What makes a dog bite?

I got bitten yesterday and I am baffled as to what prompted the bite. It was more of a nip than anything and at first I didn't even think that it broke the skin. I was standing on the sidewalk next to my car strapping my son into his car seat. A girl came up along the sidewalk walking her dog so I took a step closer to my car and closed the door around myself as much as possible. I didn't even LOOK at this dog until I felt it turn around and nip me behind the knee. It didn't bark or growl, just chomped:confused::confused:
It was more shocking than anything and I didn't notice that the dog had done any damage until a couple minutes later when I checked out the stinging sensation and saw that a little bit of blood was oozing down the back of my pant leg.
So what gives? The girl who was walking him didn't speak English beyond repeating "Sorry" and I don't know enough German to tell her to stay put while I call animal control to pick up her insane man eating Collie (joking, mostly) so I don't even know where they live.
What would YOU as dog owners do?

Not sure what prompted the dog to bite you. I know some dogs just plain don't like certain things about people (ie; male, female, facial hair, purfume, etc). There's alot of reasons animals bite people, and sometimes you just never really know why.

I don't know about the situation in Germany, but here Rabies is always a big concern. We have to quaranteen animals for 10 days if they bite someone to be sure they don't have Rabies. Since you don't know where this dog and it's owner live the animal can't be observed for a 10 day quaranteen, you would need to take the rabies postexposure shots to be sure. Rabies is almost always fatal, it's not worth the risk when it's preventable.

http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/exposure/a.../domestic.html

I do hope you are able to find the dog, so you don't have to go through the shots. Good luck.

I have a theory, all dogs bite, it is just a matter of when. There might have been something about the car door closing? Or 50 million other things.

As to rabies, here, in the county I live in, there has not been a reported case of rabies in 30 years. But, you are in another country, forget county! Get the shot!

Could be the dog is just allowed to bite and nip when it feels like it in which case it really should have been muzzled. Why it decided on you is anyone's guess. Is your tetanus up to date?

I got a tetanus shot within the lost couple of years so that is fine.

Kind of an update on the situation, I am for sure not the first person in my neighborhood that has been nipped by this dog. I have seen the dog and the girl around a few times since then and each time the dog has been muzzled. I hope that they KEEP it muzzled while out on walks indefinitely. I don't want to get someone's family dog taken away but I don't want to put my kids at risk either.

Yikes! Glad it wasn't your son that got bit because it could have resulted in more damage. I'm with the others...dogs can bite for a number of reasons. Let's hope you were the last "victim".

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Originally Posted by Sirrahsim

Kind of an update on the situation, I am for sure not the first person in my neighborhood that has been nipped by this dog. I have seen the dog and the girl around a few times since then and each time the dog has been muzzled. I hope that they KEEP it muzzled while out on walks indefinitely. I don't want to get someone's family dog taken away but I don't want to put my kids at risk either.

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Good to hear that they seem to be doing something about it

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Originally Posted by Cataholic

I have a theory, all dogs bite, it is just a matter of when. There might have been something about the car door closing? Or 50 million other things.

As to rabies, here, in the county I live in, there has not been a reported case of rabies in 30 years. But, you are in another country, forget county! Get the shot!

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Your theory is bull , why not do some research on dogs and dog psychology.

There could be a lot of reasons as to why you were bit but without knowing the dog and being there no one will be able to answer your question.
It could have been something you did that you were totally oblivious to but set the dog off.

Buttercup, wow. You always have something to say about other people's posts, don't you? You are extremely harsh in a lot of your posts.

Cataholic is right. ALL dogs have the potential to bite. Doesn't mean they will, but they can.

I've never been one to get involved in conflicts, ever. But you need to do some research on how to communicate with other people without being rude. And I KNOW other people will agree with me.

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Originally Posted by *LabLoverKEB*

Buttercup, wow. You always have something to say about other people's posts, don't you? You are extremely harsh in a lot of your posts.

Cataholic is right. ALL dogs have the potential to bite. Doesn't mean they will, but they can.

