When a stray, feral, or neighborhood dog bites your dog, you need to act quickly to prevent further injury and get you and your dog to a safe location. Being prepared for an emergency like this will help you keep a calm head and save you and your dog from life-threatening injuries. Here’s what to do if another dog bites your dog: 

Distract the Aggressive Dog and Remove Your Dog from the Situation

As quickly and safely as you can, distract the other dog by making a loud noise, throwing a water bottle or treats at its head to distract it, using pepper spray or mace, or using a stick to hit the dog in the nose. While these tactics may seem brutal, an aggressive, dangerous dog can inflict serious injuries to your dog and seriously injure you very quickly. It may also be carrying rabies or another dangerous disease. Try to get an object in between you, your dog, and the aggressive dog, like a table, car, tree, etc. Then remove your dog from the area quickly.

Assess Your Dog’s Injuries

When you are in a calm, enclosed space, evaluate your dog’s injuries to assess their severity. If your dog has a wound that is bleeding a lot, use a clean cloth to apply pressure to the wound. Then prepare your dog for transport to your veterinarian by putting your dog in a box, dog bed, or other stabilizing device in your car.

Visit Your Veterinarian & Contact Animal Control 

Take your dog to your veterinarian or emergency veterinary hospital for medical care. A veterinarian can disinfect the wound, reduce the risk of infection, and vaccinate your dog against disease. Even though it may feel uncomfortable or awkward, you should also contact your local animal control and provide details about the attack, whether you know the dog’s owner or not. This can prevent more pets from being injured. 

All animal bites should be treated by a veterinarian due to the risk of infection and disease transmission, so please bring your dog to your closest emergency veterinary hospital right away.