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A dog bite can cause these 4 serious infections

Dogs are excellent companions; they can offer comfort and ease your worries. They can also help you exercise and make you feel safe. But, unfortunately, even the most gentle and cutest dog can bite when provoked, frightened or overexcited.

Regardless of the dog’s size, a dog bite can result in serious physical injuries increasing the risk of infections. That said, it is crucial to understand the types of infection a dog bit can cause. These include:

Capnocytophaga

This is a rare and dangerous bacterial infection from a dog bite. The Capnocytophaga bacterium can result in severe complications like heart attack, kidney failure and gangrene. Symptoms of this infection usually appear between one to 14 days after the dog bite. Infected persons will then begin experiencing:

  • Headaches
  • Fever
  • Blistering around the bite site
  • Oozing from the wound
  • Diarrhea and vomiting
  • Inflammation around the wound

Rabies

This is a viral infection that victims can get through a bite from an infected dog. Rabies can be fatal if the victim doesn’t seek medical attention because the virus can spread to the spinal cord and brain and cause progressive and deadly inflammation. Symptoms of rabies include:

  • Hallucinations
  • Confusion
  • Insomnia
  • Anxiety
  • Partial paralysis
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Hyperactivity

Staph and Strep 

Dog bites can result in staph and strep infections. These are serious conditions caused by streptococcus and staphylococcus bacteria. Symptoms of this condition vary depending on the part of the body affected by the bacteria and can include:

  • Fever 
  • Joint swelling
  • Oozing blisters
  • Cellulitis
  • Pasteurellosis

This infection is caused by the Pasteurellosis multocida bacterium, which is more common than Capnocytophaga. Symptoms of this infection are usually mistaken for strep and staph infection symptoms. However, while cellulitis is a common symptom with the two infections, Pasteurellosis infection can result in abscesses and other skin conditions which can vary in severity. Other symptoms include difficulty breathing and inflammation around the wound.

A dog bite might be seen as less severe, but the site can get infected. Therefore, if a dog has bitten you, seek treatment and get legal guidance when pursuing the dog owner for damages.