I've never been one to get involved in conflicts, ever. But you need to do some research on how to communicate with other people without being rude. And I KNOW other people will agree with me.

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Agreed!!

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Originally Posted by Taz_Zoee

Agreed!!

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I second that!

I'm also not one to confront people and usually steer clear of an argument if at all possible, but the last few times I have seen Alicia post, it's been quite rude. Now there are plenty of other boards that will tolerate that sort of behaviour but I have always thought Pet Talk to be a very kind and mellow community.

Maybe that comment evoked a strong emotional response from you, but that doesn't mean you have to come back so harshly at her.

I'm sorry to hear that you were bit..I have been in that position before also,Im not sure why. the dogs were in there senior years,I dont know if they could have been going blind,i moved to fast,regardless i was bit behind the knee both times.

As to the dogs biting,My little Ladies have been naughty latley.

Lacy bit a friend of ours 3 times in the stomach last year,It was my husbands birthday,Rob grabbed me threw me over his shoulders to throw me in the pool.Lacy was not having it,She retaliated.Her mind im sure was thinking she was protecting me,Which i want her to do.I was unsure how to react to the hole situation i was upset what she did,But how was i to scold her.She was doing what she thought was the right thing.Our friend has been over many times since then and she is sweet ol Lacy.When it comes to Me she is very protective as they say Australian Shepherds are very loyal.


Maggy has bit this friend 3 times,more of a nip she never drew blood like lacy did.And other peoples dogs have bit this friend too..I find it suspicious,I dont know if there intimidated by him he stands 6"5 and is a big guy,Maggy just nipped him last week and she does every time he is over.She has never did that to anyone before.

Maggy is a border collie,with very strong herding instincts.Kids cannot run around her they are guaranteed to be rounded up.But Maggy agressive it's not the way she is.I will fight tooth and nail for the girls,Im all they have to protect them.And if it means that this friend no longer comes over so be it.

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Originally Posted by *LabLoverKEB*

Buttercup, wow. You always have something to say about other people's posts, don't you? You are extremely harsh in a lot of your posts.

Cataholic is right. ALL dogs have the potential to bite. Doesn't mean they will, but they can.

I've never been one to get involved in conflicts, ever. But you need to do some research on how to communicate with other people without being rude. And I KNOW other people will agree with me.

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I agree completely.

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Originally Posted by *LabLoverKEB*

Buttercup, wow. You always have something to say about other people's posts, don't you? You are extremely harsh in a lot of your posts.

Cataholic is right. ALL dogs have the potential to bite. Doesn't mean they will, but they can.

I've never been one to get involved in conflicts, ever. But you need to do some research on how to communicate with other people without being rude. And I KNOW other people will agree with me.

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You said that a whole lot nicer then I would have;)

All dogs can bite yes, but thats not what she said.
She said all dogs bite it's a matter of when.

So her theory is that all your dogs are gonna bite someone in some point in its life.

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Originally Posted by *LabLoverKEB*

Buttercup, wow. You always have something to say about other people's posts, don't you? You are extremely harsh in a lot of your posts.

Cataholic is right. ALL dogs have the potential to bite. Doesn't mean they will, but they can.

I've never been one to get involved in conflicts, ever. But you need to do some research on how to communicate with other people without being rude. And I KNOW other people will agree with me.

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Oh yes - agreed 100%. You probably remember a thread of mine about the psycho dog running loose - well I finally had to delete it because of the totally uncalled for comments being made by this 19 year old know-it-all - the one who has been there and done that and knows all about that - no matter what the subject matter. :mad:

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Originally Posted by pomtzu

Oh yes - agreed 100%. You probably remember a thread of mine about the psycho dog running loose - well I finally had to delete it because of the totally uncalled for comments being made by this 19 year old know-it-all - the one who has been there and done that and knows all about that - no matter what the subject matter. :mad:

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Mmm no only when it comes to dogs..

