Children are unusually susceptible to dog bite lacerations. I am not certain if the cause is from easier to tear skin or failing to understand a dog's body language. Each of these injuries was from a dog bite. See information on preventing dog bite injuries elsewhere on this website.
Dog bites can range from simple punctures, to jagged tears, to missing gouges of flesh. The largest teeth (the canines) can penetrate minimally or catch and tears result as in these cases.
| The lacerations | Healed | The lacerations | Healed |
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These multiple facial lacerations required debridement and plastic surgical reconstruction. I remove crushed devitalized tissue in an attempt to make the first repair count. A good reconstruction at the time of injury may prevent the need for subsequent revision. Early plastic surgery can sometimes prevent the need for later plastic surgery. Some insurance companies no longer pay for revision of scars claiming such reconstruction is "cosmetic" and not covered under the policy.
| The injury | After repair |
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This flap like laceration is a tear from the dog's tooth. A section of eyebrow came away with the torn skin. I angled the skin debridement along the axis of the brow hairs. This lessens the chance of non-hair bearing scar in the eyebrow. No plastic surgery revision was necessary.
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This dog bite tore at the margin of the eyelid just missing the eyeball and the tear duct that drains the eye. My reconstruction included a functional repair of the eyelid and margin to keep the eyelashes aligned
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Dog bites can get infected easily. I frequently prescribe antibiotics to minimize the infection becoming worse. The redness responded quickly to an intravenous antibiotic.
More Bite Injury Pages
Dog bites of Lip and Reconstruction Photographs (graphic)
Dog bite Injury Face Repair / Reconstruction Photos (graphic)
Camel Bite Reconstruction
Find books about dog bite prevention from Barnes and Noble
Bite Injuries Reconstructive Surgery bulletin boards
