First aid for dog wounds on dogs

Do you want to know how to treat dog wounds on dogs?

If your pup gets hurt, are you worried that you won't know how to treat his injury?

Well, there's no need to panic! Just keep this guide to dog injury treatment close at hand, and you'll know exactly what to do.

Minor dog wounds on dogs

Most of these minor dog wounds can be treated at home, easily and quickly, if you have the right equipment on hand. When you bring home your new puppy (or before is even better!), make sure to put together your Dog First Aid Kit. It will give you peace of mind... and a headstart when little Fido hurts himself.

To treat minor dog wounds on dogs, wash your hands and then follow these guidelines :

• Clip away the hair from around the injury
  Put a dollop of KY Jelly/Petroleum Jelly over the cut or scrape to prevent the clipped hair stuck all over/in it. Then using either blunt-tipped scissors, or if your pup is long-coated, or the hair is thick at the location of the injury, using electric hair clippers, trim away the hair that surrounds the wound area, starting at the injury itself and working out. This will let you take a closer look at the dog wound and then you'll have a better idea of just how minor (or otherwise) it is.


• Clean the injured area
  Dog wounds on dogs can easily become infected, especially if the injury is a puncture wound, such as a dog bite injury. First you need to wipe the KY/Petroleum jelly away using a clean, sterile gauze pad. Then irrigate the dog wound with an antiseptic solution such as Betadine, a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution, or an antibacterial cleanser/wash. If you don't have any of these handy, a sterile saline solution (such as contact lens saline rinse, or saline nasal spray) or even warm tap water with a 1/4 tsp. of salt added, will do in a pinch!

  The best way to irrigate the wound is to fill a a syringe (the kind you get with your dog medicines for example), and wash out the injury several times. Keep working at it until the area looks clean and there doesn't seem to be any debris left in the wound itself.



• Pat the injured area dry
  Use a slightly damp (not dry, that will stick!) sterile, gauze pad, and then apply some anti-biotic ointment, spray or cream. If the dog cut/scrape is on an area that your puppy can easily lick, don't use too much ointment as he'll probably lick it right off! Keep an eye on these kinds of dog wounds for several days. Keep the area clean, and watch for any swelling, extra tenderness or redness that could indicate an infection setting in. If you're in any doubt at all, call your veterinarian immediately.

Major dog wounds on dogs

Although you shouldn't try to treat serious dog wounds or injuries yourself, there are some steps you can take to help your pup before/while you transport him to your local pet hospital or veterinarians' office. First, here are some signs that your dogs' injury is a major one and requires veterinary attention :

• Heavy bleeding
  Dog wounds on dogs that are bleeding heavily, or spurting bright red blood.


• Possible broken bones/internal injuries
  These kinds of dog injuries are likely if your pup's been hit by a car, for example.


• A dog bite injury
  If your pup suffers a dog bite injury, or is bitten by a wild animal the resulting puncture wound is serious, so is the threat of Rabies.


• Your pup is suffering from breathing irregularities or other difficulties
  If your puppy is breathing very heavily, or very shallow. If he's panting heavily, having difficulty standing, walking etc.


• If the dog wound looks very deep, wide or is gaping open
  It most likely needs stitches in this case.

The first thing to do when you're faced with major dog wounds on dogs, is to stop (or at least reduce) the bleeding asap. You can usually do this by placing a sterile, gauze pad over the dog wound and applying, constant, firm pressure.

If the wound is spurting bright red blood this indicates arterial damage. Try to elevate the area (easiest if the injured area is an leg of course). If that's not possible try to apply pressure to the artery supplying the injured area.

The major arteries are found inside and above the front legs (ie in the 'armpits'), inside and above the hind legs (ditto before), and under the tail.With any major dog wounds on dogs, it's vital that you get your pup to emergency pet veterinary care as soon as possible. Try to find someone who can drive you both there, that way you can keep your pup calm and continue to care for him on the way.

Once you've got your pup to the veterinarians' office or pet hospital, you can relax a little and pat yourself on the back for having the supplies on hand to deal with the emergency. The professional staff will now take over your puppy's treatment, and whether he needs stitches, surgery or dog medicines, you're in the right place!

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