Not all dogs play nicely with others. Sometimes they can lash out at people and other dogs. Since we can’t get inside the mind of a dog, we never really know what may set them off.
As a dog owner, it can be very unsettling when your dog is bitten or attacked by another dog for seemingly no reason. It could happen at the dog park or even just when you are out for a walk. It may not be something that happens often, but it is an occurrence you do need to have planned for.
When your dog is bitten it’s important to know what to do immediately. In this article, we will go over the steps to take when your dog is bitten by another dog.
Get the dog owner’s information
Just like in a car accident, you need to know who to contact afterwards if there is serious injury or some other problem. Ask the owner for their contact information such as a name, phone number and address.
Not only could there be injuries that don’t seem like much at first, but you will need to contact them to ask about any vaccines the dog has had or if it may have rabies. It may cause some friction as the owner may immediately assume that you plan to get a dog bite lawyer like Lamber Goodnow injury lawyers so you can sue. Though that may be necessary at some point, the reason to get their information is strictly for following up at least in the beginning.
There are a lot of circumstances that are going to determine how seriously this needs to be taken. Depending on where and how it happened, you may need to get animal control involved and they will need to know who to talk to about the incident. If the bite is serious then there will be vet bills that need to be paid. The other owner will likely be the one that needs to pay them or at least reimburse you for the visit.
Assess the injuries
Many times when a dog bites another it works as a sort of warning shot. They aren’t trying to hurt the other dog, but to let them know that they don’t like something and to back off. The problem is that dog bites can be very powerful and an injury happens anyway. Take a few moments to assess the injury and get an idea if it is a simple snap that didn’t do any damage or if it is more serious.
If blood is drawn then you likely need to see a vet to make sure that it isn’t serious. Most of the time it’s something you can deal with yourself at home, but if you don’t know if the other dog is vaccinated or lashed out because of something like rabies it is a good idea to head to a vet to take a look.
If there was a serious brawl then this is going to require a more detailed investigation into the injuries.