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Originally Posted by Lori Jordan

Lacy bit a friend of ours 3 times in the stomach last year,It was my husbands birthday,Rob grabbed me threw me over his shoulders to throw me in the pool.Lacy was not having it,She retaliated.Her mind im sure was thinking she was protecting me,Which i want her to do.I was unsure how to react to the hole situation i was upset what she did,But how was i to scold her.She was doing what she thought was the right thing.Our friend has been over many times since then and she is sweet ol Lacy.When it comes to Me she is very protective as they say Australian Shepherds are very loyal.


Maggy has bit this friend 3 times,more of a nip she never drew blood like lacy did.And other peoples dogs have bit this friend too..I find it suspicious,I dont know if there intimidated by him he stands 6"5 and is a big guy,Maggy just nipped him last week and she does every time he is over.She has never did that to anyone before.

Maggy is a border collie,with very strong herding instincts.Kids cannot run around her they are guaranteed to be rounded up.But Maggy agressive it's not the way she is.I will fight tooth and nail for the girls,Im all they have to protect them.And if it means that this friend no longer comes over so be it.

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I'm sorry, but I find a few things wrong with your statements. First of all your dog should not be deciding who it needs to protect you from. It is not up to the dog. Otherwise your dog may judge that you are in danger when you are not (as happened) and act inappropriately. If you feel like you need a dog for protection then you should be sure to train it accordingly. Protection dogs don't just fly off the handle, they are under the control of their owners.

Also, while you do need to protect your dogs, friends should feel like they can come to your house without the risk of being bit. Unless of course the "friend" is provoking the bite in which case who needs a "friend" like that.

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Originally Posted by buttercup132

Mmm no only when it comes to dogs..

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No one can ever know everything about dogs. Or anything for that matter. There's always more to discover. Once someone thinks they know it all, they close themselves off to learning.

I appreciate how several of you backed me up on this, I really do. Thank you.:)

NO ONE knows EVERYTHING there is to know about dogs, or ANY subject for that matter. I actually know quite a bit about dogs, cats, psychology, and veterinary medicine, but I don't know it all. I know veterinarians who have taken their own animals to another veterinarian for answers. Same with animal trainers. Doesn't matter who you are or what education you have behind you, you don't know everything there is to know. Point blank. I am 19 years old as well, and I am getting my RVT license within the year. Even when I have my license, specialize in anesthesia, and am the head technician, I still will not know everything. I am using myself as an example, but this applies to everything, really.
It saddens me to see you snap at people so sharply.:(

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Originally Posted by *LabLoverKEB*

I appreciate how several of you backed me up on this, I really do. Thank you.:)

NO ONE knows EVERYTHING there is to know about dogs, or ANY subject for that matter. I actually know quite a bit about dogs, cats, psychology, and veterinary medicine, but I don't know it all. I know veterinarians who have taken their own animals to another veterinarian for answers. Same with animal trainers. Doesn't matter who you are or what education you have behind you, you don't know everything there is to know. Point blank. I am 19 years old as well, and I am getting my RVT license within the year. Even when I have my license, specialize in anesthesia, and am the head technician, I still will not know everything. I am using myself as an example, but this applies to everything, really.
It saddens me to see you snap at people so sharply.:(

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That speaks volumes of what an education can do for a person, thanks for the very intelligent humble post.

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Originally Posted by mr.chiwawa

You said that a whole lot nicer then I would have ;)

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THAT's fur sure!

Seems like it's time to suck on a Lolly-Pop or go talk to a Dawg ...
and try to stay out of Trouble.
:rolleyes:

I wasnt trying to claim I know everything I was being sarcastic ;)
Obviously I dont know everything, there are things I know nothing about like genetics and bloodlines.

There are 2 people in the past little while I've snapped at and it's because their accusations were in my eyes crazy.

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Originally Posted by Shelteez2

I'm sorry, but I find a few things wrong with your statements. First of all your dog should not be deciding who it needs to protect you from. It is not up to the dog. Otherwise your dog may judge that you are in danger when you are not (as happened) and act inappropriately. If you feel like you need a dog for protection then you should be sure to train it accordingly. Protection dogs don't just fly off the handle, they are under the control of their owners.

