Injuries and wounds are part and parcel of a dog’s life. They are prone to accidents and land themselves in trouble every now and then because of their curious and exuberant nature. While some wounds are minor and can easily be taken care of at home, some others need immediate veterinary consultation. Here is how you must assess the wounds and treat them accordingly.

For Minor Injuries

Cuts, abrasions or lacerations on limbs or paws

  1. The foremost thing to do is to clean the dirty wound with warm salted water (1pint of water+1tpsn of salt).
  2. Pat the wound with a soft towel or cloth to remove the crusty or sticky dirt. Do not use cotton wool though.
  3. Apply a cold compress or a cold, wet towel on the wound for a few minutes.
  4. To avoid the dog from licking the wound, apply a bandage. However, make sure you change the bandage daily and keep it dry.
  5. Talk to your vet if antibiotics are required or not. Also, make sure you inform the vet if you notice any puss-like discharge, swelling, redness or smelly odour coming from the wound.
  6. Do not use these steps in case there is a deep cut or the bruise is swollen.

For Bite or Puncture Wounds –

Dogs often indulge in scuffles and can bite each other, injuring the skin and tissues. These wounds are often deep though they may seem small from outside. Therefore, immediate veterinary attention is needed for such wounds.

Another major reason to take vet’s help for such wounds is that animal bites can be teeming with bacteria so if a tissue is infected, it can fester and damage the nearby tissues as well. Thus, antibiotics prescribed by vets are necessary to deal with such wounds.

Animal bites on dogs also pose the danger of rabies, particularly, if the pet is bitten by a wild animal or a stray dog or cat.

For Major Injuries

For major injuries, it is important to stop the excessive bleeding in the first place and call the vet immediately.

  1. Cover the wound with a clean towel/dressing and apply pressure by placing your hand over the covered wound.
  2. Apply more dressing if the previous dressing is already completely drenched with blood.
  3. Continue to apply pressure without disturbing the first dressing.
  4. Lightly bandage the wound if you can while heading to the vet’s clinic.

Precautions You Must Take If Your Pet Is Injured

  • Injured pets can get really aggressive and may even bite because of the pain, even though they have never bitten you. Therefore, make sure you do not touch the dog immediately. Take help from another person to close his muzzle and then hold his limbs.
  • Do not allow the dog to lick his wounds. Use Elizabeth collar instead.
  • When a dog gets injured on the chest and he seems to have difficulty breathing, tightly wrap the wound with a cling film to prevent the air from entering the wound.
  • If there is an object lodged on the wound, never try to remove it. If it is long, then you can cut it short but not too short that it becomes difficult to dislodge.
  • Take the pet to the vet immediately in case of major emergencies.

Whenever a pet is injured, it is necessary to remember that most of the wounds that seem superficial can turn out to be really deep. There could be a major tissue damage beneath and thus must be diagnosed by the vet, as soon as possible, to get the dog right treatments and care.

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