How To Treat A Dog Bite On A Dog

Introduction

The sight of a dog bleeding and whimpering is one of the worst things that can happen to a dog owner. It’s worse if the dog has been bitten by another dog. Dog bites are common, especially when dogs are playing together. And, like a schoolyard fight, sometimes they get out of hand quickly—especially if one or both dogs is particularly aggressive. The most important thing you can do for your injured dog is to stay calm and get your pet to a veterinarian as soon as possible—even if the bite doesn’t look serious at first glance. Here’s how you should treat a dog bite on a dog:

FIND THE BITER

If you suspect your dog has been bitten by another dog, it’s important to get the biter identified and the extent of damage assessed. If a bite is minor, you might be able to treat it yourself at home. However, if there is any swelling or bleeding present, call your vet right away.

After removing any fur that got caught in the wound, clean out your dog’s wound with warm water and mild soap (like — just like human soap). Be careful not to hurt your dog while cleaning them out; find a way that feels comfortable for both of you so they don’t move while they’re being cleaned. Then apply an antibiotic ointment or cream over their entire wound before bandaging up their face carefully with gauze pads and medical tape (to avoid further irritation). Check back with these instructions frequently until all signs of injury have been eliminated from their face area!

FIND THE BITE AND THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE

Find the bite. First, you need to find the bite. Check your dog’s body carefully and look for any signs of blood or swelling.
Assess the damage. If it looks like there is a puncture wound, you can usually tell if it’s serious or superficial by just looking at it. If there are no puncture wounds but you see extensive bruising or swelling on an area of your dog’s body that has been bitten, this may be an indication that the injury may be more severe than previously thought—in other words, life-threatening!

CLEAN OUT THE WOUND

You should clean out the wound with a disinfectant, such as Betadine or hydrogen peroxide. If you have one, you can use a cotton swab to clean out the wound.

APPLY A TOPICAL ANTIBIOTIC TO THE OPEN WOUND.

You will need to apply a topical antibiotic to the open wound. This can be done with either a disinfectant cream or ointment, depending on the type of injury. If it is a deep bite that has torn through the skin, you should clean and dry the bite before treating it with the antibiotic.

An antibacterial gel can be applied directly onto your dog’s wound if he does not have access to water for washing his paws after being bitten by another dog in order to prevent infection from spreading into his system as well as providing pain relief for immediate relief from swelling and redness caused by bites

BANDAGE AND WRAP THE WOUND CAREFULLY.

BANDAGE THE WOUND CAREFULLY.
Use a clean, non-stick pad to apply pressure to the wound and another clean, non-stick pad as a cover that will hold in place over the dressing. If you’re using cloth bandages, they should be made from fabric that is soft against your dog’s skin (such as cotton) and not nylon or polyester. Your vet may also recommend an adhesive tape such as Vetrap® instead of traditional bandaging; this should only be used for minor injuries on adult dogs who have normal mobility because it can restrict movement too much for young puppies or older pets with joint problems.

ENSURE YOUR DOG IS STILL BREATHING AND STABLE.

If your dog has bitten you, it’s important to take a moment to assess the situation. If your dog is not breathing normally, bleeding excessively or does not seem stable, call 911 immediately. If the bite is minor and there are no other signs of injury or illness in your dog, then continue with these steps:

TAKE YOUR DOG TO AN EMERGENCY VETERINARY HOSPITAL.

If you are unsure of the extent of the bite, your dog is not behaving normally or seems to be in pain, take them to an emergency veterinary hospital. If the bite is deep or serious, go to the vet. If it’s on the face or head, go to the vet. If it’s on their body, go to the vet (unless they can pull off a band-aid).

Dog bites can look scary, but can often be treated at home if they’re not too deep or serious.

If you think you’ve been bitten by a dog and it looks like the bite may have broken your skin, or if the wound bleeds for longer than 10 minutes after cleaning it, contact your doctor immediately. If you see significant swelling around the bite or redness spreading up your arm or leg within 12 hours of being bitten, go to an emergency room as soon as possible.

It’s important to keep wounds clean while they heal so they don’t get infected; wash them with warm water and soap before applying an antibiotic ointment like Neosporin® every few hours until all signs of redness have disappeared (this should take 7–10 days). After that point, you may switch to an antiseptic cream like Betadine® instead of antibiotic ointments.

Conclusion

If you’ve followed these steps and your dog’s wound is healing, great! Make sure you keep their bandages clean and dry, and don’t worry if they smell a bit. That’s normal! If the wound isn’t healing or getting worse, or if your dog seems to be in pain, take them back to the vet for a checkup.