Dog Days of Summer: Golden Valley Doctor Says Dog Bites Surge with Heat

Extreme heat has engulfed most of Minnesota recently, bringing with it a surprising medical trend. According to a local expert, the “dog days of summer” often correspond with a literal rise in dog bites.

Dr. Craig Matticks, Medical Director of The Urgency Room in Golden Valley, says the clinic treats patients with dog bite injuries on a weekly basis. This influx tends to spike significantly during the spring and summer months as families and pets spend more time outdoors together.

While anyone can be bitten, children between the ages of 5 and 12 are the most vulnerable.

The nature of these injuries in young children is particularly concerning. Because of their height and how they interact with pets, children are far more likely to be bitten in highly sensitive areas.

“We see young children getting bitten mostly on the face or head,” says Matticks. “That’s probably 60% of the injuries that they are likely to sustain—to the head and neck or head and face area.”

Dr. Craig Matticks of The Urgency Room says many dog bite injuries tend to occur as a consequence of an interaction with a family pet.

Treatment at home

If a dog bite does occur, immediate home care is critical. However, Matticks warns families to avoid “old-school” first-aid remedies like rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. While commonly found in medicine cabinets, these liquids can actually damage healthy, healing tissue and delay recovery.

Instead, he recommends a much simpler, highly effective approach to immediate wound care:

“Really just regular soap and water should be fine,” Matticks said. “The topical antibiotic ointment like bacitracin can work. And then, the other thing I think many people don’t realize is that covering a wound with dry gauze actually helps the wound heal better than if it’s just left open to the air to dry.”

While minor scratches might be manageable at home, many dog bites require professional medical attention.

Matticks advises seeking immediate care at an urgent care or emergency room if the bite results in deep puncture wounds or jagged lacerations, uncontrolled bleeding after applying pressure, signs of infection, such as increasing redness, warmth, swelling, or pus.

Medical professionals can properly irrigate deep wounds, determine if prescription oral antibiotics are necessary to prevent aggressive infections, and ensure the patient’s tetanus immunization is up to date.

Related: Skip the Waiting Room: The Urgency Room Encourages Virtual Care Visits

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