I just got bitten by a dog. It’s not deep, but I’ve never had a dog bite before. Not sure if I should go to the doctor right away or just take care of it myself.
My dog bit me a few months ago. My doctor gave me a very hard time because I waited. She put me on antibiotics and made sure my tetanus shot was current. I would go to the doctor next time and not take chances. Mine did get infected.
@systaran I hate to hear this. Definitely use some type of sterilization ASAP (peroxide, etc). If it’s bleeding simply use some Kleenex or tissue until it stops while you clean the wound as you do not want to close it immediately within a bandage/glue in case of bacteria. You should likely go visit a doctor if it’s anything more than a small scrape on the skin but any sort of antibiotic will help.
Go to the doctor now. Please do not try to self diagnose at home. Since this is a dog you’re not familiar with you need to be sure you’re ok and infection does not set in days or weeks later. Be sure to tell the pet parents the dog bit you so they are aware in case this become a serious medical event. I hope all will be well.
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I did a virtual health visit and they prescribed me antibiotics and a tetanus shot. Of course, the pharmacy is closed now so I have to wait until morning.
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So, what do you do when you are on a sit with a dog that bites? There are behavioral issues they neglected to mention. I’ve never cancelled a sit, but I’m very sure I will get bitten again.
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Talk to membership services and contact the host and tell them you need to leave. Dogs biting humans is a total no-no @systaran - and the dog will now sense that you’re nervous and push your safety boundaries. Honestly, we’d be off!
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Hello @systaran
I am so sorry to hear that you have been bitten during your current sit. As it was a bite I have passed this thread on to the Membership Services team so please look out for their email. You can also chat with them by clicking this link
I can see that you have already received some kind and helpful support from other Forum members which is great to see and I hope the bite heals up very soon without any complications.
Sam.
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@systaran in the meantime… did the home host leave any emergency contact people that you can also call to update?
I talked to a very nice person at MS, but as expected, I was told to work it out with the owner and I’m expected to stay until someone else takes over. I certainly wouldn’t want to abandon the dog, but she has successfully bitten me once and has had made several other attempts that I managed to evade. If I didn’t wear a heavy coat and gloves on this morning’s walk I would have another bite or two.
I’ve contacted the HOs (who are very lovely people) and they are working on alternative arrangements.
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Thank you for updating the forum @systaran
Sorry this has happened to you .
Take photos of the injury and raise a member dispute as this pet shouldn’t be on TrustedHouseSitters . Raising a dispute is the only way THS will investigate and take action.
I’m shocked and disappointed that the “support” given when you advised Member services about this serious issue was that you must stay with an aggressive pet. If further injuries arise THS and the owners are both liable . THS for giving you this advice that you must stay even if you are at risk of further injury and the owners if they don’t come back promptly or arrange alternative care of their pets and home.
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If the host is slow in finding alternative care for their dog, I’d mention that I’d hate to end up having to pursue legal action if I were bitten again.
Note: When owners know they have a pet that’s a risk to others, there can be extra legal liability. Plus, at least in the U.S., they can lose their homeowner’s insurance over such. And in certain jurisdictions, dogs that bite can be reported so there’s a file started against them — repeat offenders can be put down.
I mention the above especially because there are some unethical hosts who hide their dog’s biting history. And depending on where this dog lives, for instance, you could check with the city or county whether it’s been reported for biting before. In some locations, hospitals automatically report bites for investigation by local agencies, because aggressive dogs are considered a public health risk.
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Could you please share what type of dog bite you?
It would be nice if I could apply for other sits to try and replace this one. This is a very expensive situation.
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I hope you’re doing okay today and have all your treatments in place! Can you ask the HO to cancel the sit as you wait for your replacement sitter so you can search for another sit asap?
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I’d suggest shortening, not canceling. That’s because you can’t write a review if the sit is cancelled. That means you couldn’t warn other sitters.
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@Maggie8K I’m sure my perfect 5 star rating will be ruined now, but at least I could warn others.
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Shouldn’t the HO be removed from the site for having a biting dog? In that case there would be no review, right?
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They should be, but unfortunately THS has not always removed sitters or hosts even when it seems like they should. And of course we don’t work there, so we don’t know all the context. I imagine various cases are hard to document, etc.
I’m curious if the HO disclosed the dog’s tendency to be reactive in her listing?