medical peeps ~ Dog bite????

[Catrin]

First of all, I am calling my doctor tomorrow, I am just trying to figure out if I have a problem or not & I can't get it out of my head once someone else put it there. You know me, I would ignore a broken bone if I could to get out of going to the doctor The dog bite is a little different and I am worried about infection...

The dog bite doesn't look any better than when it happened last Saturday - but it doesn't look any worse. It is red, but that area hasn't expanded and there appears to be no swelling. It is also still quite bruised as well - I suspect there is a lot of flesh damage beneath the bite. There is also more drainage than there was, but I have been active and there isn't anything bad in the drainage - I won't get more specific than that. Indeed, it is when I am NOT active that it troubles me the most - I think cycling and walking keeps the blood moving and helps it to feel better. Of course I am not overdoing anything.

Shouldn't it look at least a little better a week on? The Augmentin I am taking (antibiotic) is almost out so obviously I need more...

[indysteel]

I'm not necessarily surprised that it doesn't look better in a week's time, but that's a totally uneducated statement on my part. Does it feel hot to the touch? Is the redness spreading from the original wounds? Did the doc give you either an oral or topical antibiotic?

[Catrin]

I'm not necessarily surprised that it doesn't look better in a week's time, but that's a totally uneducated statement on my part. Does it feel hot to the touch? Is the redness spreading from the original wounds? Did the doc give you either an oral or topical antibiotic?

Guess it just shows that I've never had to deal much with non-surgical wounds. The redness isn't spreading, but it does appear to be a little redder - but it has a right to be. ER doc gave me generic Augmentin which is for resistant infections and apparently treats multiple bugs - it is an oral medication. Also they did not stitch it, apparently they no longer stitch animal bites closed as that makes infection more likely. It doesn't seem to be any warmer than it has been. Guess I just need to be more patient - and to be thankful I can still ride!

Sure wish I could give the dog owner a large piece of my mind...

[Biciclista]

can you soak it in warm epsom salts?

[owlice]

Catrin, dog bites have a low infection rate -- about 14%, IIRC, and treated dog bites a 1% chance of requiring hospitalization. That you are already on an antibiotic probably reduces that 14%. (Cat bites, on the other hand, have up to 80% chance of infection, and treated cat bites a 6% chance of requiring hospitalization.)

That said, one should always be on the lookout for infection of any wound. I would be concerned about the drainage, though; I'm not a doctor nor do I play one online, but I suspect the wound shouldn't have anything to drain. I'm glad you're not seeing anything bad in the drainage, but still, I'd be wondering why it was draining at all.

Yes, call your doctor. Since the red area hasn't expanded and it doesn't (I'm assuming) feel hot to the touch, and there's nothing nasty in the drainage and (I'm assuming) you don't have a fever, waiting until tomorrow seems okay to me. I'd bet that after you call your doctor, you'll be making a visit, too, so you might as well plan on that now!

For comparison -- don't know whether it's a valid comparison, though -- my wounds from Sunday look MUCH different than they did even just three days ago, never mind a week ago: scabs starting to come off the scratch marks (not the bite marks, though) and all redness and swelling gone. I'll be taking antibiotic (Bactrim) for three more days. Still little feeling in my thumb, though, and the bitten area is still painful, though not as it was earlier.

Interestingly (and sadly), a woman in a different forum I post in was also attacked by a pit bull this past week, as was her dog. She picked up her dog and threw him over a hedge to get him away from the pit bull, and she and her dog are mostly okay. After reading about this, the thought occurred to me that you and she would make a truly fearsome team! I can see it now: Superwomen, Inc.!

[Catrin]

I just spoke with a friend of mine who is a nurse. She used to work in a prison where there were dogs and sometimes the prisoners would get bitten Needless to say, she has seen quite a few dog bites in her career.

She is wondering what is happening beneath the skin and mentioned a few words I didn't want to hear - but of course she hasn't seen it. She also wonders about the drainage - and in her opinion the ER doc should have given me Keflex rather than Augmentin. I don't know anything about all of that - but will call my dr first thing tomorrow morning.

Glad that your wound is healing, that is great news! My finger hurt in sympathy when I read your description on what happened!

[owlice]

Catrin, if you are allergic to any drugs, that can definitely influence the choice of antibiotic prescribed. I cannot take whatever the "gold standard" drug of choice for cat bites is because I have a sensitivity to penicillin, which the first choice drug contains. So I'm on an also-ran, which is okay by me since it seems to have done the trick! (For the record, the bite isn't on a finger, but on the back of my hand, with the biggest wound between my thumb and wrist, where the nerve that goes up the inside of my thumb is. He literally not only bit the hand that feeds him, he also literally hit a nerve. That's why I have a "loss of sensation" in my thumb.)

Have you felt the wounded area to see if it feels squishier than it usually feels? If you've got stuff draining, I'm a little surprised you don't have any swelling, but maybe it just isn't very obvious and you have a pool of .... something... under your skin that is very diffuse. (Isn't that a charming picture I've painted for you, of a diffuse pool under your skin? Ick. I'm sorry!!)

Good luck at the doctor's!

[Catrin]

I am unaware of penicillin sensitivity, which he oral med is based on. Your injury sounds about as fun as mine!

I poked around the wound site, gently, and found no squishiness. However when I touched the area outside of where it is red, it made my wound hurt for about 10 minutes... I hope it is healing from the inside out rather than the opposite, but we will see what my dr says.

[Selkie]

It took about six weeks for a bad dog bite I sustained to completely heal. The puncture wounds (teeth) healed much quicker but where the dog gnawed my leg took longer. Doctor would not renew my antibiotic script (had a seven day supply) and the wound stayed infection free, covered and treated with neosporin. YMMV.

[Catrin]

Thanks Selkie, that is helpful. There was even more drainage this morning where the puncture/gnaw wounds are and there appeared to be some white stuff - but that could have been from the Hibiclens that I use to clean it though I could be in denial about that. Hopefully dr can fit me in this morning.

[emily_in_nc]

Good luck, Catrin. I know you'll feel more comfortable getting an MD's opinion. So sorry this happened to you.

[Catrin]

He gave me a shot of antibiotics and will send me to a special wound clinic at my hospital if it isn't healed over in a week. I have to say that was the most painful shot I have ever had P

[Blueberry]

Ouch! Glad you went - but that's no fun

[Jolt]

She is wondering what is happening beneath the skin and mentioned a few words I didn't want to hear - but of course she hasn't seen it. She also wonders about the drainage - and in her opinion the ER doc should have given me Keflex rather than Augmentin. I don't know anything about all of that - but will call my dr first thing tomorrow morning.

That would be my concern as well (what is happening deeper down)--it seems like there should be at least some improvement after more than a week. As for the antibiotic, Augmentin is the drug of choice for animal bites (assuming no allergy to either of the components)--Keflex is used for other skin/wound infections but bites are different because there is a particular type of bacteria (Pasteurella) in animals' mouths.

[Jolt]

He gave me a shot of antibiotics and will send me to a special wound clinic at my hospital if it isn't healed over in a week. I have to say that was the most painful shot I have ever had P

OUCH to the antibiotic shot--they do hurt! I've only ever had one, but I still remember it--I was about four or five and was sick, couldn't keep down the oral medicine, so had to go to the doctor's office and get a penicillin shot in the derriere--not much fun for a little kid (or anyone else).