Dog Bites

Submitted by Linkesh on Mon, 2008-04-07 17:29

If bitten by a dog, it is important to ascertain whether the dog is rabid or not. For this, try to catch the animal and keep it tied up. If the following signs are observed, it is probably rabid:

Frothy Saliva around Mouth
Strange, aggressive behavior
Hydrophobia - fear of water

If it is rabid, it will die within two weeks. Be sure to give it enough food and water, and keep other dogs and people away from it. If it doesn't die, give it a rabies vaccine and release it.

Treatment of the wound
To treat the wound, first flush it with plenty of fresh, clean water. Then apply some antiseptic solution, such as betadine or iodide solution. Bind it up tightly to stop bleeding, if necessary. Meet a doctor and start an anti-rabies course of medicine. If it is found out that the dog is not rabid, you may discontinue the treatment.

Bites

Live and Let Live

The Kollam Chapter

This Kollam Chapter was formed in December 2003 by a group of similar-minded teachers. At that time there were no such organizations locally. It was registered under the Indian Trusts Act on February 5^th 2004, under the chairperson-ship of Smt Maneka Gandhi, MP.

We work via all avenues to improve conditions for animals locally. Among our most important programmes is the Animal Birth Control (ABC) initiative, wherein street animals are sterilized, vaccinated and returned to their colonies to live out their lives harmlessly and healthily. Another way we seek to reduce the stray population is by encouraging people to adopt Indian dogs from the street or shelters instead of buying foreign pedigrees.

Our awareness campaigns include schools and colleges, as a part of the functioning of the Kindness Club. We also conduct free veterinary camps in villages, during which free medicine and feed are distributed. We also vaccinate dogs and cats against rabies.

Our Animal Ambulance has been modified into a mobile Animal Clinic. The cost of the land for our Animal Shelter has been met via a grant from the National Chairperson Maneka Gandhi, and also through donations. The shelter construction has started, and is now half done. The grant for this construction was provided by the Animal Welfare Board of India.

Just one among many of our activities, the Kollam Chapter was instrumental in forming a Kindness Club to promote kindness and awareness among people.