bulldog bit husband

[marilubryan]

Our English bulldog has always been a very sweet, gets along well with other dogs and loves everyone. Today, my husband was trying to get into the bathroom to kill a spider, and he got excited, bit him in the back of the leg-ripped his jeans and broke the skin. What to do?

[marilubryan]

Thanks, that's good advice-he really does get excited easily and reads us too

[ginger899]

Many dogs can get hyper-excited when their human makes a sudden big fuss about something. My own dog was very laid back but if I said "FLY!" and jumped up with a rolled newspaper in my hand, she would scream with excitement even if she had been sleeping, and leap up racing about the room.
I think the secret is to not get so excited with him but to stay steady all the time. That might stop anything like that happening in future.

[marilubryan]

The bite wasn't a puncture-just an abrasion. I think he thought there was a go get it game going on, but I still wish he hadn't been that crazy and wish I knew how to keep him from getting so excited that he doesn't control himself

[marilubryan]

Well, the bite isn't deep, and I did put ointment on it. I am just concerned about how to teach the bully not to get so wired up. He has only done that with my husband, he has never been mistreated by either of us. But he gets way to rough with my husband.

[ginger899]

Great advice.

Be careful if there's a puncture wound. They can take infection deep under the skin and cause abscesses.

As for your dog...I think that was a one-off and nothing to be worried about. She just got too excited and thought it was a rough-house game!
I was bitten once by our good friend the neighboring farm dog, during a frisbee game, when he made a lunge for the frisbee -only I hadn't let go of it! He didn't mean to harm me. He was a great dog and would never have intended harm. The wound on my hand hurt like heck but cleared up healthily.

[BluCrystal]

Apply wound-ointment to the bite, and DO NOT COVER IT.  This is important because dog saliva contains natural bacterias that can fester and infect a bite, and not covering the wound allows drainage and air circulation to the wound, allowing none of the bacteria to grow.  Keep the wound clean with a warm, wet cloth.  If the bite is very deep or ripped, you might need stitches.  And a good wound-healing trick: (I know this works, because I have seen it) apply table-sugar to the wound.  This encourages the growth of new, healthy cells, and can cut your heal-time in half.