Health risks associated with dog scratches
Playing with your dog or even just daily interactions can sometimes result in scratches. It may not be out of aggression from the dogs, it might occur on your dog’s nails when they step on you or jump on you, another instance is them accidentally scratching you with their teeth during feeding or while playing fetch.
Not all scratches from your dog will cause an alarm. However, you should check to see if any red marks appear on your skin. this may temporarily become painful and swollen and, in more severe cases, it could lead to more severe health risks. Some possible health risks include:
- Infections, like Capnocytophaga bacteria [1]
- Excessive bleeding
- Rabies (a serious viral infection common in dogs)
- Tetanus (which is caused by Clostridium tetani bacteria)
- Sepsis (a fatal health condition caused by the spread of infection to the vital organ)
These are possible health risks that occur as a result of a scratch from a dog. It is important that you are careful and watch full of these possibilities, and get immediate treatment in order to avoid life-threatening complications.