slaterzurz-blog

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Motorcyclist Learns Meaning of “Pain and Suffering” from a Motorcycle Accident

Dwight is a single man in his sixties who is retired.  He spent much of his leisure time touring the countryside on his motorcycles.  One day as he was  going through town, another motorist driving a car suddenly changed lanes and collided with Dwight.  He was thrown from his motorcycle, and landed on the pavement unconscious.

Dwight spent two weeks in intensive care and a month in rehab. He was forced to live with his younger brother and his family for another month.  Originally, he was charged in the accident, but an investigation by his personal injury lawyer, who interviewed witnesses to the crash, resulted in the police dropping the charges against Dwight and citing the other driver.

In some respects, Dwight was one of the lucky ones.  He had no head injuries and all of his limbs were intact after the motorcycle accident.  However, he came away from the wreckage with a permanent back injury, loss of property and an even greater loss- the emotional inability to ever again ride one of his motorcycles.

https://slaterzurz.com/motorcyclist-learns-meaning-of-pain-and-suffering-from-a-motorcycle-accident/

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Signs You May Own An Overly Aggressive Dog and What To Do About It

There are often no easy answers when it comes to deciding what to do about a seriously aggressive dog in your household.

Patricia McConnell, an applied animal behaviorist who has been working with and studying dogs for more than 25 years, advises owners of aggressive dogs to ask themselves these questions:

• If your dog has injured another person, what ongoing risk does your dog pose to others?

• What are the consequences? The possible legal risk if there is another incident? Can you defend yourself in a lawsuit? Are you willing to lose your homeowner’s insurance over the actions of a dog?

• Do you have the resources needed to work on a treatment plan for the dog or pay for medication that may help to normalize the canine’s chemistry? Medication is often used in conjunction with a behavioral modification plan.

McConnell defines “canine aggression” as an action in which a person is injured or at clear risk of being injured by a dog. Obviously, something must be done if this is happening. In many cases the dog’s owners have already tried some of the solutions mentioned here.

Another major factor for the owner of a hostile dog is to consider the dog’s history. How intense is the aggression and how long has it been going on? Depending on what happened, the dog owners must decide if they are willing to live with the reality that it could happen again.

The dog behaviorist also points out that one needs to think about the dog’s quality of life. For example, what if a dog is aggressive around all strangers? This may mean few, if any, outings and may mean the dog may have limited time spent in his own backyard as sometimes uninvited strangers enter the backyard of a home. The dog owner will have to be extra careful when anyone comes to the house whether it is an expected or unexpected visit. Will the restrictions the owner must impose on the dog seriously threaten his quality of life? This is another question the owner of an aggressive dog must answer.

Three Ways to Change Aggression

The website, K9aggresion.com, notes there are three main ways to change aggression in dogs:

• Behavior modification (Various types are explained on their website.) Dog owners are cautioned not to push their dog too far during training as they could risk making his behavior worse. It is also important not to ignore early signs of aggression so that you can get your dog’s attention as early as possible and start him working on behavior modification techniques.

• Changing the dog’s environment. This doesn’t necessarily mean a new home for the dog. It could be just changing where he is walked him so he has less opportunity to be aggressive, or changing what he plays with or even just changing his diet.

• Talking to your vet about medications which treat the underlying causes of aggression in dogs. It may be the dog is too anxious to properly learn behavior modification techniques so medication plus behavior modification is sometimes a successful combination.

Three primary options are suggested by another dog expert for dealing with all serious dog behavioral problems:

• Keep the dog and work with a trainer or behaviorist. First, get some idea of the expense that could entail. Also, ask your vet if he recommends muzzling the animal. There are behavior clinics such as the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine which have a high success rate with 90% of aggressive animals. Their patients often improve to the extent that their owners are pleased to have their animals come home with them.

• Provide another home for it, but only if this can be done safely. The new owner or organization (such as a rescue group, shelter or animal sanctuary) that accepts your aggressive dog must be told about the situation ahead of time. Many do not accept biting dogs. There are dogs who are only aggressive toward small children, for example. It may be possible to find a home with only adults who are responsible enough to keep the dog from any encounters with youngsters. (They must also realize the liability this could involve if the dog is exposed to a child.)

• Euthanizing the dog. This is the least attractive option, but often is a sad reality if the first two solutions are not viable and the dog is putting people at risk.

If the last option is chosen, the animal behaviorist warns pet owners not to be hard on themselves about making such a decision. Though others may comment, it is not their decision to make. McConnell compares having a dog with a serious behavioral problem that does not seem it can be remedied to a person facing a serious illness. It’s a time to shake off unhelpful advice and harsh judgments and to surround yourself with supportive friends, she urges.

https://dogbitesohio.com/aggressive-dog/

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Recommendations for Treating a Dog Bite Injury from Ohio Healthcare Professionals

Corinne Gemberling is an emergency room nurse who has seen her share of dog bite injuries in her shift at a Cleveland, Ohio area hospital. She has also observed wounds inflicted by cats and treated bites where a human has bitten another person.

