Even though many of them do not last long, dog attacks can be vicious and catastrophic. If an animal bites you, it is important to seek emergency medical treatment. After all, your body’s normal stress response may disguise injury symptoms, making you not realize you have suffered a potentially life-altering injury until hours or even days after the attack.
While going to the emergency room is a good idea, your treatment plan may not end there. Here are three medical specialists you may need to see after a dog attack.
1. A cosmetic surgeon
If you have bite wounds on your face, neck, arms, legs or other visible areas, you undoubtedly worry about your post-attack physical appearance. A cosmetic surgeon may be able to reconstruct damaged areas. He or she may also minimize scarring or eliminate it altogether.
2. An infectious disease doctor
Animal saliva is often full of dangerous germs, including bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi. If you develop an infection after a dog attack, you must treat it as a medical emergency. If your infection resists antibiotic treatments, you may need the services of an infectious disease doctor.
3. A mental health professional
Following any dog bite, you may develop a fear of animals, depression, anxiety or even post-traumatic stress disorder. Working with a psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist or another mental health professional may help you minimize your long-term psychological harm.
Despite what the dog’s owner may ask you to do, you should obtain whatever medical care you need to recover completely from an animal attack. While seeing specialists is likely to be expensive, you may be able to pursue financial compensation to help with your mounting medical debt.
