Dog Bites Insurance Companies: Man’s Best Friend Behind One-Third of All Homeowner Claims

From 2003 to 2012, the value of dog bite claims increased 51%, a rate that far outpaces inflation. The average dog bite claim payout rose from $19,162 in 2003 to $29,752 last year, an increase of 55%. (MORE: Millions on Pet Halloween Costumes? Why We Spend More and More on Pets ) Insurers take notice of such data, and yes, owning a dogespecially one that has bitten someonecan affect your policy. In general, the fact that you have a dog doesnt factor into what rate you pay for homeowners insurance. But as the New York Times noted , once a dog bite takes place at your home, the insurer could raise the premium or even exclude dog-related injuries from coverage. Some animal cruelty prevention societies report that homeowners have been denied insurance because they own certain high-risk breeds of dogs, including Pit Bulls and Rottweilers.
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Beware of the dog: County reports rise in canine bites

The study noted that for cat bites, 77% of patients received appropriate treatment and only 15% or fewer had inappropriate or inadequate treatment; about 8% were transferred elsewhere for care. There's also the problem of MRSA bacteria from human bites. In that case, the study reported that with human bites, slightly over 50% were correctly treated, about 45% had either inadequate or inappropriate treatment, and the remainder were transferred. Interestingly in the study, just five patients who had appropriate treatment had been given therapy active against community-acquired MRSA, as had seven of those inadequately treated. Those patients were treated with a common agent which was first-generation cephalosporin, which was given to 15 patients. Cephalosporins: Antibiotics sometimes given to dog-bite victims Cephalosporins are indicated for the prophylaxis and treatment of infections caused by bacteria susceptible to this particular form of antibiotic, according to the Wikipedia site on cephalosporins . First-generation cephalosporins are active predominantly against Gram-positive bacteria, and successive generations have increased activity against Gram-negative bacteria (albeit often with reduced activity against Gram-positive organisms). Common adverse drug reactions (ADRs) (1% of patients) associated with the cephalosporin therapy include: diarrhea, nausea, rash, electrolyte disturbances, and/or pain and inflammation at injection site.
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Dog bites man - a lot

Some cover the owner only if the dog is taken to behavior classes or is restrained in public with a muzzle, chain or cage. Others deny coverage altogether. Patterson of the AVMA calls insurers' singling out certain breeds misguided. The data, she says, do not bear out the contention that one breed is more apt to bite than another, though she allows that big dogs, by virtue of their size and strength, may do more damage when they bite. "A Great Dane, a retriever can do a pretty good job of biting, if they decide to." But if you look at "willingness to bite," she says, there's no evidence that pit bulls, for example, are more dangerous than Pekinese.
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Treating dog bites

For owners:n Keep your pets current on their rabies vaccination to maintain a protective barrier for your family, friends and others.n Maintain immediate physical control (e.g., leashing) over your dog to secure it from other people and animals as necessary.n Retain behavioral control through obedience/discipline training, socialization with other people/animals, and awareness of surroundings fears or triggers that your dog may have.n Monitor children closely, especially around dog treats, food, toys, chew bones and territory.For everyone:n Dont approach/initiate contact with unfamiliar dogs/strays (or wildlife).n Monitor children closely (important enough to repeat).n Dont place yourself in harms way (removing objects from a dogs mouth, breaking up dogfights, violating the dogs (or owners) space. Posted: Saturday, August 3, 2013 2:00 am Beware of the dog: County reports rise in canine bites By Cara R. Anthony News-Post Staff The Frederick News-Post | 7comments If you think a dog's bark is worse than his bite, it might be time to reconsider especially in Frederick County, where a growing population has the number of reported dog bites on a steady rise. In 2012, 404 dog bites were reported, according to Frederick County Animal Control. That's out of 7,411 dog bites reported statewide. The number of reported dog bites has increased since 2008, according to available data.
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Dogs Put $489M Bite on Home Insurance Industry

The big dog, in defense, picked up the little dog by the neck," said Roahrig, who used her hands to try and save Ozzie. "I thought I could open the big dog's jaw. I did open it, but she about chewed my finger off before I pulled it out." Though her finger was crushed, she managed to twist Jade's collar until the dog dropped Ozzie. She ended up in the emergency room because Jade had bitten through the joint. She now has a pin in her finger and a fused bone.
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