The most frequent problem Gemberling has seen in treating dog bites is that too many people wait too long before coming to the ER. When they come in with a wound that has started to become infected, it is more challenging to treat.

In her years of dealing with dog bite injuries, Ms. Gemberling has never seen a person die or even lose a limb from a dog bite, but she notes, “I know this can happen. Other nurses have told me about it. I cannot overemphasize that taking action early is very important.”

Medical Treatment for Dog Bite Wound

Treatment for a dog bite depends on how serious the bite or bites look when the victim arrives at the hospital.

“X-rays are usually done on wounds that look deep”, Gemberling said, “There may be significant damage beneath the skin. The extent of the injury is not always obvious at first glance.”

A patient is given a tetanus shot if they have not had one in the past five years and prophylactic antibiotics (amoxicillin) that fight infection are frequently administered if there is a high risk of infection, for example if the person is diabetic, or has a weakened immune system due to steroid medications.

“The majority of dog bites cause minor wounds and may not even break the skin”, Ms. Gemberling claims.

Even before you get to the hospital, she advises cleaning the bite with soap and water and rinsing it for four or five minutes. Next apply antibiotic ointment or spray and a sterile bandage. If the wound bleeds, apply pressure and try to keep the injured area elevated until you can see a doctor.

If the skin is punctured or lacerated, it is more likely a bite may cause more serious complications. If the bite is deep, it is possible muscles, tendons, nerves, blood vessels, or bones may be damaged.

If you can’t stop the bleeding, this is another sign that the bite may be serious. There are more than 60 varieties of bacteria in the canine mouth so the risk of a bite becoming infected is high, especially if the dog that bit you is unfamiliar.

Here are seven warning signs from healthline.com that a dog bite is infected or may be becoming infected:

• Pus or fluid oozing from the wound • Pain, swelling, redness or tenderness in areas near the bite • Loss of sensation around the bite • Limited use of the fingers or hand if the hand was bitten • Red streaks near the bite • Fever or chills • Night sweats

If you seek medical help for your bite, the doctor may ask you whether you know the owner of the dog; if you know if the dog is up to date on all vaccinations, including rabies; and if it appeared the dog was provoked. He may also ask about health conditions that put you at greater risk of infection.

Whether to suture a wound can also be controversial. WebMD.com points out that although suturing the injury can reduce scarring, the risk of infection increases with a tightly closed wound. Wounds to the face are usually treated with sutures for aesthetic reasons.

Checklist of What To Do If Bitten By a Dog

Other immediate things to keep in mind if you are the victim of a dog bite:

• Try to take photographs of your injuries or have a friend do so. Preserving the appearance of initial injuries and subsequent scarring or disfigurement is important.

• Record the names of the dog’s owner, harborer, or keeper and any witnesses. (Try to get the street address, home telephone, cell phone and e-mail address.) A “harborer” is a person who controls where a dog lives. For example, if a dog owner lives with his parents, they could be “harborers.” A “keeper” is a person who maintains control of a dog, even temporarily. If a friend is walking your dog and it breaks free and bites someone, that friend could be liable.

• File a report about the incident with your local animal control department. An investigation by the proper authorities can be very important if you later decide to file a legal claim.

• If the injury is serious in nature (requires stitches, surgery or a hospital stay), you should consider calling a dog bite attorney. The dog owner’s insurance company will be pushing to settle the claim as quickly as possible for the smallest amount and you will need professional help to present your case.

• Start a file. Save and record everything associated with your dog bite claim. Keep every medical bill. Keep track of any income or wages lost or forfeited as a result of your injuries.

Tetanus and Rabies

Tetanus

When you are bitten by a dog or another animal, these are two major disease concerns, tetanus and rabies. Fortunately both of these diseases are uncommon results of a bite in the United States. If an adult dog bite victim is up to date on tetanus shots, they may not need a booster shot, but it may be given as a precaution.

Persons ages 11-18 should receive, a Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) vaccine and a Td (tetanus and diphtheria) booster every 10 years thereafter. (Some physicians suggest a five-year interval.)

Tetanus is a serious bacterial infection caused when the Clostridium tetani bacterium is deposited in a wound or anywhere where the skin has been broken. The bacteria’s origin can also be soil, manure, dust, burns or non-sterile injection of drugs. The bacterium interferes with nerves that control muscle movement and painful spasms result. It is often referred to as “lockjaw” because it causes muscle contractions in the jaw and neck that eventually spread to other parts of the body.

