Dog Bite

Disclaimer: This is not the actual dog that bit me, but is so close in appearance it's frightening. Or could I be imagining the actual dog even larger and vicious than he actually is? Naw, the dog that bit me, Diego is his name, is quite dangerous at just five months of age and almost 50lbs. of muscle and nastiness.

It is frightening to think of him as an adult. And his owner most likely won't neuter him so Diego will have his original viciousness plus testosterone affecting his brain and demeanor.

Friday the Dr. brought Diego to the treatment area for his presurgery sedation injection. He was having ear crop surgery. Diego freaked out, was calmed down and while quietly sitting by my side suddenly leaped up and tried to bite my arm. My quick reflexes left me with just a graze of his teeth and a small skin break.

Saturday, the day after surgery, Diego was given a sedation injection with only a small amount of aggressiveness from him. When it was time to remove his head wrap, he was sedated so much he couldn't stand or walk but still snapped at me when I put the leash over his head. The Technician and I lifted him onto the exam table and the Dr. put the muzzle on. Diego was limp and I had to rest his head in my hand because he couldn't hold it up himself due to the sedation.

When the Dr. touched him, Diego went ballistic. Within seconds he had the muzzle off, bit me, we wrestled him down, got the muzzle back on and had him restrained. All of that happened in seconds thanks to our quick reflexes. When Diego was restrained, I said, "I think he bit me" and then we saw the blood on various areas of his body. The blood was mine.

Fortunately Diego only got my thumb and only on the tip so my nail prevented a complete bite down to the bone. But the bite was bad enough to require nine sutures on the underside of my thumb.

The Dr. told Diego's owner of the bite and he said, "Not Diego, he is so friendly he runs up to other dogs and people putting his face right up to them to make friends." Diego's file is flagged with a "Caution, Will Bite" and "Owner to muzzle" and "Dangerous".

One unfortunate thing is the owner said Diego received his Rabies vaccine at another clinic. If he can't provide proof of the vaccination, I have to endure Rabies shots.

The most unfortunate thing is Diego being heavily sedated when he got vicious and bit me at only five months old...what will he be like as an adult or in the next month or so and testosterone is running rampnat through his massive body, who else will be bit or massively attacked.

I was lucky to have just one finger with nine sutures and possibly having to endure a rabies series of vaccines. Others will not be so lucky because Diego is maturing and getting stronger.