility to your community to get this addressed and the dog's owners educated on their responsibilities.
 
As an aside to the legitimate medical concerns, which are being well addressed by others, I'd contribute that it's never good idea to get into the middle of a dog fight, even if one or both of those dogs are yours and especially so if these dogs are not familiar to you and they not with you.

Dog fights are most often settling the pecking order, dog politics if you will, and rarely cause any damage other than loss of tufts of fur. The most often effective action is to shout at them louder than the noise they are making, putting yourself in their minds as the larger yet dog not liking their 'political discussion'.
To the bolded:

Yes, but exceptions are not rare, and my dog has the scars and I have the vet bills to prove it!

However, at my dog park there's been a push for the technique described below to break-up a fight. I've seen it in action, and it appears to work effectively, but must be done by the dogs' individual owners - particularly the aggressor dog's owner.

It's pretty simple: Grab your dog from behind by it's hind legs, and pull 'em right out of the fracas! :thumbs:

When you pull them by their rear legs they immediately collapse in front due to their front paws getting fully extended! They totally freak, and cease whatever they're doing to try twist back to see what got them, thus allowing their prey or the other dog to get away.

The only danger is the dog may have an initial instinctive reaction to nip at whatever is pulling their hind legs, but usually they can't twist around enough to do that, at least initially, 'cuz they're trying to recover from the fall of the front of their bodies. And if you constantly pull them back by their hind legs reasonably quickly and at a high enough angle until you finally let-off, they can't twist back there the whole time because they can't push-off their dragging and collapsed front legs.

They tumble down in front initially (it's pretty funny), because they aren't expecting to be pull rearward and body mechanics like this never occur in their day-to-day activities! When I've seen this done, it looks pretty safe and harmless for the dogs, too.

It sounds odd & crazy, but I've seen it work!

Now getting them by their rear legs while they're battling isn't always the easiest task ...
 
I'm staying in a rental temporarily while house hunting.

If I go to an ER Clinic for treatment for a dog bite, and tell them it was 2 small dogs (wearing collars & tags) I encountered on my walk in the neighborhood, when I tried to break up a fight, and I got bitten accidentally by one of the dogs (I put my arm in the pathway of a dog biting in the air), do you think they'll send someone out to investigate?

I don't want to start a big thing or get dogs in trouble. I just want to have one of the punctures looked at and maybe get antibiotics.

Just my humble opinion, but your health is more important than any concerns over whether a person that owns a dog that bit you gets a visit from a government official to ensure the dog has had its shots.

My wife Yes Ma'am got bit by one of our own cats when it got its silly rump stuck under the washing machine and Yes Ma'am tried to pull it out. Her hand began to swell a little and the bite mark looked bad, so I took Yes Ma'am to a Doc-in-a-box clinic because it was on a Sunday afternoon and our family doctor wasn't open, and she wasn't going to sit in a ER waiting room. We had to fill out a form to give the government about the cat that did the biting. We had an animal control officer come to our house the next day, and checked that our cat had its shots, and they came back a little over a week later (don't remember exactly) to check and make sure the cat wasn't showing signs of rabies or something else - I made jokes that they wanted to make sure that Yes Ma'am hadn't given the cat cooties. Yes Ma'am got a shot (antibiotic specifically for animal bites) and a prescription for antibiotic pills.

Both Yes Ma'am and the cat survived. The washing machine, however, after witnessing the screams and fight between Yes Ma'am and the cat, will never be the same. It's sad, really... really sad.

Short answer - Go to the doctor.
 
Thanks to everyone who responded with your opinions. I did the right thing and reported the real story (my dogs, unintentional bites), and everything ended up fine.

The urgent care place I went to was nice and organized. Dr. and his assistant said they only have to report dog bites if they're serious, which he wouldn't consider mine to me. minor, which they would consider my injuries to be. Got a tetanus shot, wounds treated & dressed, oral antibiotics, and sent on my way!

