All dog bites can lead to significant injuries and medical costs. But those that get infected can be much more serious. Infection can spread and necessitate significant medical treatment, and some severe infections can even be fatal.
But if you’ve been bitten by a dog, how do you know if your injury is healing or if it has become infected? What signs should you look for to indicate that it is time to seek medical attention?
Potential signs and symptoms
Dog bites often get infected when they are not cleaned out properly and debris becomes trapped in the wound. If this happens, some of the symptoms of infection may include:
- Stiffness and difficulty moving the body part that was bitten
- Increased pain in the days following the bite
- The onset of fever-like symptoms, such as a high temperature, chills or shakes
- Drainage from the wound, such as clear liquid or pus
- Swelling, tenderness and general redness around the bite wound, which may include red streaks moving away from it under the skin
- A sense of warmth when touching the infected area
Overall, just remember that most dog bites heal slowly, so the most serious symptoms will (typically) be right after the bite occurs. After that, things should slowly start getting better.
If your condition instead gets worse and some of these symptoms develop, that could be because there is an infection. At times like that, it’s important to seek medical attention, and you may also want to know how to seek financial compensation for your medical bills from the owner of the dog that bit you.