Risk to small children from family dog often

underestimated
Date:
September 7, 2016
Source:
University of Veterinary Medicine -- Vienna
Summary:
Dog bites suffered by young children are often inflicted by the family dog. Such incidents
frequently occur despite the presence of an adult. A survey of dog owners shows that
people underestimate risky situations involving the family dog.

Children love petting dogs, playing with them and crawling after them. They especially love to
hug or cuddle the family dog. Unwanted close contact sometimes causes dogs to feel harassed
and they respond by snapping at the child. Many cases of dog bites involving small children
happen in everyday life as the result of an apparently friendly interaction on the part of the child.

Bite incidents often occur despite supervision

"Dog owners should recognize situations in which their dog may feel harassed and they should
intervene in time. Nevertheless, many bite incidents occur right in front of the adults' eyes,"
explains study director Christine Arhant from the Institute of Animal Husbandry and Animal
Protection at Vetmeduni Vienna. Her team is investigating why bite incidents involving the
family dog are so common even under adult supervision. The group looked at the results of an
online survey in order to provide the first analysis of parental attitudes regarding the supervision
of child-dog interactions.

"Most of the respondents are aware of the general risk of dog bites," says Arhant. The majority
of the participants, however, underestimated the risk involving smaller dogs. Asked to look at
pictures of child-dog interactions, the respondents rated interactions with unfamiliar dogs as
inherently riskier than with the family dog.

Trust put ahead of attentiveness

Situations involving unfamiliar dogs, even with relatively lower risk, were rated as potentially
dangerous. When it comes to the family dog, however, nearly all situations were rated as
harmless with no need for intervention. Only the situation of a child cuddling with the dog in the
dog's bed was rated as a potential risk. Around 50 percent of respondents allow the child to play
or cuddle with the dog as much as they want. The same number leaves the child and dog
unsupervised.

"The healthy distrust of unfamiliar dogs does not appear to exist toward the family dog," Arhant
concludes. "People trust their own dog and exclude the possibility of a bite incident." This not
only reduces attentiveness, but dog owners also assume that the family dog is more tolerant and
more patient than other dogs. "But people need to respect their dog's need for rest and a place of
its own," Arhant says.

Attention should be paid to the dog's need for space

The online survey shows that dog owners provide for their dog's basic needs, such as walks or
separate resting and feeding places. But most respondents appear not to know that a dog needs
undisturbed resting periods away from small children. Only a few participants said they made
sure that the resting and feeding place for the family dog was out of the children's reach. "Spatial
separation means adults do not always have to be attentive to the child-dog interaction. The child
is safe and the dog has the chance to relax undisturbed," the study director explains.

Awareness alone is not enough

The lack of adequate resting areas and resting periods for the dog may create situations in
everyday life that could lead to a bite incident. Dog owners must therefore be instructed in
proper child-dog supervision. Important factors include attentive observation, guidance of the
child's interactions with the dog and separating the dog from the child if necessary.

Children unable to recognize threat

Small children are not yet capable of understanding that a dog does not always want to be
touched and followed everywhere it goes. If the dog feels harassed by the child or restricted in its
freedom, it will communicate this through body language. Clear signs include body tension,
growling, frequent licking of the snout and yawning. Small children have difficulties interpreting
this behaviour. Even a growling dog or one baring its teeth is often described by children as
smiling.

Story Source:

Materials

provided by University of Veterinary Medicine -- Vienna. Note: Content may be edited for
style and length.
DOH reports 2017 accomplishments
By
Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco
-
January 25, 2018

THE Department of Health (DOH) has reported its 2017 accomplishments bannered by the
signing of three key executive orders by President Duterte, which show the health priorities of
the administration: Access to responsible parenthood and reproductive Health services
(Executive Order 12), establishment of smoke-free environments (Executive Order 26) and the
regulation and controlled use of firecrackers (Executive Order 28).

Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III concluded the 2017 year-end roundup of the DOH on a
positive note that the DOH, despite the recent controversies, will continue to take the lead in
providing vital health programs and services for the Filipino people.

“[The year] 2017 may have been indeed a year fraught with challenges, but these do not define
the health department as an organization still with so many well-meaning, competent and
hardworking people in its ranks. The DOH that I know is No. 1 in terms of public service and
satisfaction because Filipinos recognize how they can always count on the expertise and the
ready helping hand of the DOH,” Duque said.

Duque also reported that the agency, through the Philhealth, was able to provide social health
insurance coverage at 91 percent of the total population and paid out Z benefit claims for
catastrophic health care amounting to P361 million. The Z benefit package covers peritoneal
dialysis, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, breast-cancer surgery, kidney transplantation and
ventricular septal defect surgery.

Through the DOH Medical Assistance Program, the DOH was also able to serve some 1.33
million poor patients in government hospitals, amounting to a total of P 3.71 Billion.

Meanwhile, some 1.48 million beneficiaries were provided with free access to medicines for
hypertension, diabetes, stroke, mental-health disorders, thalassemia, Kawasaki disease, as well as
breast cancer and common childhood cancers.

Another highlight of the DOH accomplishment is the immediate response to the recent Marawi
crisis.

The health chief reported that 167 medical teams composed of 646 personnel were deployed on
scheduled rotation, provided free consultation services to 104,415 internally displaced persons at
26 referral hospitals coordinated by the DOH, and provided P222 million worth of logistics,
services and financial assistance to address the health needs of an estimated 84,351 families, or
389,366 individuals during the Marawi siege.
Duque added that in May 2017, the Philippine Health Facilities Development Plan 2017–2022
was approved by President Duterte, which outlines the medium-term investment plan of the
government in rehabilitating and upgrading existing health facilities and constructing new health
facilities across the country.

The plan aims to build one barangay health station (BHS) in every barangay, one rural health
unit (RHU) in every urban health center with a population of approximately 20,000, one hospital
bed for every 800-person population and at least two mega-hospitals in Visayas and Mindanao,
while improving access to specialty services in all regions.

Thus far, the DOH, through its Health Facilities Enhancement Program, has constructed 408 new
facilities (362 barangay health stations, 46 rural health units), upgraded/repaired 594 existing
facilities (55 BHS, 273 RHU, 266 LGU hospitals) and equipped 404 facilities with basic and
advanced medical equipment (231 BHS, 82 RHU and 91 LGU hospitals).

With regard to the deployment of health workers, Duque reported that the DOH has provided
516 doctors, 17,538 nurses, 4,549 midwives, 788 allied health professionals (medical
technologists and pharmacists) and 4,248 public health support staff deployed to geographically
isolated and disadvantaged and high-poverty areas. The DOH also granted full scholarships to
1,034 medical and midwifery students through the DOH Pre-Service Scholarship Program
composed of 584 medical students and 450 midwifery students.

In 2017 DOH also continued to push back some priority infectious diseases declaring 10 more
provinces as malaria-free, three provinces and one city as filariasis-free and eight municipalities
as rabies-free.

More than 30 million Filipino children were also given deworming drugs in the health
department’s war against worms and malnutrition.

On the international front, the DOH also featured prominently the hosting of the Asean summit
last year by leading the development of Asean Leaders’ Declarations on Ending All Forms of
Malnutrition and Combating Anti-Microbial Resistance. Eleven activities were also organized
and hosted by the country to develop Asean-wide policies and strategies on malnutrition,
antimicrobial resistance, HIV/AIDS, traditional medicine, noncommunicable diseases, and
strengthening health systems.

About 130 emergency response teams were also deployed during the ASEAN Summit, which
provided 929 consultation services to the attendees and the Asean personnel.

“We will aim once again to regain the trust of our people through integrity and good governance
in 2018,” Duque concluded.