Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Day 6 - Dog Bite



"Share something about your most serious injury"

Maybe I'd just consider myself lucky. I don't have any experience of being wheeled inside a hospital, or lying on a hospital bed. So far, the most serious injury I've had is a dog bite. My buddy Teddybear bit me last year.

It was a Wednesday. May 26, 2010. I was giving them both their breakfast. Of course, they have their own food bowl and I always feed Pokey outside. He's pretty messy when it comes to chowing down his meal. That fateful day, I forgot to lock the gate, so it's pretty reasonable to assume that Pokey, after finishing his own meal, sneaked inside the house and tried to eat Teddy's meal.

And the battle began. Growls. Snarls. Snapping sounds. It lasted for about 10 minutes, then Pokey went outside. I sat down on the floor and started to treat Teddy's wounds, but Pokey sneaked up again. Upon instinct, I guess.. Teddy turned around to bite Pokey. He bit my arm, instead.

I was in shock. I just stared at the wound for a good 3 minutes. Then I got up called for help. I'm not even sure if I've washed the wound. I just remember going to the emergency clinic to have my tetanus shots, have it cleaned and treated. Then from the clinic, I was told to go to the Animal Bite Center at Guimbal, Iloilo to have it checked by physician and to get my passive vaccine (ERIG). The bite was half an inch deep, and an inch long. Still, luckily for me, the bite didn't injure any vein.

I was feeling a lot of emotions that day. Fear? YES! My dogs had been regularly vaccinated with the anti-rabies shots, but little ol' me was being fearfully paranoid. Confusion? Maybe. I didn't know where to go or what to do. I've never been bitten by a dog before, and I was alone. Anger? For Teddy or Pokey? No. I didn't blame my dogs. They're just dogs being.. well, dogs. Serves me right for taking sides.

After a long day at the Animal Bite Center, I came home, somewhat relieved that I had my first vaccine shot. I went inside, Pokey welcomed me with his tongue sticking out on the side. I guess he was asking, "So, what's up, boss?". I just smiled. I searched for Teddybear. He was outside on a bench, looking glum. I called for him but he didn't respond. So Pokey and I went outside to "talk" to him.

Pokey licked Teddybear's nose. I guess they're friends again. I smiled and spoke gently to Teddy. "It's not your fault. It's okay. Definitely not your fault." I could swear I saw Teddy crying.

Of course, mom and dad weren't very forgiving. It took them a while before warming up to Teddy again.

This incident made me wonder about the rabies vaccinations that pet owners give their dogs. So my dogs are vaccinated every year. This is so, for the reason that the person or persons bitten by my dogs won't get any rabies. So that leaves the question... if the dogs are vaccinated, and if he accidentally bites a person and he'd go through a long process of treatment, what are the rabies vaccinations for dogs for? I was quite sure that people would not get rabies when bitten by a treated dog. But that day, I found out that this is not true.

Yeah, I know the obvious reason. Safety. Just being careful. Rabies vaccinations could really help in eliminating deaths on dogs and humans alike, from the dreadful viral infection.

That day at the Animal Bite Center, a lady of 30 was also bitten. We had about the same height and weight, same body structure, about the same age. She also had a bite wound on the arm, like mine. The only difference is that, she'd been bitten by a stray.


So why is it that we were given the same treatment? I asked the doctor, and she explained it to me in full detail - like I'm a dumb kid or something. I didn't take any offense. I could see that she's trying so hard to let me understand that it's just necessary to take the shots, just to be safe.

But what I'd really want to know is that... How the physicians treat dog bites from the vaccinated and non-vaccinated animals. That lady was bitten by a stray. I was bitten by my own dog, regularly vaccinated. And we got the same treatment. I didn't get it. I still don't.

Oh, well.


7 comments:

  1. aaayy... ang taray ni Ate Leah! :) Day 6 na oh. Hindi na ma reach ang level... :) Nice post ate! :)

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  2. syempre profit din yun sa doc :P bwahehehe

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  3. di pa ko nakagat ng aso ever. yay.

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  4. @Em-em: Hehe... Day 6 na. Yay!! Akala ko, hanggang Day 2 lang ako. hihi.. Thanks, Em. =)

    @Diamond R: Yep.. truly lucky. =)

    @Lakwatsero: Oo nga noh.. siguro profit rin yung iniisip ng ilan.. hay.. Kakasad naman. =(

    @Zyra: Yay! Hehe...

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  5. weee si pluto na to?hehehe

    aw i hope you're okay na. isang sign yun di ba kapag infected na yung feeling na nalulunod ka na sa pag-inom ng tubig or takot sa tubig?

    still i really really like dogs. :D

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  6. My dog medicine isn't very up to date, so I have no idea. But I guess a dog is a dog regardless of whether it has been domesticated or is stray. Maybe the doctors give an initial treatment which deals with the basic symptoms and if however there are more complications then further treatment may be given?
    I don't know :O.

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