Tetanus can lead to death, but according to mayoclinic.org, there are now fewer than 1,000 tetanus cases per year in the United States. The infection is preventable by vaccine and treatable by a medical professional. It spreads through contact with a contaminated object or surface.

Symptoms of tetanus appear from a few days to several weeks after the tetanus bacteria enter the body. The average incubation period is seven to 10 days. Common signs and symptoms are:

• Spasms and stiffness in jaw muscles • Stiffness of neck muscles • Stiffness of abdominal muscles • Difficulty swallowing • Painful body spasms lasting for several minutes, typically triggered by minor occurrences such as a loud noise, physical touch or light

Rabies

If a dog’s health status is unknown, or he tests positive for rabies, the dog bite victim will need to be vaccinated. Rabies is a virus that affects the human’s central nervous system and causes inflammation in the brain. Domestic dogs, cats, cows, ferrets, goats, horses and rabbits and wild animals (skunks, raccoons, beavers, coyotes, foxes, monkeys, woodchucks and bats) can transfer the virus to humans. People become exposed to rabies when they are bitten by an infected animal, or when saliva from an infected animal gets into an open wound or unto a mucous membrane.

https://dogbitesohio.com/recommendations-treating-dog-bite-injury-healthcare-professionals/

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Medical Marijuana Legal in Ohio But Program Still Needs To Be Developed

On September 8th Ohio officially became the 25th state in the U.S. where marijuana can legally be used for some medical purposes. It is expected the full program will not be in place until September 2018 and many are calling it a tightly regulated plan.

In several states where medical marijuana is legal, you can “smoke” marijuana and in 15 states you or your caregiver can grow it in small quantities. This is not the case in the Buckeye State. The smoking or combustion of marijuana is prohibited. Marijuana can only be ingested or used in the form of vapors, oils, tinctures, plant material, edibles or patches. One is not permitted to legally grow marijuana in Ohio for any use, even in small amounts.

Read more

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Reports of serious dog attacks on humans are making news in Ohio and getting response from residents, some who are turning to their local government.

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Victims of dog bites in Ohio don't always report their dog attack incidents. See common reasons why people are reluctant to take action.

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The rise in online shopping is exposing delivery workers to dog bite hazards. Learn more about this issue and steps being take to combat the problem.

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Ohio healthcare professionals provide recommendations for treating a dog bite injury. The most important tip is getting medical treatment immediately.

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Tips on how to behave around a dog in order to avoid dog attacks and recommendations for choosing a dog that is less likely to bite.

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Here are some general tips about how to behave around a dog followed by recommendations on things you should never do around a dog

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Harvard Study on C8 Contamination

It’s toxic and it’s most likely to be found in dangerous amounts near industrial, military, or firefighting training sites.

PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) or C8 is a manmade solvent which was used in the manufacture of Teflon and hundreds of industrial applications for more than sixty years at DuPont Washington Works near Parkersburg, West Virginia and many other locations around the country.

The chemical made its way into the public’s awareness after it was detected in the water supplies of tens of thousands of people living in the Mid-Ohio Valley. The detection prompted investigation and a class action lawsuit, which resulted in the legally binding conclusion that C8 exposure could be linked to six human health conditions: kidney cancer, testicular cancer, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, pre-eclampsia and medically diagnosed high cholesterol.

https://slaterzurz.com/harvard-study-c8-contamination/

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The Effects of C8 on Animals and Pets

Thousands of people living along the Ohio River have been sickened by an industrial poison emitted by a negligent corporation, but humans are not the only ones to suffer from this exposure. Countless animals and pets have also fallen victim to the C8 contamination.

DuPont calls it by the trade name C8. The scientific name is perfluorooctanoic acid or PFOA for short. It is a manmade fluorinated industrial solvent used for more than six decades to manufacture Teflon and hundreds of other commercial applications.

At the height of their popularity, perfluorinated chemicals were used in coatings for pizza and French fry boxes, microwave popcorn bags, candy bars, clothing, foil and post-it notes – just to name a few. They were also widely used in pet food bags.

https://slaterzurz.com/pets-victimized-by-c8/

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Not Too Late for Victims of C8 To Take Action

Every day people who live in the Mid-Ohio Valley are being diagnosed with chemical exposure related illnesses brought on by DuPont’s large scale use of a toxic solvent historically used in the manufacture of Teflon and hundreds of other consumer applications.

It is not too late for victims to avail themselves of the rights and privileges afforded under a 2004 class action settlement agreement – including filing personal injury claims against the poisoning company.

https://slaterzurz.com/not-too-late-to-take-action-with-c8/