SBC Arnica gel - HELP! - A story of a little cute shih Tzu!

So today I visited my brother (believe me this is a once a year event.. both our jobs get in the way)
On entrance to his home he said 'dont put your hand anywhere near the dog - he'll bite it off'
15 minutes later the dog (a 1 yr old pure bred un neutered male shih tzu) got rather cosy next to my lap, and I ran my had on his spine lovingly to pet him, that was it!! He turned into a Tasmanian devil and went for me, firstly deep biting my left hand then when I unlocked his jaw, he went for my wrist. Im pretty sore. So, in my fridge I have a bottle or arnica gel. Question is, can I use it? Im trying to prevent it bruising up, BUT they are puncture wounds, which at the time, bled. On my left thumb in the joints and base I have 4 puncture holes above, and beneath, 5 puncture holes in the thumb crease.

Is it safe to topically apply the gel on puncture wounds?
Im pretty angry as Im sure dogs (have no doggie knowledge) should not do this to visitors or anyone. Im convinced the pet needs neutering.

My brother now has to take the dog to day kennel if the grandchildren visit him, as dog has already wounded one little grandson by biting him on his face

Anyway, mustn't moan, and keep to the reason for posting.. arnica gel or not?
thanks folks!

Im pretty sure SBC would say Do not use it but tbh if it was me id give it a go in a small area, i really cant see it doing any harm, but do what you think is best.

This is what the NHS say about dog bites. It also tells you what to look out for
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Bites-human-and-animal/Pages/Introduction.aspx

I will just say dont be mad with the dog , im sure something during its life has made it like it is, they say the first few weeks of any animals life can shape how they turn out

It is best not to use it on broken skin!

Make sure you are up to date with tetanus jabs too.

Thank you all
As soon as it happened I washed it and put antiseptic cream on it
When the puncture heals I will then administer arnica, but was able to apply ok to wrist (as no broken skin there) and the coolness was wonderful
Sadly it was my arthritic basal joint area, so my left hand grip-ability is now out of action totally
Oh Im not angry with the dog... but it is a problem the owners are aware of that needs addressing

I hope your bite wound soon heals and you`ve managed to keep infection at bay.
Your brother now needs to get a grip of the situation because taking the dog to doggy day care isn`t resolving the matter, just postponing it. You were very lucky not to have been more badly hurt. My friend had her top lip completely torn off by her friend`s jack russell which just seconds beforehand had been happily sitting on the owners knee and for some reason the dog didn`t like my friend sitting next to her and just flew at her without warning. She had several operations and the plastic surgeon made her a new top lip from flesh taken from her inner cheek because it is the nearest in colour and texture but the trauma of it still haunts her.
Your brother`s dog needs to be properly assessed and they need to find out whether retraining can help or sessions with an animal behaviourist is the way or whether interbreeding is the cause or a hidden health issue or whether the dog is a lost cause and needs to be put down. Even small dogs can kill and until they find out if or what they can do, then they need to muzzle it whenever anybody visits the house. Far better being safe than sorry and much as I love dogs, you can`t allow them to take a chunk out of anybody as and when they feel like it.

IMO the most worrying part of this is that the dog has already bitten a small child.

Dog bites usually need treating with antibiotics as can be serious so need to get checked out by GP or A&E. This is to prevent serious infection.

One your brother needs to take the dog to the vet, find out if there is an underlying cause for the biting. Is the dog in pain on its body and doesn't like to be touch on certain points as they hurt.

Neutering might not stop the biting. Tetanus injections should be kept up to date, antibiotics will only help if there is infection. NHS are trying to stop the handing out of antibiotics when not really needed as we are all becoming resistant to them.

Maybe a training class would help too for brother and dog?

Please please urge your Brother to get this dog the attention it urgently needs.There are people who can assess the problem a Vet dealing with animal behavior would be the first step.This sort of behavior is unacceptable bad enough that this has happened to you but it has already bitten a child- & nothing has been done? I am a dog lover but believe that just taking it out of the way is not the answer.Hope you are feeling better soon & your Brother has a calmer less aggressive dog.

Thank you all for your replies & medical advice - hand is doing fine, no signs of infection so far
Arnica is being placed on bruised bits and I can hear my wrist say "ahhh lovely"

As for the dog.. I totally agree with you lovely posters re: his behavior, and warned my brother after yesterday, its a DOG not a human baby (they treat it so), and told him that if the little Shih did that in the park to a child, the dog would be put down and my brother would probably have a HUGE compensation.com issue regarding the childs family.

