Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pet with bite wounds on chest - what injuries to expect?
By McKiernan, B C et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1984·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Thoracic bite wounds and associated internal injury in 11 dogs and 1 cat.
Plain-English summary
A group of 11 dogs and 1 cat suffered from serious injuries after being bitten, leading to wounds on their chests. Many of these pets showed signs like difficulty breathing and had internal injuries that were visible on X-rays. Treatment varied from cleaning and repairing the wounds to major surgery and draining fluid from the chest. Unfortunately, three of the animals did not survive due to the severity of their injuries.
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Abstract
In 11 dogs and 1 cat with thoracic bite wounds and associated internal injury, the most common radiographic findings were subcutaneous emphysema, pulmonary infiltrates (contusion), pneumothorax, and rib separation. Treatment consisted of simple wound cleansing/repair, extensive thoracic surgery, or pleural drainage. Three of the 12 animals died or were euthanatized as a result of their bite wounds, 1 from a nonthoracic injury and 2 as a result of pleural and/or parenchymal disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6715227/