Following the recent dog attack on a nine-year-old boy in Zenzele, the Randfontein Herald spoke to general practitioner Dr Phemelo Mphelane about the seriousness of dog-inflicted injuries in children.

Dr Mphelane explained he sees about 60% of patients with dog-inflicted injuries on a two-year basis. He added that most of these cases are of young boys. He stated boys, particularly aged five to nine, are vulnerable to serious dog-inflicted injuries, meaning they are more likely to be bitten in the face or neck and are more likely to be hospitalised for their injuries.

“Socio-demographic studies indicate that dog bite victims, both children and adults, are more likely to be male,” Dr Mphelane said.

He added that several dangers can be linked to dog-inflicted injuries, including infections like Tetanus, physical damage like nerve and bone damage, as well as psychological issues. Due to this, he emphasised it is always important to seek medical help, even if the injury looks minor.

• Read the initial article here: Boy (9) mauled by dog, faces long recovery

Victims should also be cautious about infection, which can look like increased redness, pain around the wound, swelling, fever, the presence of discharge and loss of sensation.

He further explained that dog bites are not always due to a dog feeling threatened, and a bite is not always provoked. Another important misconception that he mentioned is that dog bites do not always come from a specific breed.

According to Dr Mphelane, there are six levels of dog-inflicted injuries, which are measured by considering factors like the depth of the wound:

• Level one: Aggressive behaviour with no skin contact
• Level two: Skin contact with teeth without puncture wounds
• Level three: One to four puncture wounds with a shallow depth and slight bleeding
• Level four: One to four punctures, with one deeper than half the length of the dog’s canine teeth
• Level five: Multiple bites that have deep punctures, the dog shook or attacked multiple times
• Level six: Fatal injuries

Dr Mphelane advised on how to correctly care for a wound after being bitten:

• Immediately wash the wound with soap and water for at least 10 minutes
• Apply a disinfectant agent if available
• Avoid suturing (a method of closing wounds using sterile threads) as it can trap a possible virus

Dr Mphelane gave a few preventative steps that parents as well as pet owners can take to avoid bites:

• Never leave children unsupervised with dogs
• Educate children about the body language of dogs so that they can recognise signs of discomfort
• Teach children how to manage dogs and how to respect the animal’s space
• Manage the dog’s potential triggers while being aware of situations that make the animal anxious
• When a dog exhibits signs of aggression, seek immediate help

“When being confronted by an aggressive dog, it is best to stay calm and back away slowly. If possible, it would be best to create a barrier and to distract the dog. If all else fails, call for help.”