43. DOGS
When people think of scary animals, they often mention sharks, snakes, and spiders. Dogs usually do not make the list, even though a fear of dogs is not uncommon, and many people feel anxious around dogs. Some people develop these fears after they have been bitten or knocked down by a dog or after they have seen a dog attack. The fear is reinforced by news reports of vicious dogs or city bans on specific breeds of dogs.
Perhaps dogs should be on the most-feared list. Statistics show that dogs kill more people in the United States than sharks, snakes, and spiders combined. In the United States between 1999 and 2012, dogs killed 250 people, while spiders killed 70 people, venomous snakes (and lizards) killed 59 people, and marine animals killed 10 people. Dogs also bite more than 4.5 million people in the United States and send 800,000 people to the doctor’s office each year. Nevertheless, people love their dogs. In the United States, there are approximately 70 million dogs; 1 dog for every 4.5 people.
Most dogs make great pets and companion animals. Dog ownership may even have health benefits. For example, having a dog can reduce a person’s stress, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels, and walking a dog provides people with a chance to exercise and socialize with others. However, when a dog bites, there are serious consequences, especially for children, who are more frequently bitten by dogs than adults. These bites can inflict significant wounds by puncturing or lacerating skin and underlying muscle tissue of a victim.
In addition to causing physical damage, dog bites can transmit disease. Rabies is a deadly viral disease that is transmitted through the bite of an infected animal such as a dog, fox, bat, or raccoon. Rabies kills more than 59,000 people worldwide each year, with 99% of the cases caused by dog bites. Most of these deaths are to children in Africa and Asia. In the United States, animal control and vaccination efforts have eliminated the spread of rabies by domestic dogs, and cases of human rabies are rare.
All dog bites have the potential to cause bacterial infections. The statement that a dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s mouth is false. A dog’s mouth is filled with bacteria of different types that can enter a wound and cause infection. The bacteria may result in local infections or life-threatening systemic infections such as sepsis and meningitis. A dog bite should be washed with soap and water immediately. Serious wounds or those that become swollen or painful should be treated by a health care professional. A person bitten by an unknown dog or by a dog that looks sick should also visit a doctor for treatment recommendations.
Even if a dog doesn’t bite, it can still transmit diseases that cause human illness. Tapeworms, hookworms, and roundworms are three parasites that can infect dogs and can be passed on to humans through contact with stool from an infected animal. Various bacteria (e.g., Campylobacter, Brucella, Capnocytophaga, Leptospira) that cause gastrointestinal problems or more serious symptoms can also be passed from dog to human. And let’s not forget ringworm, which is caused not by a worm, but by the fungus Microsporum canis. Ringworm is a common, contagious fungal infection of the skin that people can contract after touching their dogs (and cats). The scaly, red patches on the skin caused by ringworm can be treated effectively with antifungal medication and rarely result in significant illness, but it’s not fun.
Bites and diseases are not the only hazards posed by dogs. People are literally falling over their dogs and injuring themselves. Between 2001 and 2006 in the United States, an estimated average of 86,629 people each year were injured (e.g., fractures, contusions, abrasions) and treated in emergency departments each year in falls associated with dogs and cats. The most common injuries involved falling or tripping over a dog (31.3%) and being pushed or pulled by a dog (21.2%). Dog bites and other dog-related injuries don’t just hurt a person’s body; they hurt pocketbooks too. The Insurance Information Institute reports that dog bites and injuries account for more than one-third of all homeowner’s insurance liability claims (over $600 million). In 2016, the average cost paid for a dog bite claim was $33,230.
At parks, on the street, in homes—dogs are everywhere, and it is impossible to avoid them completely. To reduce the possibility of dog-to-human infections, people should wash their hands after petting dogs or cleaning up after them. Everyone, especially children, should know how to act when approached by a dog and how to stay safe in the presence of a dog. Dog owners should also always maintain control of their dogs, obey leash laws in public-use areas, and ensure that their canine companions have adequate veterinary care.
SUMMARY
Preventability (77)
Dog owners must take responsibility for their pets by ensuring that their animals have the proper vaccinations and are kept under control at all times.
If you own a dog, you likely have been scratched or bitten by your pet. More severe injuries or transmission of rabies occur less often.
Consequence (55)
Dogs can transmit diseases that can be cured with medication or diseases that can kill (rabies). Most injuries caused by dogs are minor, but attacks by aggressive dogs can be life threatening.
American Veterinary Medical Association. (n.d.). Dog bite prevention. Retrieved from https://www.avma.org/public/Pages/Dog-Bite-Prevention.aspx
Butler, T. (2015). Capnocytophaga canimorsus: An emerging cause of sepsis, meningitis, and post-splenectomy infection after dog bites. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 34, 1271–1280.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009). Nonfatal fall-related injuries associated with dogs and cats—United States, 2001–2006. MMWR, 58, 277–281.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017, August 23). Human rabies. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/location/usa/surveillance/human_rabies.html
Insurance Information Institute. (2017, April 3). Spotlight on: Dog bite liability. Retrieved from https://www.iii.org/issue-update/dog-bite-liability
Mubanga, M., Byberg, L., Nowak, C., Egenvall, A., Magnusson, P. K., Ingelsson, E., & Fall, T. (2017). Dog ownership and the risk of cardiovascular disease and death—a nationwide cohort study. Science Reports, 7, 15821. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5693989/
World Health Organization. (2017, September). 10 facts on rabies. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/rabies/en/