Leave it to our kid to make life extra-interesting within days of welcoming Baby #2!
Last Thursday, after picking him up from daycare, Craig called me and said he was taking Brantley to Urgent Care for a puncture wound. Miss Stephanie, our daycare provider, wasn't exactly sure of all the details as she didn't see them unfold, but to Craig, it was apparent that Brantley had been bitten by Rudy, Miss Stephanie's dog.
Rudy is a puppy--a less than 1-year old Golden Retriever. He was a new addition to the family as of last fall and has always been the nicest of dogs. Brantley loves Rudy, and consequently, Rudy has always been a big Brantley-fan, as well. After Googling it, it seems Golden Retrievers are known to be family-friendly dogs and great around children.
The wound isn't terrible, but bad enough. About a centimeter long on the inside of his left hand. And again, I'm not sure of the details. But according to the doctor at Urgent Care, it was consistent with a dog bite and that's how it's being treated. We have to clean the bite twice daily and dress it with gauze and antibiotic ointment. Brantley's also on an oral antibiotic and we're supposed to watch the wound for signs of infection. It didn't require stitches only because the doctor didn't want to stitch up any impending infection.
We are no stranger to the fact that accidents happen. Heck, last night Brantley fell against the corner of our ottoman and ended up with a nice goose egg and large purple bruise on his forehead. And for all we know, Brantley could have been aggravating the dog, as he's not always the most gentle with Kinnick at home. But it is what it is and our child was bitten.
So now what? We've always felt that Miss Stephanie provides a more-than-safe environment for our child. Brantley loves going to daycare there. Are we crazy, irresponsible parents for sending him back to the daycare where he was bit, or do we give everyone involved (dog included) the benefit of the doubt that it was a one-time incident and trust that it won't happen again? We would obviously feel awful and blame ourselves if it were to happen again, especially if a future bite is significantly worse. But, is this reason to pull our kid from the daycare we've always known, loved, and trusted?? I don't know if there is a right answer...
oh, goodness. How terrible! Poor little boy! I babysit in my home and always make sure to keep our dog away from the babies (mine and the one I watch). He's a good dog, but you just never know. Maybe one of the babies will pet him a little too hard, pull on his fur, pat his butt, or put their face in his mouth. They don't know any different, they are just babies. And he's a dog, so well, there's that. You really have to just be careful when a dog is near a baby.
ReplyDelete...was your sitter not in the room? How did she not see what happened? Are there lots of other babies that she watches? I feel like if your son is one of two or three babies, and there was a dog in the room she should have seen what happened. I know he's just a puppy and puppies play with their mouth, but if I were her I would not take my eyes off the babies when the puppy is near! I'm sorry you're in this situation. I hope you figure out what to do and are at peace with it. Probably it was a one time thing as he's a puppy, but yikes!