German Shepherd attacks 3-year-old boy, ruptures kidney

Bác sĩ Bệnh viện Sản nhi tỉnh Phú Thọ thăm khám cho bệnh nhi bị chó béc giê tấn công - Ảnh: BVCC — Doctors at Phu Tho Province Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital examine a child attacked by a German Shepherd - Photo: BVCC

On April 1, Phu Tho Province Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital announced that it had just received two children with multiple injuries due to dog bites. Among them was a 3-year-old boy with abdominal trauma and a ruptured kidney due to a German Shepherd attack.

Boy HMK (3 years old, residing in Vinh Phuc) was taken by his family to Phu Tho Province Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital for emergency treatment on March 29 after being attacked by two neighbor's German Shepherd dogs.

According to the family, the two dogs weighed about 25kg each. When admitted to the hospital, K. was in a panic, crying, had many injuries on his head, face, groin, back, and legs, and was urinating a lot of blood.

The child was immediately given first aid, had the wound cleaned, used pain relievers, and received tetanus and rabies vaccinations.

After having the child undergo an ultrasound, X-ray, and CT scan to assess the extent of damage to the organs, the doctors discovered that the child had a ruptured kidney that had to be split into two pieces, with drug leaking into the space around the kidney.

Doctor Nguyen Duc Lan, head of the general pediatric surgery department of Phu Tho Province Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, assessed this as a complicated case.

"Although the external soft tissue injuries are not too serious, there is serious abdominal trauma and kidney rupture, so close monitoring and emergency surgical treatment are needed if conservative treatment is not effective," said Dr. Lan.

The patient was treated according to an active protocol. After 4 days of treatment, the child is now awake, has no fever, can eat, has little fluid in the soft tissue wounds, and is gradually stabilizing.

A week earlier, the hospital also admitted a 4-year-old patient who was attacked by his grandfather's dog, bitten on the head and right arm.

Luckier than baby K., this patient only had skin wounds. Doctors treated the wound, gave him a rabies vaccination and prepared him to be discharged from the hospital.

"From the two cases above, doctors recommend that parents and caregivers should closely monitor and not let children play with dogs or cats, especially strange dogs or large dogs or cats.

When children are bitten or injured by dogs, cats or wild animals, they should be taken to medical facilities immediately for examination, advice and treatment instructions.

At the same time, dog and cat owners also need to fully vaccinate their pets and have them re-vaccinated every year according to veterinary recommendations; dogs and pets must not be let loose on the street. If dogs and pets are taken out on the street, they must be muzzled to avoid attacking others," Dr. Lan advised.

Exercise in public, I'm afraid of dog bites

Parks and embankments are public places, so let's keep them clean so that people won't be haunted by the fear of being bitten by dogs when they go for a walk or exercise.

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