Gravel and dog bite

[Catrin]

Took my first gravel road on the mountain goat this morning and it was awesome - until the end. The Jamis climbs like her namesake - especially with the 11-36 cassette!

Sadly I was bittenby a pit bull while I was riding. I did NOT stop and he kept chewing on my leg!!!! Thankfully it is all flesh wounds and no muscle. In ER getting it checked out. They are just updating my tetanus shot and cleaning it.

[Roadtrip]

Wow. Luckily tis just a flesh wound! Sorry you were bitten. That really stinks... Did the owner even know what happened???

Shannon

[Blueberry]

Did you get rabies information on the dog? That's what would scare me. That really blows:(

[Artista]

Oh, Catrin! That really s*cks! It's a wonder that you weren't more seriously injured considering the size & power of that dog. You probably saved yourself from additional injury by not stopping. Smart thinking, (& balance!), in a potential crisis situation.

I hope you're planning on reporting this to the authorities. The dog's owners need education on controlling an aggressive pet so that the dog never has an opportunity to attack you or anyone else again.

[Catrin]

Sadly there are multiple wounds, she got me in 3 different places. I was too terrified to stop because if she was doing all that while I was pedaling - what would she do if I stopped! Maybe she would stop but maybe not!

The owner was right there shout no while I was screaming...I did report all of this to the local police and the officer was going to see if he could find the dog and owner. I learned that right before this happened, this same dog went after another dog that someone else was walking on a leash and apparently the owner of the pit bull mix did nothing to try and stop it.

That dog has no business being off of a leash! ER doctor didn't suggest a rabies vaccine for me, thouh a staff member did.

See, I DO go to the doctor :)

[makbike]

Catrin,

Dog needs to be quarantined for the next 10 days. You might want to contact the dog warden in your area or the health department.

[Catrin]

Catrin,

Dog needs to be quarantined for the next 10 days. You might want to contact the dog warden in your area or the health department.

Sadly I've no idea where the dog or owner lives. I did fill out a police report. The officer was going to look around the area. That is a small town so he has time to look. The location was a county gravel road and both I and the officer think he lives in the area. I agree the dog needs quarantined, but I am very glad I didn't stop.

Also glad, and surprised, that I didn't crash!

[redrhodie]

(((catrin!))) That is so awful! Are you okay? You must be shaken up.

I'm glad you could outrun it! Good thing you've been riding so much. Says a lot for your progress. You're not a newbie anymore. ;)

[makbike]

If you can't locate the dog you really need to talk to your physician on Monday regarding rabies (not meant to scare you) and what you need to do to protect yourself from the possible transmission of the virus. Best scenario is they find the dog and quarantine it for 10 days to confirm it is not a carrier of the virus.

[indysteel]

Oh my gosh, Catrin. Getting attacked by a dog while riding is one of my bigger fears. I'm glad you're relatively okay. I'm impressed that you didn't crash! Take Makbike's advice. I can't believe somebody would have a dog like that out without a leash. Irresponsible dog owner!

[OakLeaf]

Oh, man. :( So glad you were able to get away! Hope they find the dog/owner and verify that it's had its shots. And make sure that nothing like that happens again. :mad:

I'm pretty sure the ER has to report a dog bite. They do in Ohio.

Last time I was bit by a dog while riding, it didn't even break the skin, but left a deep hematoma in my calf muscle that took months to clear. Take care of those wounds. :(

[tulip]

(((catrin!)))

I hope they find that dog (and owner!) and that you feel better pronto. Wow, you didn't go down, I am so impressed. You are now a bicycle rock star!

[Aggie_Ama]

Not to scare you as well but since they haven't located the dog I would get the rabies vaccine. In Texas it is common practice if the dog is not known to be vaccinated and not located to get the vaccine. Unfortunately I have seen from my vet friends it is unpleasant round of shots but the rabies virus is not one you can survive. In my area if they bite twice they are euthanized, it stinks but the owners obviously are not taking care of their responsibility and the dog is danger to to everyone.

