How To Cure A Dog Wound
Treat Minor Pet Wounds at Home – Before you begin, make sure you have someone to help you restrain your pet while you treat the wound. If no one is available, you can also use a muzzle. Even if your pet has never been aggressive, pain can cause a pet to react differently. Avoid scratches or bites by having a plan to keep your pet stable and calm while you treat the wound.
- Stop the bleeding. If the wound is bleeding, put a clean towel or cloth over the wound and apply light pressure. If the wound is bleeding profusely, it’s best to go to the veterinary emergency hospital since this is a more serious wound than a simple cut.
- Clean the wound. Puncture wounds, such as a bite wound, can appear minor, but they are not. Bite wounds contain bacteria that can cause infection. Even if it is small, clean and bandage the wound. To do this, use a water bottle with clean water in it and spray on the wound to clean out any debris, dirt, etc.
- Remove any foreign objects with tweezers. If there are things like glass, twigs, thorns, etc. in the wound, remove them with tweezers. Use a magnifying glass to remove all of the debris.
- Disinfect the wound. Using a cleanser such as diluted betadine or chlorhexidine, which are often included in a packaged first aid kit, gently clean the injured area. Do not use rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide as these can damage the tissue and delay healing.
- Cover up the wound with a bandage. Apply a small amount of antibacterial ointment and cover the wound with a piece of sterile gauze or other bandage. Use the elastic tape to hold the bandage in place.
- Consider an E-collar. Pets can’t understand not to bite or lick at a bandage. Since their mouths can spread bacteria into the wound (and have you repeatedly disinfecting and reapplying a bandage), consider using an E-collar (aka cone of shame) to protect the wound site.
When finished, reward your pet for being a brave boy or girl with a small treat. Take care to remove the old bandage after 24 hours and replace with a new one. Monitor how your pet’s wound is healing. If you notice there is additional bleeding, changes to the color of the wound, swelling, or discharge, contact us.
Contents
How long can it take for a dog wound to heal?
Inflammation – This stage is the body’s immediate reaction upon sustaining a wound. While it may cause the most pain and is the most physically noticeable too, it is an essential part of the healing process. According to research, inflammation is the immune system’s first response to sustaining a wound.
- The damaged tissues send signals to the body to start the process of healing.
- First, the body’s capillaries are given signals to tighten while the arterioles are given signals to expand.
- This increases the blood flow, white blood cells, and fluid towards the location of the wound.
- As it happens, there is an increased protein count in the fluids, which then brings more water to the wounded area, thus resulting in swelling, heat, redness, pain, and stiffness.
These symptoms are just normal, except when your dog has a high fever and too much bleeding on the location of the wound. If so, it’s best to bring your dog to the vet immediately for diagnosis and treatment. Normally, it may take about a week for the inflammation to wear off, but it also depends on how severe the wound is as well as your dog’s overall health.
Can a dog licking a wound help it heal faster?
Can Dogs Heal Wounds by Licking? – No, not really. Dogs lick naturally because it is the only way they can keep their wounds clean. When you’re a wild, wounded dog, the only way you can remove dirt from your wound is by licking. You can’t rinse it off in a sink with clean water and use a clean towel for drying it.
Dogs also don’t have band-aids and similar coverings to help the wound stay clean until it is healed. All you have is your ability to lick the wound clean. Therefore, nature has developed this ability into the best thing that it can. Dogs’ saliva prevents some bacteria from growing. However, this is only minorly effective, and the benefits largely stop there.
There is nothing in a dog’s saliva that can make wounds heal faster. They don’t heal their wounds by licking; they simply keep them clean to prevent infection. It is important to remember that dogs in the wild can easily succumb to infected wounds – and they often do.
Should I wash my dogs wound?
Providing Ongoing Care for a Wounded Dog – Your dog’s wound will need to be monitored at least twice a day to ensure that infection doesn’t set in and healing is proceeding as expected. Clean the wound with water or a pet-safe antiseptic solution twice a day, contact your vet immediately if the wound become inflamed and shows signs of infection.
Can I wash my dog with an open wound?
If you need to bathe a dog with open wounds you are going to need to be careful, extremely careful. You do not want to contaminate the wounds with bacteria and dirt from your dog’s body, or get irritating detergents or bathing products in the wound. Use water only, and spot clean to prevent wounds from further damage.
What can I do if my dog has an infected wound?
After Care – Monitor your pup’s wound at least twice a day to ensure that infection doesn’t set in and healing is proceeding as expected. Clean the wound with water or a pet-safe antiseptic solution twice a day, contact your vet immediately if the wound become inflamed and shows signs of infection.