Also, while you do need to protect your dogs, friends should feel like they can come to your house without the risk of being bit. Unless of course the "friend" is provoking the bite in which case who needs a "friend" like that.



No one can ever know everything about dogs. Or anything for that matter. There's always more to discover. Once someone thinks they know it all, they close themselves off to learning.

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It has nothing to do with needing a dog to protect me,A big guy walks into your house grabs you and is dragging you out the door...Lacy acted on it.LIKE i mentioned neither of the dogs have acted that way with anyone else.SO obviously something has gone on for them to be acting that way.And other peoples dogs have bit him also.I don't let the dogs pick and choose who they can bite or act in such manner for that matter!

Maggy,Lacy and Molly are pets not junk yard dogs that are on duty for a reason,Im unsure where you got that idea.

As for my statment of protecting them,They do not have a voice,So if there being yelled at or frowned apon by someone else,They sure cant tell the person what they have done to them or why there acting like that,He was ignorant the way he told me how Maggy nipped him,I find it very funny how the girls have only acted that way towards one person.

Jamie had a friend that was at our place before we were home,He told him to go ahead in and make himself comfortable,All girls greeted him as he walked in the house,So to a burglar or someone who is up to no good,They would help them walk away with everything.
(I apologize for any confusion to my last post)Had a hard week and may have worded wrong)

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Originally Posted by pomtzu

Oh yes - agreed 100%. You probably remember a thread of mine about the psycho dog running loose - well I finally had to delete it because of the totally uncalled for comments being made by this 19 year old know-it-all - the one who has been there and done that and knows all about that - no matter what the subject matter. :mad:

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Pomtzu, PM me an update. I was wondering what happened & couldn't find the thread. Hope all is well, it WAS an important thread.

Do what I do.. Ignore her, tell her you don't want to converse with her. Works for me (so far). If she continues, block her.. if you can't see what she types, then she can't bother you ;)

***warning, non-popular opinion***If you comment on it, keep it CIVIL***
I know people aren't going to like my opinion on this dog (not talking about puppies) bitting matter, so please bear with me & don't hate/flame me too much. If a dog will bite randomly like that, its a dead dog. I have no tolerance for random bitting dogs. If there was a reason, then that is a totally different story. I also don't care what size the dog is, big or small.. Random bitting is random bitting, & random bitting = a trip to the rainbow bridge.
***warning, non-popular opinion***If you comment on it, keep it CIVIL***

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Originally Posted by king2005

Pomtzu, PM me an update. I was wondering what happened & couldn't find the thread. Hope all is well, it WAS an important thread.

Do what I do.. Ignore her, tell her you don't want to converse with her. Works for me (so far). If she continues, block her.. if you can't see what she types, then she can't bother you ;)

***warning, non-popular opinion***If you comment on it, keep it CIVIL***
I know people aren't going to like my opinion on this dog (not talking about puppies) bitting matter, so please bear with me & don't hate/flame me too much. If a dog will bite randomly like that, its a dead dog. I have no tolerance for random bitting dogs. If there was a reason, then that is a totally different story. I also don't care what size the dog is, big or small.. Random bitting is random bitting, & random bitting = a trip to the rainbow bridge.
***warning, non-popular opinion***If you comment on it, keep it CIVIL***

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I strongly disagree with your statement.A random bite does not mean the dog is doomed,There is so many options before you would ever have to come to a decision like that!Every animal deserves a chance,It makes me sick to my stomach when a dog is given up on too easily,Which you have done in the past.Maybe not put them down but you have given up animals for no reason.

I don't know if that comment was towarded to me,Lacy and Maggy will not be put down because they nipped.I strongly believe Maggy was provoked,Maggy acts in no such manner anyother time.And she was not around when Lacy bit this friend,she was in the vet getting cared for.And for that matter Molly stood there when Lacy freaked out,and has not acted on it.

I have a behaviorlist that i have been dealing with since Lacy and Molly used to have there fights,And even she believes there has to be something about this friend.So we work with them to figure out what the problem is,looking for signs.By no means have they been given a lable.

