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Article: Pulling teeth on dog bites. (includes related information)
- Article from:
- Medical Update
- Article date:
- March 1, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 Benjamin Franklin Literary & Medical Society, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The frenzied postman with the seat of his trousers shredded by an unfriendly dog is favorite fodder for cartoonists -- but dog bites are no joke. A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, estimates that dogs bite some 4.5 million Americans -- 2 percent of our population -- every year. Nearly 800,000 of these bites require medical attention, and about 18 persons die from dog bites each year.
Dr. Wayne Hunthausen of Westwood, Kansas, who served as a consultant during a recent American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) meeting, said, "We have to educate dog owners on their responsibilities. Most people don't know ...