Two-Year-Old Requires Stitches After Dog Bite
According to the Ohio News-Herald, a 2-year-old infant required over 200 stitches after suffering a dog bite to the face. Ohio authorities stated the family dog attacked the boy without any deliberate provocation from the boy.
According to the report, the boy received the stitches yesterday afternoon and was released from a children’s hospital in Cleveland Ohio earlier this morning. At the time of the report, it was unknown what caused the dog to attack the boy.
When a dog bites, they can cause many injuries. However, dog bite-related injuries are not just simple abrasions: about 65% of dog bites are lacerations and puncture wounds. Often, facial lacerations and puncture wounds can lead to larger consequences. Since dogs tend to lock down with their jaw and pull or tear the skin, they tend to pierce through the skin and create deep puncture wounds that are not typically on the surface. However, puncture wounds do not usually cause bleeding; they can be very painful and dangerous. Puncture wounds are prone to bacterial infection and can carry the risk of rabies-related diseases.
Unfortunately, children are at an increased risk of attacks from dogs of any size because, in many cases, they are either unaware that they are provoking a dog or they do not know how to take care of them. This case demonstrates one of many instances when a child was attacked seemingly for no reason, which happens very often. Children may also be at risk for more serious injuries because they are unable to defend themselves against a dog attack like most adults might be able to.
For more information on dog bites and what to do if you or your child is bitten by a dog, visit the Solomon & Relihan Dog Bite website.