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Originally Posted by king2005

Pomtzu, PM me an update. I was wondering what happened & couldn't find the thread. Hope all is well, it WAS an important thread.

Do what I do.. Ignore her, tell her you don't want to converse with her. Works for me (so far). If she continues, block her.. if you can't see what she types, then she can't bother you ;)

***warning, non-popular opinion***If you comment on it, keep it CIVIL***
I know people aren't going to like my opinion on this dog (not talking about puppies) bitting matter, so please bear with me & don't hate/flame me too much. If a dog will bite randomly like that, its a dead dog. I have no tolerance for random bitting dogs. If there was a reason, then that is a totally different story. I also don't care what size the dog is, big or small.. Random bitting is random bitting, & random bitting = a trip to the rainbow bridge.
***warning, non-popular opinion***If you comment on it, keep it CIVIL***

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I actually agree with this, I dont care what breed but if a dog bites maliciously for no reason it's done. I wont put up with a dog biting.
I would do a blood test first though.

I don't necessarily agree, or disagree with Lori's opinion. I am indifferent.
Blood test for what? Rabies? Unfortunately there is no blood test for rabies.

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Originally Posted by Lori Jordan

I strongly disagree with your statement.A random bite does not mean the dog is doomed,There is so many options before you would ever have to come to a decision like that!Every animal deserves a chance,It makes me sick to my stomach when a dog is given up on too easily,Which you have done in the past.Maybe not put them down but you have given up animals for no reason.

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I understand your opinion, but "I" can't & wont risk anyones life/health with a random bitting dog, to me its irresponsible. If training works cool, but thats usually done while the dog is a puppy (0~3yrs of age).. if the dog is still doing random bitting after that, then the dog isn't trustworthy, sorry, its just my opinion on random bitting.

If your going to say things like that about me, you really should state what/who I gave up on?
Let me help you out..

All my pets:
Max (9yr old dog)- Murdered by my crazy mother. I'm not even going to go there, cause I will say something nasty.

Oscar (4yr old fish)- Spent 1k trying to save her, & put her down when all hope was lost. I tried!!!!

Jack (4yr old fish)- Jumped out of the tank, suffered a lot of brain damage & died a yr later. Doubt this one counts.

Sharkey (HUGE catfish)- Similar situation. He was a VERY powerful fish & suffered a lot of brain damage when he jumped out of the tank. There is so little you can do with some species of fish. I tried to find him a home but no one wants a fish that'll grow to 3' long.

Mango (4yr old fish)- Killed by a friend that was fish sitting him while I was homeless & living out of my car. I can't control what other people do. wish I could, but can't...

Cash (senior cat)- Had an eating distorter. I bought him medication, different foods, different feeding scheduals, & nothing was working. His disorder nearly killed Digi... I'm sorry. I'm not going to risk Digi's life. I tried my best with Cash, his stomach just couldn't handle the foods he had to be on in order to live in my house. I didn't throw him away, I gave him to a friend who Cat-sat for us. They loved each other so I gave cash to him... Cash is doing well on a type of food that can't be anywhere near Digi.

Gimpy (snake)- He was adopted. Last time I looked that was a good thing :P

Cockatiels - they were Adopted.

Digi (3yr dog)- Still have her & spend a fortune on vet bill due to her illness.

Cam (1yr cat)- Still have her

Lilly (4yr Tarantula)- Still have her

Axle (11yr Turtle)- Have had him since day one, & he's one heck of a handful!!

Realm (18yr turtle)- Had him for 2~3yrs now. great little guy.

Too many smaller fish & rescue fish to count, but some of my oldest ones are 7yrs old.

Mojo (1yr beta)- That was an accident. I still feel horrible he got sucked up by the filter. I wasn't thinking & I admit it was 100% my fault *cries*

Rats - Feeders.. uhhhh ya.. they were feeders.. enough said about them.

Cyriocosmus Perezmilesi (Bolivian Dwarf) spiderling - Got it less then a week ago. It'll be around for a good 20yrs (if its not a male) & I look forward to it.

