Dog Wound Care
All of us hurt ourselves from time to time. Cuts and scrapes happen, and even the odd slice that requires stitches. Bites not so much unless we’re talking about mosquitos. But if you’re a dog bites are definitely just as inevitable, along with other types of wounds that their owners are going to want to make sure heal properly. Lots of homes outside of the big cities have large backyards, and some are even fortunate enough to have acreages. Dogs that are lucky enough to live there have a lot to enjoy, but they may come back in a little banged up sometimes. It’s good to know best dog wound care methods.
Most dogs will happily wear their collar, but that’s about it. Try to put a sweater or a raincoat, but most will be trying to get out of them the whole time. There are such things as dog boots, but imagine that majority of dogs that are used to running freely over large areas aren’t going to tolerate having anything on their paws. The reason we mention all of this is because it’s the paws that dogs hurt most often and treating a cut on dog’s paw is one of the most common dog wound care approaches.
We’ll look at dog health care in greater detail here, and at wound healing for dogs and what to do to best ensure their skin heals as quickly as possible.
Blackberry Pie
You might think we’re about to veer way off topic here, but bear with me and we’ll eventually get to dog wound care too. But first let’s talk about pie.
Here’s a scenario. Don’t know about you, but most people love baking blackberry pie. Those who are even more motivated will make blackberry jam. Either requires picking blackberries, and that means getting right into the thicket to get all the best berries. Who wouldn’t take their dog with them when going to pick blackberries, right?
Now you’ll be reaching in cautiously to avoid the thorns, but if your dog sees a rabbit or anything else it would like to chase then it’s going to charge into the bushes without a second thought. That’s probably going to mean thorns in their paws and elsewhere. Treating a thorn in paw is one of the most common things that people look for when it comes to dog wound care, and maybe it’s especially true if you’re a dog owner who picks plenty of blackberries!
The two things to know about getting thorns out of a dog’s skin is that you should always have a dedicated pair of tweezers and a frozen cold compress at the ready. Especially in the summertime.
Step-By-Step Dog Wound Care
If a dog has been cut anywhere besides its snout or paws, the first thing you will need to consider is whether you will need to clip the fur in the area in order to proceed with dog wound care. Some will wonder “what can you put on a dog wound?”, and we’ll get to that but first let’s take about trimming dog fur after a cut. Most dog owners will already have an electric clipper for dog grooming, and if you do you can simply remove the guard or pull the manual adjust lever so that it is set to buzz cut and then clip the fur around the wound area.
Scissors can be used if you don’t have a clipper handy. Clean the wound with fresh water and then follow the rest of this method for the fastest healing with dog wound care:
- Apply a non-stinging antiseptic to cleanse the wound.
Unless the cut is visibly deep and will obviously require stitches, you will be good with cleansing and bandaging the wound most of the time. The biggest risk would be infection, and of course that’s real possibility with dogs that are outdoors much of the time. Chlorhexidine is a very common and inexpensive antibacterial solution you can buy pretty much anywhere. Keep some of it in your home as a cut disinfectant for dogs.
- Apply a quality antibacterial ointment.
This is the number one step to make dog wound care and healing as fast as possible. This is not only what to put on a dog wound, but also the best thing to put on a dog wound to make the cut heal as thoroughly as possible. Making sure the wound is covered and not disturbed while it heals plays a part, but a good antibacterial ointment for dogs is what will make the difference. Some will suggest polysporin for dogs, and you can use it although there are other antibacterial for dog products designed specifically for animals that may be better
A good antibiotic ointment for dogs will be one that has bacitracin, neomycin, or polymyxin B as their active ingredients. Don’t buy ones that have any type of corticosteroid ingredient like hydrocortisone and often it’s the inexpensive products that will have this ingredient.
- Cover the wound with a bandage and repeat every few days.
Cover the clipped and treated wound area with a bandage to keep it from being exposed. You should change the bandage every few days, as well as cleansing the wound again and applying the dog antibiotic ointment at least one more time.
It’s always best to be proactive in your dog’s health and well being, and while wounds are inevitable you can help dogs deal with arthritis by giving them another great product. So, deal with the thorns from blackberry thickets and make sure they’re keen to tag along on picking days well into their old age!
