My Pet World: Most dog and cat bites can be avoided!
Each year, more than 800,000 people receive medical attention for dog bites. At least half of them are children, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. While that sounds like a lot of people, it's small when you consider that there are 70 million dogs in America.
What's more, according to Dr. Douglas Aspros, past president of the AVMA, most dog bites can be avoided; it's all about education. To that end, the AVMA is partnering with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the U.S. Postal Service and the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery to support Dog Bite Prevention Week, May 18-24.
"We can significantly reduce the number of dog bites," says Aspros, based in Pound Ridge, N.Y. (outside New York City). "So many times, people leave young children unsupervised around (what they think are) trustworthy animals."
This can be asking for trouble. For example, something as innocuous and natural as a hug might prompt a dog or cat to bite, says veterinary behaviorist Dr. Ilana Reisner, of Media, Penn. Dogs and cats don't naturally express their affection with hugs. While some dogs learn to tolerate or even enjoy hugs as a way to garner human attention, others dislike them. A young child can hurt a small dog or cat by hugging too hard. Of course, very young children might also pull at a pet's tail or fall over a pet.
"An adult must be supervising," Reisner stresses.
If an animal is, in fact, being hurt, the only way to stop the pain may be to bite.
"Often times, the pet has tried to warn us, and either we don't understand canine (or feline) body language, or we're not supervising to see what's about to happen and put a stop to it," Aspros says.
The most common explanations for dog bites are related either to fear (perhaps as a result of a lack of socialization) or resource guarding, such as dogs guarding their toys, food or property, Reisner explains.
Prevention is key. If there's no chance for a child to take away a pet's food, clearly the pet can't respond aggressively. Tip: Feed pets behind closed doors. Similarly, if you know your postal carrier comes to the door at a set time, and you're worried about your dog's reaction, make sure the pet is indoors at this time. Fortunately, treats can help solve this problem.
"Postal carriers do exactly what it takes to provoke dogs," says Aspros. "The carrier approaches, and the dog barks and postures on one side of the fence." Whether it's a fear-based or guarding behavior doesn't matter. From the dog's perspective, all that barking works because soon the postal carrier leaves. Many postal carriers counter this reaction by carrying dog treats. Once they expect a treat, many dogs adjust their attitudes -- and now that barking is about excitement!
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