Dog Bites- Preventing Infection After Dog Bite

My dachshund recently had a severely herniated disc in his back.  I tried some homeopathics with him before taking him in for surgery.  During the time he and I were house-bound, we slept only a few hours at a time.  He was tired.  I was tired.  Early one morning, I tried to move one of his front feet, and he bit me.  Since he had essentially no control over his back legs at that time, I was totally disrupting his balance and stability.  It was really stupid of me, but as I said, we were both tired. 

Being an Occupational Therapist doing hand therapy for the last 6 years, I have treated several clients with infections after dog bites. These clients were referred from the hand surgeon and sometimes needed to be seen 3 to 5 times a week. I did not want to have this kind of inconvenience! Besides, I still had my little man to take care of. My wounds were small, and clearly would not require stitches. I had a small laceration-like wound on the inside (toward the middle finger) of my right index finger. On the palmer surface of my right index finger, toward the thumb side, I had 2 bruising puncture wounds. I had another small laceration-like wound to the top of my left hand. I asked my brother to go to Sun Harvest and ask one of the clerks what I could do to prevent infection after dog bite wounds. The clerk suggested salt water soaks and Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque. If you have more extensive wounds, you of course would need to be seen by a medical provider.

I used about ½ cup of Epsom’s Salts in about 2 quarts of warm water to soak my hands about 3 times a day.  I then soaked in cold water, similar to contrast baths, or used a Karo Syrup cold pack afterward to prevent further swelling.  I then used a Q-tip to apply the masque.  After handwashing, the masque still essentially adhered to the open wounds, and did not need re-application. 

My index finger on my right hand was 5 mm bigger at the base compared to my left, and 7 mm bigger at the distal interphalangeal joint, near the nail. After 2 days using Epsom Salts and the masque, the redness (indicating inflammation) around the wounds had subsided. By the 3^rd day the swelling had gone down and I could make a full fist again. I stopped the protocol about day 5, but still applied the masque about once a day. By 2 ½ weeks, the skin was completely healed on my wounds.

A week or so later, I had a routine follow-up with my Naturopath. He told me I could use ledum 30C after dog bite wounds or other puncture wounds, 9 drops per day, or 200C, 1 to 2 times per day for 5 days. This is also good for insect bites. For prevention of infections, including tetanus, he recommended 200C, one time per week, for 2 or 3 doses. Of course, you should discuss this with your Alternative Medicine provider. I am relating this just to provide information that there are options for those of us who have embraced alternative and holistic medicine options, and prefer to avoid prescription drugs.

Thanks for your support!

If you enjoyed my hub and found it helpful, please consider rating it up, commenting, tweeting, digging, or otherwise showing your hub love! 

Join HubPages

Not a member of HubPages?  Sign up and then you can make comments on hubs, follow your favorite hubbers, &/or write your own hubs. 

Alternative & Natural Remedies

Herbal Remedies- A Top Ten Herbal Remedies Selection

Indian Herb for Treatment of Inflammatory Conditions

Herbal Remedies- Medicinal Uses of Common Herb Garden Herbs

Home Remedies- A Top Ten Home Remedies Selection

My Experience with Natural Home Remedies for Acid Reflux

Spring Kicharee- Chinese Healing Herbs for Hypothyroidism and Weight Loss

Body Talk- Energy Healing Technique

Applied Kinesiology- My Experience with this Energy Healing Technique

Preventing Infection After Dog Bite Wounds or Other Puncture Wounds

NUTRITION- Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements

Dr Sinatra’s Top Ten Nutritional Supplements for Women’s Heart Health

Standard Process Whole Food Supplements and My Experience

Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum’s Fatigued to Fantastic Energy Revitalization System

Top Ten Antioxident Vegetables and Fruits

Top Ten Antioxidants and Corresponding Antioxidant Foods

Spring Kicharee- Chinese Healing Herbs for Hypothyroidism and Weight Loss