Brachypelma Vagans (Mexican Redrump) spiderling - Got it less then a week ago. It'll be around for a good 20yrs (if its not a male) & I look forward to it.

I'm trying to think of any other pet I have owned in the last 10yrs (when I left the nest) but I can't seem to remember any more.. I really hope I didn't leave any out...

So I'm still not sure who/what you're talking about. I have run a mini Rescue since I was very young. I take in a lot of unwanted pets, or lost pets. I make sure they are healthy & when its time I adopt them out to loving homes. Some animals I get in I hope they'll become pets, but it doesn't always work out that way. Either someone wants it, I can't afford to keep it long term, or the species & I just don't mix. Oh & the odd time the landlord/super gets their say (annoying)... My current supers are great, they support what I do, so I can go over the legal limits & they don't care.

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Originally Posted by Lori Jordan

I don't know if that comment was towarded to me,Lacy and Maggy will not be put down because they nipped.I strongly believe Maggy was provoked,Maggy acts in no such manner anyother time.And she was not around when Lacy bit this friend,she was in the vet getting cared for.And for that matter Molly stood there when Lacy freaked out,and has not acted on it.

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If I was directing anything towards you, I would have quoted you (like I am now) or directed it towards you by using your name.. I did neither of those, I actually quoted someone else.

Your dog was provoked, that is VERY clear, so its NOT random. Why you think I was directing anything towards you? I didn't quote you, I quoted someone else...

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Originally Posted by *LabLoverKEB*

Blood test for what? Rabies? Unfortunately there is no blood test for rabies.

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If the dog is sick or has a brain tumor then something should show up in the book work (or I would hope so). If something shows up then its not random biting, the dog has a reason.. It's sick..

From what I've been taught, brain damage doesn't necessarily show up on blood work, but signs of neurological damage would be present.... But I'm not sure.

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Originally Posted by *LabLoverKEB*

From what I've been taught, brain damage doesn't necessarily show up on blood work, but signs of neurological damage would be present.... But I'm not sure.

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Hmmm... if the dog was dropped on its head & suffered brain damage I have no idea if that would show up in blood work.. but I always thought Cancer & Tumors changed something in the blood so it would alert to an issue of some sort.
Can you even check for neurological issues with dogs? I don't know how its done with people, so I'm totally clueless :P

Well yes, cancer would definitely show up in blood work!! In order to properly diagnose a brain tumor, you would have to have an MRI (magnetic response imagine) done. Oh yeah, you can check for neurological damage in most animals. There are tests that pertain to the animal's reflexes. The most common ways for a veterinarian to diagnose a neurological problem in animals is by observing their mental state, examining the animal's cranial nerves, postural reflexes (the way the animal responds to how you restrict their balance), radiology (looking for spinal trauma), and from looking at my notes, bloodwork is a diagnostic tool to!
:)

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Originally Posted by *LabLoverKEB*

Well yes, cancer would definitely show up in blood work!! In order to properly diagnose a brain tumor, you would have to have an MRI (magnetic response imagine) done. Oh yeah, you can check for neurological damage in most animals. There are tests that pertain to the animal's reflexes. The most common ways for a veterinarian to diagnose a neurological problem in animals is by observing their mental state, examining the animal's cranial nerves, postural reflexes (the way the animal responds to how you restrict their balance), radiology (looking for spinal trauma), and from looking at my notes, bloodwork is a diagnostic tool to!
:)

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Thats pretty cool! :D

No but thyroid problems can cause aggression and that shows in blood test.
If there was brain damage there would be other signs, it doesn't just show up. Of course not everyone would notice though especially people who dont pay attention to their dogs or have outside dogs.

Just wondering how the original poster is doing.........no repercussions from the bite I hope :love:

Still alive and kicking:D

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Originally Posted by Sirrahsim

Still alive and kicking :D

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YOU or the Dawg ??

:p

The dog of course, didn't you know that the afterlife has DSL:D:D

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Originally Posted by Sirrahsim

The dog of course, didn't you know that the afterlife has DSL:D:D

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Lol! yep! you're ok :D