What To Do If Your Dog Is Bitten By Another Dog

Even if we’re super cautious with our pets, accidents, including bites from other dogs, can still happen.  

Even small dog bites can cause serious injury beneath the skin, and any bite comes with the risk of infection.  

All dog bites should be evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible.  

What Should You Do if Your Dog Is Bitten by Another Dog?

If your dog has been bitten by another dog, the first thing to do is to move all dogs and humans to safety.  

After the dogs are safely separated and you’ve ascertained that there are no significant human injuries from the altercation, follow these steps:

1. Check your dog for injuries. Make sure to check the ear flaps, around the muzzle, the neck, the underside, and the groin. 
2. If there is bleeding, apply pressure (so long as your dog allows it). 
3. Minor injuries can be flushed with pet-safe wound washes (like Seal It Wash It Wound Wash for Dogs & Cats), but you need to be very careful, as a dog in pain may snap or bite. 

4. For minor injuries, contact your veterinarian immediately. For severe injuries, go to an emergency veterinary hospital. 

Unfortunately, it’s common for dogs to redirect onto people during a dog fight.  

If you or another person has been bitten by a dog, it’s important to consult with a medical professional yourself. Seek emergency care for severe bites. 

How Can You Tell if a Dog Bite Is Serious?

The following are signs that a bite on your dog is serious: 

• Deep punctures 
• Swelling around the bite 
• Torn skin  
• Significant bleeding 
• Visible muscle or bony tissue 
• Limping or difficulty walking 
• Injuries to the eye 
• Punctures near the face, neck, chest, or abdomen 

If you’re concerned, seek veterinary attention rather than taking a wait-and-see approach.  

Wounds can be more serious than they appear, such as a puncture to the side that penetrates the abdomen or a bite that has broken a leg.  

Dog Bite First Aid

It’s best to allow a professional to attend to your dog’s wounds, but you can still take first aid steps to help your dog: 

1. Make sure to remain calm.  
2. Place a muzzle on your dog if there is concern that they may bite you or another person. 

3. Apply gentle pressure to bleeding wounds with a clean cloth. 

4. You can use saline wound flushes to wash away visible debris, but avoid hydrogen peroxide or alcohol unless instructed to use them by your veterinarian. 

5. Do not try to close wounds at home. Do not apply any over-the-counter ointments without speaking to a veterinarian. 

6. Transport your dog to a veterinarian for examination, cleaning, and treatment of the wound. 

When Should You Go to an Emergency Vet?

Go to the emergency veterinarian if wounds are severe or your dog is showing signs of shock. 

The following are emergency signs: 

• Deep puncture wounds 
• Visible muscle or bony tissue 
• Bite wounds that affect the eyes, neck, chest, or abdomen 
• Limping or difficulty walking 
• Heavy, uncontrolled bleeding 
• Pale gums 
• Collapse or weakness 
• Labored breathing 

What Will the Veterinarian Do?

The veterinarian will perform a full physical examination, looking for all injuries and assessing whether your pet is otherwise healthy. 

If your pet is in pain, sedation is often necessary. The veterinarian may also use a muzzle on your dog; this is to help keep your pet and the veterinary staff safe. 

If there is concern that wounds extend into the chest or abdomen or that bones may be broken, X-rays will be performed.  The veterinarian will clip and clean all wounds while checking for hidden tissue damage, such as in deep pockets beneath the skin. 

Depending on the wound, it may be closed or left open. Usually, wounds that are closed are either sutured or stapled shut.  

The veterinarian may place drains into the wound if they think that drainage would be beneficial for healing.  

For serious injuries, surgery may be needed to repair the damage. Splints or surgery may also be required if bones are broken.  

If necessary, the veterinarian will put your pet on antibiotics.  

Antibiotics that may be used for bite wounds include amoxicillin-clavulanate and clindamycin.  

Anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving medications, like carprofen, will likely be prescribed to help your pet stay comfortable.   

The veterinarian may also prescribe an antianxiety medication like trazodone to help calm your pet during recovery. 

Make sure to consider your pet’s vaccination history and the vaccination history of the dog who bit them (if the dog is known to you).  

Booster rabies vaccines or certain quarantine regulations may apply, based on local law and your pet’s vaccination history.  

How to Care for Your Dog at Home After a Bite

Your veterinarian should give you instructions for managing your dog’s bite wound at home.  

Steps to follow include: 

• Giving medications exactly as prescribed and reporting any side effects to the veterinarian 
• Preventing licking or scratching of wounds with recovery cones or body suits if recommended by the veterinarian 

• Monitoring bite wounds for swelling, redness, discharge, and worsening pain 
• Only cleaning wounds if instructed to do so by your veterinarian 
• Attending any follow-up visits as recommended by your veterinarian 

Can Dog Bites Be Prevented?

Remember, accidents can still happen, even if you do everything right! You can only control your dog, not the dogs around you, so it’s important to take steps to keep your pet safe: 

• Introduce dogs slowly in a low-stress environment. 
• Supervise during play. 
• Learn canine body language and know when to remove your dog from a situation. 
• Learn how to safely defuse a dog fight. 
• Avoid situations that  have triggered your dog in the past. 
• Use a basket muzzle when in public if your dog tends to be aggressive or reactive. 

Keep your dog on a nonretractable leash when outdoors.  

• Keep your pet updated on their vaccinations.