Time limit on reporting dog bite?

[Ruth0552]

The hole is where the drain came out? Maybe the size of a dime or a nickel? It should heal up REALLY fast, within 2 days. I assume the area is clipped and they were probably given a bottle of nolvasan and told to hot compress? I’d do that until the hole closes, just so you’re sure that everythings draining properly.

Re: the attack. Given the description, I’d sure as hell report that. If for no other reason than the dog owners take it seriously and I don’t know- keep their dog on a leash and get some training help?

The laws regarding reporting bites are totally different in each state so unless you are from ME you cannot make a statement of the vet’s behavior. In MA, there are very specific laws regarding when to report and not report a bite, and unless the biting animal’s rabies status is confirmed, there are very specific laws regarding lengths of time for a quarantine for the bitten animal.

[S1969]

[QUOTE=vacation1;7895401]
That’s an odd set of objections. It would inconvenience health professionals? These are people who already have a set of ethical and legal responsibilities toward the public health (aka, good luck not vaccinating Rover against rabies); it’s not unreasonable to expand that to include dog attacks. More Americans have died of dog attacks this year than have died of rabies in the past decade. As public health hazards go, violent dogs are far more dangerous than unvaccinated ones. The agencies don’t work together? They actually do, if they’re pushed. But sure, they don’t always work smoothly together. That can change. And should change, as we’ve seen in cases where violent dogs rack up victims in multiple towns and counties. Whaddya want, Wanted posters? No. It’s really simple. Microchips. Average owners are happily chipping their dogs as a safety measure if the dog is ever lost. We should be requiring the microchipping of every dog so their reported history is available immediately to anyone with a scanner.[/QUOTE]

In some small towns, the Animal Control Officer is someone’s “other responsibility” to their main job. I think it’s sort of unreasonable to expect a big computerized database accessible to all towns and municipalities for dog bite information. In theory - sure, AC units would be able to share information easily, but in reality, they are not all equipped for that.

And, I don’t think that the vet should be the one required to figure out to whom a dog attack should be made, and file the report on behalf of the owner (who, presumably, should be capable of filing the report).

My guess is that a lot of them do already advise their clients to report dog bites, and might have even done so in this situation.

[Calamber]

[QUOTE=Ruth0552;7895873]
The hole is where the drain came out? Maybe the size of a dime or a nickel? It should heal up REALLY fast, within 2 days. I assume the area is clipped and they were probably given a bottle of nolvasan and told to hot compress? I’d do that until the hole closes, just so you’re sure that everythings draining properly.

Re: the attack. Given the description, I’d sure as hell report that. If for no other reason than the dog owners take it seriously and I don’t know- keep their dog on a leash and get some training help?

The laws regarding reporting bites are totally different in each state so unless you are from ME you cannot make a statement of the vet’s behavior. In MA, there are very specific laws regarding when to report and not report a bite, and unless the biting animal’s rabies status is confirmed, there are very specific laws regarding lengths of time for a quarantine for the bitten animal.[/QUOTE]

Very often “the law” and doing the right thing are different. What matters is that someone take the moral responsibility to do the right thing so that this or something worse does not happen again. All of this hands off, it is not my job, makes me sick. It’s only a phone call for crying out loud.

[S1969]

[QUOTE=Calamber;7896295]
Very often “the law” and doing the right thing are different. What matters is that someone take the moral responsibility to do the right thing so that this or something worse does not happen again. All of this hands off, it is not my job, makes me sick. It’s only a phone call for crying out loud.[/QUOTE]

Seems like the owner of the dog who witnessed the attack is the one who should make the phone call. I guess I just don’t see how this should be pushed off on the vet, who wasn’t there, didn’t witness it, and may not know which municipality should be called.

[Horsegal984]

What happens when the vet takes Fluffy’s owners account and reports that Fluffy was viciously mauled by Duke. Only to find out that Duke’s side of the story is completely different? And that Fluffy was the instigator. Now assume they’re both clients of Vet. Two pissed off clients because the vet got the law involved. Duke tells all his friends not to use Vet because they think all Breed A are vicious and will call animal control over nothing.

It’s the owners job to report the bite/attack. The vet cannot make a report in most cases because its considered hearsay. You weren’t there/directly involved, you need to encourage the people who were to step up. But you can’t force them too

I also don’t see where the vet didn’t discuss the risk of rabies with the owners, or what the vet advised about reporting it. OP told owner to report ASAP and owner didn’t listen, why do we assume that the same thing didn’t happen with vet?

[JanM]

It’s up to the dog owners to report, and the only time medical authorities report is in the case of a human bite.

[Bicoastal]

[QUOTE=Calamber;7892307]
Has anyone checked the vaccination (rabies) status of the dog? I mean actually see the rabies certificate?[/QUOTE]

While in the vet’s office on Thanksgiving day, the owner of the attacking dog texted a photo of their dog’s rabies tag. That wouldn’t cut it in my area: the vet and AC would require the paper certificate or a phone call to the vet listed on the tag. My sister’s dog was given a rabies booster.

@Ruth0552;7895873

The hole is where the drain came out? Maybe the size of a dime or a nickel? It should heal up REALLY fast, within 2 days. I assume the area is clipped and they were probably given a bottle of nolvasan and told to hot compress? I’d do that until the hole closes, just so you’re sure that everythings draining properly.

That largest open hole is between the size of a dime and a nickel. She sent a photo holding a dime next to it. My sis went back a day after the drain removal because she didn’t like the looks of that hole. Tech swabbed it to appease my sister and lo and behold there is bacteria. Vet upped the abx. Yes to hot compresses.

@Calamber;7896295

Very often “the law” and doing the right thing are different. What matters is that someone take the moral responsibility to do the right thing so that this or something worse does not happen again.

Sis called AC :applause:. Hurray! AC visited her on Thurs, heard the story, took photos, asked how far sis wants to pursue this. “Oh! No! I don’t want to pursue anything. I just want this recorded in case it happens again…and I want em to keep their dog on a leash.” AC was sadly impressed by the damage (and that’s after a week of healing) and may press charges separate/without sis.

Dog is shy/shut down around people and growling when he sees dogs on the restricted leash walks:no:. Sister is devastated by her pup’s personality change