Maybe you’re at a neighbor’s house helping out with some chores or you’re just visiting with an acquaintance down the street when the unexpected happens: Their “friendly” dog suddenly goes on an unprovoked attack.
While the bite you get isn’t obviously life-threatening, you are worried about infection. Your friend or neighbor tells you, “Oh, don’t worry about it. A dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human mouth, anyhow.”
Is this true? Not hardly. Here’s what you need to know:
There are billions of bacteria in a dog’s mouth
There’s honestly no real comparison between a bite from a human and a bite from a dog. Both bites can carry germs that can lead to serious infections. Some of the most common bacterial infections transmitted through dog bites include:
- Salmonella
- E. Coli
- Capnocytophaga canimorsus
That’s just for starters. All of these can lead to systemic infections or sepsis, particularly in people who have pre-existing health conditions, like diabetes, or those who are immunocompromised, over 65 years of age or under five years of age.
When you’ve been injured by someone’s pet dog, it’s never easy to bring up the idea of compensation for your losses – but it may be necessary. Even a small bite can lead to medical complications like infection and scarring. Your medical bills can be tremendous. If you ended up missing work because of the problem, that may be an additional financial hit you can’t afford.
Find out what it takes to get fair compensation so that you don’t bear any unnecessary expenses through no fault of your own.
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