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What Causes Swelling In The Finger After A Dog Bite?
My dog bit my left index finger 3 days ago. He was being put down that day anyway but thought my finger was a chew bone and bit very hard. I heard a pop noise but I m unsure if it was the sound of my skin being punctured or something worse. I went to the walk-in clinic and got antibiotics in case of infection. My finger was very swollen for two days and I could not bend it at all. Yesterday I went back to get an x-ray requisition but did not have time to get to an imaging centre. When I woke up today, the swelling had gone down quite a bit and so I am able to bend my finger. However, it is very very painful when I bend my finger and when I touch it. I don t want to get the x-ray done if there isn t a chance it could be fractured or broken. So my question is: could it be broken even though the swelling has gone down and I can bend it? (Pain level currently is 7.5/10)
Mon, 7 Jan 2019
Hi,
As per your query, as the finger is bitten quite hard, there are chances that it is broken even if the swelling has decreased and you are able to bend it. X-ray is mandatory to check for fracture and any connective tissue damage.
It is good that you are provided with antibiotics. You can take acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain.
Hopefully, the dog was up to date on all vaccinations, including rabies. If not, please make sure to get yourself injections of Rabipur or Inj A.R.V. as prophylaxis to Rabies. Also, watch the dog for 5 days. If the dog behaves abnormal and dies it is rabies. Otherwise, no worries for Rabies. But, I recommend starting anti-rabies treatment without waiting for 5 days to pass if the pet is not immunized well.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Maninder,
General & Family Physician
As per your query, as the finger is bitten quite hard, there are chances that it is broken even if the swelling has decreased and you are able to bend it. X-ray is mandatory to check for fracture and any connective tissue damage.
It is good that you are provided with antibiotics. You can take acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain.
Hopefully, the dog was up to date on all vaccinations, including rabies. If not, please make sure to get yourself injections of Rabipur or Inj A.R.V. as prophylaxis to Rabies. Also, watch the dog for 5 days. If the dog behaves abnormal and dies it is rabies. Otherwise, no worries for Rabies. But, I recommend starting anti-rabies treatment without waiting for 5 days to pass if the pet is not immunized well.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Maninder,
General & Family Physician
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