The dog has attacked everybody.. the vet, my brother, his wife, every dog in the street. Personally, I would give him to a dogs home to be re-homed, but of course my brother & my sister in law love him to bits. This is their 2nd Shih tzu, their 1st Shih died from a dreadful skin cancer (they had him for 20 years, and he was the most placid dog ever with outstanding behavior and manners)

Vienna said:

I hope your bite wound soon heals and you`ve managed to keep infection at bay.
Your brother now needs to get a grip of the situation because taking the dog to doggy day care isn`t resolving the matter, just postponing it. You were very lucky not to have been more badly hurt. My friend had her top lip completely torn off by her friend`s jack russell which just seconds beforehand had been happily sitting on the owners knee and for some reason the dog didn`t like my friend sitting next to her and just flew at her without warning. She had several operations and the plastic surgeon made her a new top lip from flesh taken from her inner cheek because it is the nearest in colour and texture but the trauma of it still haunts her.
Your brother`s dog needs to be properly assessed and they need to find out whether retraining can help or sessions with an animal behaviourist is the way or whether interbreeding is the cause or a hidden health issue or whether the dog is a lost cause and needs to be put down. Even small dogs can kill and until they find out if or what they can do, then they need to muzzle it whenever anybody visits the house. Far better being safe than sorry and much as I love dogs, you can`t allow them to take a chunk out of anybody as and when they feel like it.

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Thank you so much for your post - what a dreadful situation re: Jack Russell. Regarding Muzzle even the vet cannot get one on him, as he goes into 'spinning razor blade' mode.
My brother sort of laughs it off with embarrassment, (yes, so wrong) but a part of me feels they both cannot handle the situ, especially after having such a placid Shih Tzu before.

I will not visit again unless the dog is locked up!! Oh dear, I don't think I'm going to be welcome there again too soon!

I think I'll console myself with some retail therapy - but not from QVC! LOL

Hello,

Please do see a healthcare professional and let them assess your wounds. If they feel that antibiotics are required, they will see that you are prescribed them. I am a nurse myself but nobody on this site can assess you properly, it needs to be seen in the flesh - so to speak. I have seen some very nasty infections which have set in and travelled up the arms from finger bites (especially in joints). No disrespect is intended to anybody here on the forum for their advice regarding Arnica gel, it is not usually recommended for wounds where the skin has been broken / punctured. Tetanus injections (as mentioned here) should be kept up to date and the GP, nurse or hospital will administer one if you are unsure when you last had a jab. All the best,

Inge xx

If the vet cannot muzzle it, then there is something wrong with the dog or with its guardians' training of said dog. It will be a menace to all if they are unable to control it either in the home or in the street. A dog like that is an illegal dog, according to the act. It either needs to be dealt with by a qualified behaviourist and the owners shown techniques on how to manage it OR the matter will eventually be taken out of their hands by someone not as forgiving as yourself.

loveallthingsitalian said:

IMO the most worrying part of this is that the dog has already bitten a small child.

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Exactly if it was mine it would have been put to sleep after it did that!

Autumn said:

I will just say dont be mad with the dog , im sure something during its life has made it like it is, they say the first few weeks of any animals life can shape how they turn out

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I concur with you, Autumn. I used to breed boxers, and training - as with children - does help develop a character in the puppy. I neverhaad a problem with any of my puppies/dogs, some who stayed with me throughout their lives, but I don't know how those who were adopted by new owners turned out. Like people, they all have different characteristics and idiosyncracies. It is, ultimately, the trainer's responsibility to ensure the puppy becomes a well rounded, healthy adult dog,capable of enjoying life.
The main purpose of this thread, however, is the use of arnica gel. A dog bite, in my opinion, should ALWAYS be seen my a doctor, if the skin is BROKEN. SBC gels are homeopathic remedies and are not, therefore, intended as a medical treatment, more as a supplementary application. Because there are no medical elements to the gels, applying them to broken skin will not harm the wound, but is not advisable. Apply it around the wound, to keep bruising to a minimum and propolis would alleviate any abrasions and infectious area.

As a dog lover and owner, I have to chime in and say that your brother needs to sort this out and fast. Sitting as he was, he could have gone for your face (as the JR did with that other poor lady). Would your brother be happy keeping the dog then? I'm actually surprised they still have the dog with it's twice-bite history, unless they know there's a problem causing this behaviour (and then, why haven't they done anything about it?).I'm not quick to jump in and say put down as I don't know the circumstances, but definitely a dog behaviour specialist. Anything else is just being irresponsible.

I hate that people will tell me that I can "totally trust" their animal when I'm not familiar with them. Worse, people who say that they bought their pet with a "guarantee" that they're safe. An animal is an animal - none can be entirely trusted and certainly not guaranteed to behave in a particular manner. My ex's horrible family bought FOUR dogs with this kind of guarantee and then put them down in quick succession after they "went" for one particular child in the family. They saw no problem doing this even though the child had teased, plagued and HURT the dogs. Yelps and warning growls were given but ignored. Twice I saw the little monster taunting two of the dogs, twice I was told that the dogs "couldn't take a joke" and had to be "taught a lesson" (oh, yeah, 'cos the poor dog really knows he's being taught a lesson when he's sent to the vet to be put down!). After seeing the child "play" with the poor dogs, and then seeing what happened, I have a tendency to think that it their case, the people should have been banned from keeping dogs for the dogs' sakes.

Back to the arnica part of this thread - I know that the gel shouldn't be used on broken skin, but what about bathing in the soak? I assume this is not recommended? Or am I wrong?