Holiday Gatherings Can Stress Out Your Pets, Leading to an Increase in Dog Bite Injuries in Cook County, Statewide
You may be looking forward to hosting family gatherings or the extra traffic running through your home this holiday season. But there is probably at least one member of the family that isn't all that excited about it. Our Cook County dog bite accident attorneys want to remind pet owners that all the extra activity and break in normal routines can cause a lot of anxiety for a dog. Anxious and stressed out dogs can become vicious and are highly likely to bite or attack causing dob bite injuries to children in Chicago and elsewhere in the state.
American Humane Association reports that on average 4.7 million dog bites occur annually nationwide. Hospital emergency rooms throughout the country treat roughly 800,000 dog bite injuries annually. More than 70 percent of dog bites on adult victims are to the arms, hands, legs and feet compared to 65 percent of dog bite injuries on children being to the neck or head.
Children under 12 years-old are at risk in 50 percent of dog attacks; 82 percent of the victims treated at the hospital are children 14 years-old or under. In addition, more than two-thirds of fatal dog attacks involve children ages 9 and under. Parents who leave their newborn unsupervised with a dog put their children at considerable risk of being attacked and killed. The odds of newborn deaths from dog attacks are 370 to 1 compared to an adult being attacked and killed by a dog.
Most pet owners have a misconception that their dog won't hurt anyone, especially if a dog is particularly friendly or accepting of visitors at home. Dog behavior is unpredictable and should never be taken lightly. According to doggone safe, the holidays are an extremely stressful time for dogs so pet owners should look for some clear warning signs from your dog when they become anxious. Stress signals include: tail is down or tucked between the legs, ears are pinned straight back, rapid panting, sweaty paw pads, furniture is used as a protective barrier, yawning or constant licking of chops, fur is raised on their back or the dog stares intensely at the person who is bothering them.
Pet owners should use the following dog bite prevention tips to help reduce the risk of injuries to visitors or children coming to your home this holiday season:
-Instruct visitors to leave their pets home. Too many dogs under one roof and engaged in stressful situations can make for a disaster.
-Children should be taught to leave a dog alone. If the dog approaches a small child, teach the child to stand still and let the dog get used to him or her before they try to reach and pet the animal.
-Dogs are protective by nature so don't encourage any horseplay or unusual activity that may cause the dog to react by attacking.
-Put your pet in a crate or enclosed room with a chew toy or bone until all the visitors arrive. Once everyone is settled, let the dog out to get acclimated to all the visitors on the dog's own terms.
-Remind everyone sitting at the table not to feed the dog, especially small children.
-Keep children and pets supervised at all times by assigning an adult to each one and making sure no incidents arise.
-Keep a close eye on your pet's body language to pick up on any non-verbal cues they may be giving off.
If your pet is showing signs of anxiety or aggression, don't take any chances around small children or visitors. Put the dog in a contained area to prevent a dog bite incident and reduce the risk of injury caused when someone is being attacked by an anxious pet.
