February 25, 2021 by OVRS Staff

You tin treat minor pets wounds at home since not every scrape or injury requires pet emergency care. Our pets volition occasionally feel a cut, abrasion, or other minor wound. Dogs especially have more of these instances, since they are more rambunctious than their feline counterparts. The team at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services is hither to help explain the right way to treat minor pet wounds at home with pet outset aid.

Get a Pet Beginning Aid Kit

Are you prepared for a pet injury? If you lot don't accept a pet commencement assistance kit, purchase one or brand your own by post-obit the AVMA list of pet kickoff help supplies. In order to treat a wound, y'all volition demand to have the post-obit:

  • Sterile bandages
  • Cleansing solution suitable for pets
  • Antibacterial ointment
  • Cast pair of scissors
  • Rubberband wrapping
  • Tweezers
  • Spray bottle
  • Clean towels or rags

Treat Minor Pet Wounds at Home

Before you begin, brand sure you take someone to assistance you lot restrain your pet while you treat the wound. If no one is available, you lot can likewise use a muzzle. Fifty-fifty if your pet has never been ambitious, pain can crusade a pet to react differently. Avoid scratches or bites by having a program to go on your pet stable and calm while you treat the wound.

  1. Stop the bleeding. If the wound is haemorrhage, put a clean towel or textile over the wound and use light pressure. If the wound is bleeding profusely, information technology'due south all-time to become to the veterinarian emergency infirmary since this is a more serious wound than a simple cutting.
  2. Make clean the wound. Puncture wounds, such as a seize with teeth wound, tin can appear minor, but they are not. Bite wounds comprise leaner that can cause infection. Even if it is modest, make clean and bandage the wound. To do this, utilize a h2o bottle with clean water in it and spray on the wound to make clean out whatsoever debris, clay, etc.
  3. Remove whatever 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.
  4. Disinfect the wound. Using a cleanser such as diluted betadine or chlorhexidine, which are ofttimes included in a packaged first help kit, gently clean the injured area. Practise not utilize rubbing booze or hydrogen peroxide as these tin damage the tissue and delay healing.
  5. Embrace up the wound with a bandage. Utilise a small amount of antibacterial ointment and embrace the wound with a piece of sterile gauze or other bandage. Utilise the rubberband tape to hold the bandage in place.
  6. 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 yous 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 existence a brave boy or girl with a small treat. Take care to remove the erstwhile bandage after 24 hours and replace with a new 1. Monitor how your pet's wound is healing. If y'all notice at that place is additional bleeding, changes to the color of the wound, swelling, or belch, contact us. This may point an infection or that the cut or puncture isn't healing properly.

If you would similar more than information on how to care for minor pet wounds at domicile or if y'all are unsure whether or non it's a pet emergency, please contact us.