Admission Information to Predict Canine Bite Wound Outcomes

In the Literature

Cook ME, Guest KE, Creutzinger ML, Reineke EL, Tinsley A, Hall KE. Retrospective evaluation of admission variables associated with outcome in dogs with bite wound trauma (12,412 cases): an ACVECC-VetCOT registry study. J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio). 2026;36(1):66-76. doi:10.1111/vec.70092

The Research …

Bite wounds are a common emergency room presentation and account for ≈40% of all canine traumas.¹ The external trauma of bite wounds may not represent the extent of the underlying injury, as these wounds can result in blunt injury, penetrating injury, or a combination thereof. Extensive injury can thus result in severe systemic consequences (eg, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, sepsis, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome).²

In this study, the Veterinary Committee on Trauma (VetCOT) database was used to collect admission variables of dogs with bite wounds (n = 12,412) that were then analyzed to evaluate outcome and whether the outcome was different in patients with blunt bite injuries, penetrating bite injuries, or both.

Results demonstrated that bite wounds had an excellent overall survival rate (mortality across all types of bite trauma, 4.93%), which was higher than prior studies and is likely attributed to overall advancement in veterinary care over time.^3-6 Consistent with previous reports, dogs with a higher body weight had a survival advantage, and male dogs were overrepresented.^3-8 Unlike prior research,³ this study showed decreased survival in older dogs.

Some clinicopathologic abnormalities (eg, lower base excess, higher lactate concentration, lower ionized calcium, lower packed cell volume [PCV], lower total protein [TP], hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia) were associated with decreased survival. Animal Trauma Triage (ATT) subscores for perfusion, cardiac, respiratory, eye/musculoskeletal/integument, and neurologic categories, as well as the modified Glasgow Coma Scale (MGCS) brain subcategory, were also associated with survival outcomes. Head trauma, spinal trauma, or indications for blood transfusions or mechanical ventilation were associated with negative outcomes. Surgical intervention appeared to be associated with positive outcomes, particularly in patients undergoing surgery in an emergency room compared with other locations (eg, operating room). Patients with both blunt bite injuries and penetrating bite injuries had greater mortality rates than those with either injury type alone.

… The Takeaways

Key pearls to put into practice:

• Although admission data can help predict outcomes, many variables should be considered. ATT and MGCS scores should be trended over time and can be complicated by shock, pain, or previous treatment with sedatives or analgesics. Caution is thus needed if using these data at a single time point or in isolation for prognostication.

• Some laboratory values may require further consideration. For example, PCV and TP values in this study were statistically different between survivors and nonsurvivors; however, both values were within the reference intervals provided by the laboratory. Other values (eg, lactate) may be more useful when trended clinically over time rather than used at a single time point.⁹

• Overall, patients with bite wound injuries have an excellent prognosis, even if surgical intervention is required. Although this study showed decreased survival in older dogs, possibly due to underlying comorbidities, a selection bias toward euthanasia in older dogs cannot be ruled out.