Pet dog bites doctor on face, owner booked, Health News, ET HealthWorld

NOIDA: The owner of a golden retriever was booked after his pet attacked a 29-year-old doctor and bit her on the face in Gardenia Galleria in Sector 46 last week.

The woman, a senior resident doctor at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi, had to undergo four stitches for a ‘category 3’ bite, which means the dog’s teeth pierced through the skin and left a gushing wound. She said she feared she might have to undergo surgery in the future if the wound did not heal.

The doctor, who requested not to be identified, had come to visit her relatives in the Noida society and celebrate Chhath with them. On November 20, she was returning to their flat after a ritual when the dog lunged at her.

“Around 7 in the morning, I was on my way to our flat after performing a ritual at the society’s swimming pool. A man was walking his dog near me. When I reached an intersection, the dog jumped on me and started biting me on the face. I tried to fight it off, but couldn’t,” the woman said.

The injured doctor booked a cab and rushed to Safdarjung Hospital, where she was given four stitches. Although on the leash, the dog did not have a muzzle, she alleged. After increasing instances of dog bites in societies, the Noida Authority has made muzzles mandatory when pets are taken out for walks.

“It’s a lacerated category 3 wound. I was in terrible pain and held on to my jaw all the way to the hospital. What surprised me was that the pet owner did not even apologise. He simply walked away,” she told TOI.

The woman, who is planning to get married next year, said she might need a debridement surgery if the wound did not heal with the stitches.

The doctor lodged a police complaint four days after she was attacked. An FIR was registered against the pet owner – identified as Rishabh – under sections 289 (negligent conduct with respect to animal), 338 (whoever causes grievous hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.

“Although he has been booked, I want him to apologise to me and reimburse the cost of my medical treatment. That is the least he can do. If I have to fix a scar on my face, it will entail an expense of Rs 2 lakh. This includes multiple visits to the doctor,” she said.

Doctors said dog bites can get critical if not treated in time. “When we talk about the severity of dog bite wounds, it can be broadly classified into category 1, 2 or 3. If the bite injures the victim near the skull, it is classified as category 3 wound. Passive immunity treatment has to be done in such cases so that the virus doesn’t spread further. Another way is active immunisation, which helps boost immunity after 14-28 days. Antibodies develop later. But soon after a dog bite, the affected area must be cleaned with water and soap. No cream or oil should be applied around the wound,” said Dr DK Gupta, chairperson of Felix Hospital.