[PamNY]

Wow Catrin hope you heal fast and they find the dog (and the owner). I'm impressed that you could keep riding.

[Tri Girl]

HOLY MOLY!!!:eek:
I can't imagine how bad it could have been if you'd fallen and that dog got on top of you. eeesh- horrid dog owner. I'm so sorry you were bitten. :( I hope you feel better soon and that it all heals up nicely.
I hope they can find the dog, too. Better to be safe than sorry with the rabies.

[Artista]

I learned that right before this happened, this same dog went after another dog that someone else was walking on a leash and apparently the owner of the pit bull mix did nothing to try and stop it.

This dog already attacked earlier in the day & the owner didn't get it under control!!!??? The dog should be educated & the owner put down.

[spokewench]

Yikes, Catrin. Glad you got away with only bites and not something worse.

Sorry, it ruined your good ride too.

I'm with the others here; if they don't find the dog, you should probably do the vaccine

[Catrin]

I will call my doctor Monday about this. I just did some searching for info on modern vaccine and at least it isn't injected in the stomach these days. I read about it a little more, on what rabies does to humans...

[bmccasland]

:eek: Catrin! Hope you get to feeling better.

And I hope the local police officer finds the dog. The owner needs some re-education. :mad:

[AnnieBikes]

Catrin, So sorry that this happened to you. I agree with the others about getting vaccinated if you can't find the dog. If you were in a rural area, no telling what the dog has been in contact with. Much better safe than wondering. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

[Aggie_Ama]

My father-in-law said it was not the stomach injections anymore, that is good he was right. My friend Johnny had them before vet school and it is the only time I have seen a human look green, plus he bruised bad. Sorry your maiden voyage went south, sounds like it was going great before that!

[Catrin]

I found myself leery about stopping in the actual gravel - when I did stop I found clear dirt in which to stop. I wasn't especially good about holding my line, but the depth of the gravel varied greatly.

There was a VERY steep paved hill with sharp curves that climbed out of the little valley to the street above. Not only did my mountain goat climb it, I barely shifted the small gears and not the front at all - and my quads were NOT burning! My other bikes would probably be unable to make that climb in any gear!

I will need to find some other place to ride though...it was just a place to start breaking her in...

[Biciclista]

Catrin, you are amazing!! I am proud of you for getting away from that dog. I hope you are not seriously injured and I REALLY hope that animal is PTS...

[Catrin]

Catrin, you are amazing!! I am proud of you for getting away from that dog. I hope you are not seriously injured and I REALLY hope that animal is PTS...

Thank you, and everyone, for your kind words. I understand I should have stopped and put my bike between me and the dog, but I am actually glad I didn't think about that. Considering it was my first time on gravel I think I would have probably fallen.

It doesn't feel too bad today, while I did pick up the pain pills they prescribed am trying not to take them. I hate taking narcotics, they make me feel terrible.

I think this is also a reminder to get a first aid kit in my Camelbak, for anything can happen!

[Crankin]

Geez, Catrin, I'm away for a few hours and I read this!
Good job on the mtb handling skills. I would have fallen on my azz.
Scary stuff with the dog. Get the rabies thing straightened out with your own doctor.
I detest owners who do not leash their dogs. I have had enough trouble with people in my neighborhood who don't leash their dogs while walking, when I have been riding 20+mph down my hill. I can't imagine being on a gravel trail.
Keep us posted.

[hebe]

Oh my word, how brave were you? And how irresponsible was that dog-owner? I wish you a full and fast recovery. If it was me I'd be taking the pain-killers, could you maybe take something of a lower strength if you'd prefer not to take the prescribed ones?

Pit bulls come under the Dangerous Dogs Act here, which means they have to be kept muzzled and on a lead when in public. I honestly hope that they will track down the owner, as the next time the dog attacks the person may not have the benefit of a bike and clear presence of mind to get away.

I'm so sorry that it had to happen on your first gravel ride, and so sorry that it had to happen at all.

