How to Avoid Dog Bites -- It's National Dog Bite Prevention Week

Not surprisingly, dog-bite injuries in children (head and neck) peak in warmer weather. The family pet is to blame in 27% of cases, and pit bulls are most commonly involved.Dog bites are the third leading cause of emergency room visits for children, and the majority of those bites are from a dog known by the child. The ASPCA's Director of Anti-Cruelty Behavior Research Dr. Katherine Miller discusses How to Avoid Dog Bites in this WSJ video:Pay attention to the dog's body languagePut a safe amount of space between yourself and a dog if you see the following signals, that the dog is uncomfortable and might feel the need to bite:tensed bodystiff tailpulled back head and/or earsfurrowed broweyes rolled so the whites are visibleyawningflicking tongueintense starebacking awayWhat to do if you think a dog may attackResist the impulse to scream and run away.Remain motionless, hands at your sides, and avoid eye contact with the dog.Once the dog loses interest in you, slowly back away until he is out of sight.If the dog does attack, "feed" him your jacket, purse, bicycle, or anything that you can put between yourself and the dog.If you fall or are knocked to the ground, curl into a ball with your hands over your ears and remain motionless. Try not to scream or roll around.Here is a brief 3-minute summary from CNN with some practical tips how to prevent dog bites:References:How to Avoid a Dog Bite : The Humane Society of the United States http://buff.ly/1jTA6UOHow to avoid dog bites | C...
Source: Clinical Cases and Images - Category: Journals (General) Tags: Trauma Source Type: news