Any cut or laceration that you suffer has the potential to get infected. This happens when bacteria or debris get under the skin. The wound may appear to be healing at first, but then it will become red and painful, and there could be pus or other discharge from the site. An infection can also lead to stiffness, increased pain, red streaks on the skin and even a fever. 

One type of injury that is most likely to become infected is a dog bite. There are two key reasons why, which we will explore below.

The dog's mouth could contain numerous contaminants

First of all, a dog's mouth could contain bacteria or other debris. The biting action can also push pieces of clothing into the world. It is simply more likely that something that would cause an infection will come from a dog bite than something like a cut suffered while using a knife, power saw or another type of tool that creates a relatively clean laceration.

It is a puncture wound

On top of that, dog bites tend to be rather deep. There may not be much surface area, but the teeth can push all of this bacteria and debris far below that surface. This is where the debris will become trapped, and dog bites are notoriously hard to clean out effectively. As a result, these trapped fragments can lead to infection, especially if there is no significant bleeding to naturally clean out the wound.

When a dog bite gets infected, it can become incredibly serious. Some complications can even be fatal. It's important to get proper medical attention and to look into your legal options to seek compensation for those medical expenses.

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