[Grog]

Wow, I just read your first post on this and it's so matter-of-fact, and starting with the happy part (how well your bike climbs), I almost couldn't believe what came next!!

It's really maddening that this irresponsible person has totally ruined your ride. I hope you heal well (I also encourage you to get the rabies vaccine, sadly...) and that your next million rides on the mountain goat are great!

[ehirsch83]

Wow, So scary!!! Get better soon and I hope they find the dog and the owner and that the owner has some consequences for allowing that to occur.

[Catrin]

I don't think we will find the dog and I will contact my dr first thing tomorrow morning. As far as the pain meds are concerned, I have a fresh growler of some fantastic Porter from a local microbrewery and I intend on drinking some of it today - narcotics and beer doesn't mix soooooooooooo :rolleyes: the pain isn't getting worse though, and is probably less than they expected. Then again, I AM the woman who ignored a pulled hamstring for a solid month!

[malkin]

This dog already attacked earlier in the day & the owner didn't get it under control!!!??? The dog should be educated & the owner put down.

Good one!

Take care Catrin!

[laura*]

I don't think we will find the dog

Perhaps you need to drive to that neighborhood and go door to door. With a dog like that, someone else has been bothered by it and might have a clue about where it lives.

The police officer probably just drove through and doesn't have enough time to fully canvas the area.

[Artista]

Perhaps you need to drive to that neighborhood and go door to door. With a dog like that, someone else has been bothered by it and might have a clue about where it lives.

The police officer probably just drove through and doesn't have enough time to fully canvas the area.
Keep mace & a club handy if you decide to do this. Chances are the dog is still out & about.

[tangentgirl]

As far as the pain meds are concerned, I have a fresh growler of some fantastic Porter from a local microbrewery and I intend on drinking some of it today...!

Woohoo! I love how optimistic you are about this whole thing!

Hope you feel better soon. Don't scare yourself reading about rabies, it's bad, reading horror stories on the interweb won't help. Just take care of it, get the shots if you have to. :(

Enjoy the porter, tho, that sounds delicious!

[azfiddle]

Sorry to hear about this.

How about plastering the neighborhood with flyers? Maybe other people in that neighborhood who have had a confrontation with the dog will come forward and id the owner.

[Catrin]

These are all good ideas! I have had too much Porter to implement them this evening however :cool: It actually doesn't take much for me to not drive - about 1.5 glasses of beer is enough. VERY good Porter though!

I intend on being at the door of my doctor's office tomorrow morning when they open to set an appointment. It is a very small office and it takes them quite some time to have a free line, so this is quicker than calling - though I will still call and leave a message.

Depending on what he and the health department think, I may well start canvassing the neighborhood tomorrow and take one more day off work :cool: I doubt they will argue with me about this.

[goride]

I am so sorry to hear of your experience with the unruly dog and irresponsible owner. What great presence of mind you had under the circumstances. That is impressive. I hope you will have a speedy recovery.

[PamNY]

Depending on what he and the health department think, I may well start canvassing the neighborhood tomorrow and take one more day off work :cool: I doubt they will argue with me about this.

That sounds like a good idea. Flyers are an intriguing suggestion, too. If the dog is that bad someone must know about him/her.

Good luck!

[owlice]

WOW!!! Catrin, you are AWESOME!!! I think you did exactly the right thing in continuing to ride. Stopping for a dog that is already biting you does not sound like a good idea. (For a dog that is not yet chewing on you, the bike-between-you-and-the-dog thing .. sure, I can see that.)

And wow, great riding under really bad circumstances!!! I am very impressed!!

(No one, but no one, messes with Catrin on her bike!! Heh... maybe we need shirts with that on it!!)

I hope you heal quickly and find the dog, too. And I hope the owners are fined. They should be paying your medical bills, too; their homeowner's insurance may cover it, but even if not, they are responsible.

...on gravel with a pit chewin' on you... very very impressive! But no repeats, please!

