How To Treat An Open Wound On A Dog

Introduction

So, your dog has an open wound. What should you do?

Well, the first thing to do is to remain calm…

You’ll want to assess the situation, of course. This can be difficult when you see your poor furry family member bleeding and suffering, but try to focus. Take a look at the wound itself first. Then think about how it could have happened; was there a fight with another animal? Or did they run into something sharp in their environment? This might give you clues as to what kind of wound it is — and therefore, how best to treat it.

For example, if they were fighting with another dog or wild animal bite wounds tend to be puncture wounds which require different treatment than lacerations from glass or barbed wire. Puncture wounds are at greater risk for infection because bacteria can get lodged deep under the skin where antibiotics have trouble reaching them. Lacerations are at risk for severe blood loss (especially if an artery is nicked) and tetanus if contaminated by dirty soil or rusty metal (tetanus cannot be contracted from other animals).

Whatever type of wound your pet has, there are some general steps we recommend following…

Stop bleeding

Place a clean cloth or cotton ball over the wound.
Keep it elevated, if possible.
Apply pressure for at least 10 minutes—the longer you can keep the pressure on, the better.
Press hard enough to stop bleeding and prevent swelling but not so hard that you might cause pain or discomfort in your dog. Make sure that you are applying pressure on the outside of his body rather than inside (where there are blood vessels); don’t apply too much pressure near joints, bones or tendons; avoid applying pressure to deep wounds (they may bleed more than shallow ones).

Clean the wound

To clean the wound, you can use a clean cloth or cotton ball soaked in warm water. If you don’t have any warm water available, you can also gently wipe it down with a damp cloth that’s been soaked in hot water. Avoid soap and hydrogen peroxide—they’re unnecessary and might irritate your dog’s skin even further. Alcohol should be used as sparingly as possible; it can be extremely drying to wounds and may cause them to take longer to heal. Lastly, iodine is an excellent disinfectant but should only be used topically—it shouldn’t come into contact with broken tissue (like an open wound).

Apply a topical antibiotic

Apply a topical antibiotic ointment. Apply a thin layer of the ointment to the wound three or four times per day, repeating this process until the wound is healed. If you have any concerns about whether your dog has an allergy to an antibiotic, ask your veterinarian before using it on him or her.

You should avoid applying topical antibiotics directly onto an open wound; instead, apply it only to unbroken skin around it!

Keep an eye on your dog’s wound.

Keep your dog’s wound clean and dry.
Cover the wound with a bandage to keep it clean and dry. If hair is matted down over the area of concern, you may need to cut it away gently with shears or a sharp knife. (Just make sure you’re using a harmless blade—and don’t cut yourself.)
Check for signs of infection like redness around the skin, pus or swelling around the wound. If these symptoms appear, take your dog to see a vet immediately!

Proper wound care can help prevent infections and even save your dog’s life.

A good rule of thumb when it comes to preventing infection is to keep the area clean, dry and bandaged (if possible). This will keep bacteria out of the wound, allowing it to heal faster. If you don’t have access to a full first-aid kit or if there are multiple wounds on your dog that need cleaning, you may want to consider calling up an animal hospital because taking care of multiple wounds at once is much easier with professional assistance.

Conclusion

Whether your dog has a small cut on his paw or a large puncture wound, it’s important to treat the injury right away. Proper wound care can prevent infection and even save your dog’s life. There are many things you can do at home to help prevent and treat an open wound on your dog.