Thanks so much! I was so worried someone would come take my dogs (which are not a danger to anyone...they're just spoiled medium sized dogs, always on a leash outside). With all the killing of children and other people in recent years by pits and other large dogs, people are pretty paranoid. As am I. I carry pepper spray when I walk my dogs, in case I run across a stray.
 
As an aside to the legitimate medical concerns, which are being well addressed by others, I'd contribute that it's never good idea to get into the middle of a dog fight, even if one or both of those dogs are yours and especially so if these dogs are not familiar to you and they not with you.

Dog fights are most often settling the pecking order, dog politics if you will, and rarely cause any damage other than loss of tufts of fur. The most often effective action is to shout at them louder than the noise they are making, putting yourself in their minds as the larger yet dog not liking their 'political discussion'.

That is correct. I wasn't thinking. But one dog is much stronger, though they're about the same size, so I was afraid she'd hurt the cocker spaniel. Next time, I can grab her by the loose skin on her neck and tell her to "drop it" (the cocker spaniel's ear). She's trained to drop. Which is finally what stopped it.
 
Thanks to everyone who responded with your opinions. I did the right thing and reported the real story (my dogs, unintentional bites), and everything ended up fine.

The urgent care place I went to was nice and organized. Dr. and his assistant said they only have to report dog bites if they're serious, which he wouldn't consider mine to me. minor, which they would consider my injuries to be. Got a tetanus shot, wounds treated & dressed, oral antibiotics, and sent on my way!

Thanks so much! I was so worried someone would come take my dogs (which are not a danger to anyone...they're just spoiled medium sized dogs, always on a leash outside). With all the killing of children and other people in recent years by pits and other large dogs, people are pretty paranoid. As am I. I carry pepper spray when I walk my dogs, in case I run across a stray.
I am happy for you and the pooches

and all's well that ends well
 
They're actually MY dogs. They are current on their shots. The dogs weren't injured. It was a food scuffle. I got injured breaking it up, when I got in the way.

I'm concerned with getting my dogs in trouble, because if animal control comes out to investigate, one of my dogs will growl & bark at him/her; she doesn't like strangers, esp. in her territory. So she won't make a good impression, although she's not big and is harmless. (It was the other dog that inadvertently bit me.)

Well then, I wouldn't worry about it. Just go get the bite treated, and call it a day.
 
To the bolded:

Yes, but exceptions are not rare, and my dog has the scars and I have the vet bills to prove it!

However, at my dog park there's been a push for the technique described below to break-up a fight. I've seen it in action, and it appears to work effectively, but must be done by the dogs' individual owners - particularly the aggressor dog's owner.

It's pretty simple: Grab your dog from behind by it's hind legs, and pull 'em right out of the fracas! :thumbs:

When you pull them by their rear legs they immediately collapse in front due to their front paws getting fully extended! They totally freak, and cease whatever they're doing to try twist back to see what got them, thus allowing their prey or the other dog to get away.

The only danger is the dog may have an initial instinctive reaction to nip at whatever is pulling their hind legs, but usually they can't twist around enough to do that, at least initially, 'cuz they're trying to recover from the fall of the front of their bodies. And if you constantly pull them back by their hind legs reasonably quickly and at a high enough angle until you finally let-off, they can't twist back there the whole time because they can't push-off their dragging and collapsed front legs.

They tumble down in front initially (it's pretty funny), because they aren't expecting to be pull rearward and body mechanics like this never occur in their day-to-day activities! When I've seen this done, it looks pretty safe and harmless for the dogs, too.

It sounds odd & crazy, but I've seen it work!

Now getting them by their rear legs while they're battling isn't always the easiest task ...

Hey, another good idea. Pull the dog out using the back legs. Hadn't seen that technique used before.

I wonder through, putting one dog as such a disadvantage might be the an opportunity for the other one to cause injury.
 
Back
Top Bottom