[WindingRoad]

Catrin I am really glad you are okay after that. It was good to see you out and about and taking things in stride. I'm with everyone else on this, you are an amazing rider to be able to ride 'with dog attached' :) Take care of yourself girl and hope to see you when I get back :D

[Catrin]

Catrin I am really glad you are okay after that. It was good to see you out and about and taking things in stride. I'm with everyone else on this, you are an amazing rider to be able to ride 'with dog attached' :) Take care of yourself girl and hope to see you when I get back :D

Awwww shucks, it was just a new take on "resistance training" :)

Seriously, it was good to see you yesterday after all of that! I really enjoyed the microbrewery as well, though I probably shouldn't have brought the growler home.... Great Porter though! Thankfully I CAN have beer with the antibiotics they gave me, I asked the pharmacist!

[channlluv]

Holy moly.

What an amazing story. We should have a sticky thread with dog attack and crash stories. This is an amazing story!

I hope your wounds heal quickly and that they do find that dog and owner and force that person to take some responsibility.

I wonder if you could change your screen name to Catrin the Brave.

:)

Roxy

[indysteel]

This week is National Dog Bike Prevention Week. How timely!

http://www.avma.org/public_health/dogbite/

Catrin, I hope your doc was able to guide you in the right direction regarding the rabies vaccine. Otherwise, I'd suggest contacting the State Health Department or the CDC.

[Catrin]

My doctor recommended against the shots, and that ER doctor didn't think they were necessary either since it wasn't a stray. The wounds are already closed and are looking pretty good, all things considered. I am surprised there isn't any bruising, and indeed there wasn't much bleeding - which was quite a surprise to me given the size and number of wounds. My doctor did check with others on this, so I am pretty comfortable with the decision. Perhaps it is just being thankful that I won't have to endure the shots....

[emily_in_nc]

This week is National Dog Bike Prevention Week. How timely!

Why would anyone would want to prevent dogs from biking? I thought we supported all types of cyclists here?! :D :p :rolleyes:

[indysteel]

Why would anyone would want to prevent dogs from biking? I thought we supported all types of cyclists here?! :D :p :rolleyes:

What a funny typo. I meant "bite" of course!!!

[Melalvai]

What an exciting ride! You have such a great story to tell.
At least that is one way to look at it. :)

[emily_in_nc]

What a funny typo. I meant "bite" of course!!!

And of course I knew that, but I also know that we always have bikes on our minds here, and this is a perfect example! :D

[Catrin]

What an exciting ride! You have such a great story to tell.
At least that is one way to look at it. :)

Hey, there has to be a positive thing somewhere :) creative story-telling without fibbing is a good thing ;)

[Bike Writer]

I just came across this thread. WOW. I give you a ton of credit for keeping your cool and continuing to ride in uneven terrain (lose gravel) with a dog hanging on to you. You are the WOMAN.

I don't know that I'd be able to keep my cool that way without freaking out. Scares me just reading about it. I know you're a female but you got a pair of steel ones sister.

Yikes :eek:

[TrekTheKaty]

Catrin, glad you're ok!

I got nipped for the first time last summer--left a bruise. I've been around dogs my whole life and never been afraid. My husband and I both flinch when we see dogs now. I hate it. I understand how you kept going. My intent was TO GET OUT OF THERE! Two more dogs had gone home after I yelled "No, no bad dog. Go home." (I'm pretty sure I learned that from here. We should find that thread for the newbies.) They were also known quantities--it was a new route for us and there was a note on the mapmyride route.

Is there a local bike forum that regulars on this route would check? I was going to contact the local bike shop that rides that route but I ending up having no side effects. (However, my niece is a cop in that town :D ) Sorry, I'm rambling.

[Catrin]

One of the scratches is just itching something terrible! I've always heard this is a good thing... This is one of the places where his teeth couldn't get a good grip - am wondering what the full bite is going to feel like when it starts to heal :eek: I've been keeping everything covered with huge bandanas and Neosporin like I was told... See I DO listen to doctors...