I’d gone for a walk as I often do. And I passed a dog I often pass.
In the past, the dog has barked but has usually been chained up in the yard. Even when the dog was loose, it never seemed threatening, it would run up, smell me out, and leave. This time, the dog was on the chain, but either it was longer than usual or was loose at the other end. There is no sidewalk where I was, just a narrow shoulder, a little ditch, then the yard – but the dog was able to jump the ditch (even I could) and get my leg.
I didn’t really feel the bite, and the dog didn’t attack, just nipped and went back to its owners. Maybe a couple dozen steps later my leg felt wet. Eww.
From there, I called my mom to come pick me up, then did a casual “maybe I should go to the ER…?” She agreed. It was a peculiarly busy Thursday evening. Checked in around 9pm. A deputy met me in the waiting area, took a report. I was terrible at describing the dog (medium sized… yellow… not a lab or pit…), and couldn’t describe the house either – but the deputy is pretty sure he knows the dog. I guess there’s some history.
I got to triage at maybe 10:30. Around 11pm I got into a room, and waited.
https://twitter.com/trepmal/status/492570983086051328
At some point, a nurse came in to give me a tetanus shot. I waited at least another 2.5 hours (ish) before I finally saw a doctor. Apparently there was only one on shift. Then at 2:20
https://twitter.com/trepmal/status/492600306983632897
In the end, they gave me 2 stitches and prescribed some antibiotics. No painkillers, but it surprisingly doesn’t really hurt.
Pictures here, password is cujo: https://trepmal.com/2014/07/25/dog-bite-pictures/
Though this is a year old now, I certainly hope you got the owner of that dog to pay for all the services done to you by the doctor, the doctor’s bill.
My dog once got attacked by a viscous husky off the leash and when the owner was nowhere to be found and the husky starting to bite my dog’s throat I got in between the fight and grabbed the husky while my dog managed to escape. I held the husky’s mouth shut with one hand and had him pressed firm to my chest with my other hand/arm so he could not move or touch the ground. At the time I was so pumped with adrenaline that I did not even notice what had happened to my hand.
When the owner approached I set his husky free again and the owner started whipping the poor husky with a cut of hosepipe and the husky started to cry and “yaoul” miserably. Then I also realised I had been bitten in my hand, one finger was cut to the bone about an inch long cut, blood everywhere.
Despite the fact I saved my dog and clearly saw the owner of the husky had NO CLUE WHATSOEVER how to treat such a precious animal I made sure to get his address and name and he paid the doctor’s bill without a word.
Also got a jab and antibiotics and anyone ever getting bitten by a dog no matter how mild it is should definitely do the same since there are many million more bacteria in a dog’s mouth than in a human mouth and those bacteria can have very bad effects on a human, so better to be safe than sorry and of course make the owner pay the doctor’s bill.
I should have really gone to animal rescue or the police and report this animal cruelty. Imagine the pain of getting hit by a hosepipe that molds perfectly on any part of your body!
My dog showed up hours later with a “smile” on his “face” and all was cool, though my finger was messed for a little longer, nothing to worry I can type fine and now the scar cannot be seen any more.