Dog bites: hidden danger of fulminant sepsis.

Dog bites are a common problem in family practice. Although the summer months often show a seasonal increase in the number of bites seen, they can and do occur at any time during the year. Often the family pet, not a stray animal, inflicts the bite. Because many dog owners have their pets vaccinated and know whether their pet has been exposed to rabies, victims bitten by the family dog are likely to assume that they cannot be infected. This assumption, however, is not valid. The danger of not seeking medical attention for animal bites is that infection can occur even when caused by the most well-eared-for pet. The following is a case report of a patient who did not report a dog bite to his family physician, even at the initial signs and symptoms of systemic illness, because he thought the bite was unimportant and not related to his illness.