Dogs, even those living in apartments, can easily be injured. If the owner noticed an open wound, then immediate action must be taken. The fact is that any damage to the skin can lead to infection. Naturally, this will greatly affect the well-being of the pet. How to treat wounds in dogs, every owner of such an animal should know. How to do this and what drugs to use will be described in the article.
Types of wounds
Wounds do not appear on their own. They are applied by some object. It is depending on the nature of the latter that veterinarians divide wounds into the following types:
- Chopped. This kind of damage is formed in contact with a sharp object. Accordingly, the latter freely penetrates into living tissue. Depending on the type of the damaging factor, the wound channel has either flat or rough edges.
- Cut. This species is most common. The most affected area is the paw. The formation of a wound occurs due to dissection of tissues with sharp objects. In most cases, the damage zone has smooth edges.
- Chopped. Pretty serious damage. When applying a wound of this type, the destruction of the deep layers of the tissue occurs. Often with chopped injuries, nerve fibers are also damaged. Lymphatic and blood vessels may also be affected.
- Bruised. Wounds of this type are formed upon impact with a blunt object. Bleeding may be minor. The skin with such an injury is compressed.
- Torn. This type of injury is formed when a pointed object hits the tangent. Involved not only the upper layer of the skin, but also tendons, blood vessels. Torn wounds are serious in that they quickly penetrate the infection.
- Gunshot. This wound can lead to the death of the animal. The damage is deep, intense bleeding.
- Bites Can be obtained by fighting with other dogs. With such wounds, there is a high probability of contracting rabies.
It is worth noting that dogs can have combined wounds. For example, bruised-ragged, stab-bitten, stab-chopped and so on.
Deep wounds
What to do if a dog has a wound? How can you process it if it is quite deep? Every owner should know that first aid is provided immediately. Before using any drugs, the injured surface must be washed with dirt. Also around the wound you need to trim the coat. If foreign objects are noticed, carefully remove. The following preparations are ideal for washing: Miramistin, Chlorhexidine, Formalin. These solutions have an antiseptic effect, so they perfectly disinfect the wound surface.
Deep wounds pose a danger to the life of the animal, so it is imperative to seek qualified help. The veterinary clinic will be able to examine the damage and, if necessary, suture. It is thanks to the latter that wound infection can be avoided .
In order to prevent the growth of pathogenic microflora, most often veterinarians prescribe antibiotics. In this case, broad-spectrum drugs are suitable.
Purulent wounds
Was the dog's paw damaged? How to treat a wound if a purulent process has already begun? Owners need to understand that, in addition to the formation of exudate in the wound channel, other symptoms will be present. These include: a decrease in appetite, fever, lethargy of the pet. If this suddenly happened, veterinarians recommend starting a course of antibiotic therapy. As a rule, its duration is not more than 14 days. It necessarily includes drugs of the following groups:
- Tetracyclines - "Doxycycline".
- Penicillins - Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, Sinulox.
- Cephalosporins - "Cephalen", "Cephalexin", "Cefotaxime" (effective in severe purulent processes).
This is important: if there is an infection in the wound, sutures cannot be applied!
Soaking laceration
The risk of infection of the damaged area of the skin in dogs is quite high. Therefore, if the animal received a lacerated injury, it is important to immediately take measures to disinfect it. The fact is that seeding by pathogenic microorganisms occurs at a very high speed. Therefore, it is important to know how to treat a laceration in a dog in order to stop the development of the inflammatory process. Most often, an ointment is prescribed for this. Vishnevsky ointment, Levomekol, erythromycin, tetracycline is perfect. If the infection has already occurred, you will have to take a course of antibiotics.
It is also very important to consider that in case of violation of the rules of antiseptic and aseptic, exudate can be released from a laceration wound. In this case, veterinarians refer to her as weeping. The liquid itself consists of blood plasma, white blood cells, lymph and other products. It is not difficult to understand independently that the wound began to get wet. In addition to the formation of liquid, there is a sharp unpleasant odor. The behavior of the animal immediately changes, it is accompanied by a depressed mood and apathy.
If the pet has a wet laceration, then in addition to the main therapy, it is necessary to use treatment aimed at removing this fluid. First of all, it is important to follow the rules during processing. If the dog has this place is very painful and constantly itches, it will be necessary to drink analgesics and antihistamines. Most often prescribed "Tavegil", "Suprastin."
Superficial wound
In dogs, superficial wounds can appear quite often. As a rule, they do not pose a great danger to the life of the pet, therefore, the owner can cope with their processing himself. First aid consists of the following actions:
- Exemption from the hair of an injured area of the skin.
- Cleaning from foreign objects and dust. For this, you can use Chlorhexidine. A lot of owners are interested in whether a dog can treat a wound with peroxide. Yes, of course you can. To do this, it is enough to moisten a cotton swab in the solution and treat the edges of the wound. By the way, it should be noted that hydrogen peroxide is excellent in the case when blood comes from the damaged area.
- After treating the wound, it is important to prevent the possibility of infection. To do this, it will be necessary to apply the ointment and bandage it. This will also prevent the dog from constantly licking the wound surface. If, nevertheless, the animal is constantly trying to break the bandage, then it will be necessary to put on a special collar.
Why do veterinarians recommend using Chlorhexidine for many types of wounds? The fact is that this solution is very convenient to use. It is not only an effective antibacterial agent, but also does not cause pain during processing.
Miramistin and Furatsilin
So, if the owner had a question about how to treat a dog’s wound, then attention should be paid to the following two drugs.
The first is Miramistin. It has excellent bactericidal properties. Mercilessly destroys any pathogenic microflora. Composition: benzyldimethyl ammonium chloride monohydrate (active substance) and water as an auxiliary substance. The wound treated with this tool does not fester and does not inflame. Thanks to the special Miramistin formula, the regeneration of damaged tissues occurs rather quickly. It is also worth noting that this solution does not cause burns.
In most veterinary clinics, Furacilin is used to treat the wound surface. This drug is widely distributed. It is completely odorless, therefore it will not irritate the animal. Also, importantly, it does not cause irritation. To prepare the solution, you need to take one tablet of Furacilin and dissolve it in warm water (100 ml). It can be used not only for superficial wounds, but also for purulent ones.
Sprays
If the clinic takes an interest in how to treat wounds in dogs, then many doctors recommend special sprays. These include:
- Chemi Spray. Sold as a solution in a spray bottle. Composition: chlortetracycline hydrochloride and gentian violet (active substances) and auxiliary components. It has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. It copes with Candida fungi. When applied to the wound surface does not irritate it. But the disadvantages include a pungent smell, so some owners process the animal in the fresh air. Before applying the drug, it is important to remove the crust, pus and, if any, dirt from the wound. The course of treatment should not last more than 10 days. Spray three times a day.
- "Vetericin". Composition: hypochloride and sodium chloride, hypochlorous acid, phosphates and electrolyzed water. This spray is a universal remedy. Therefore, if the owner does not know how to treat a wound after a tick in a dog, you can stop the choice on this drug. It is used for any wounds without exception. It has a healing effect and antimicrobial. Used 3-4 times a day. It must be sprayed directly onto the wound if it is open, or under a dressing. The duration of the course is unlimited. You can use this drug until the wound is completely healed.
- "Alumisprey". The composition includes: the active component of aluminum oxide and auxiliary glue BF-6, ethanol, pine rosin. It can be used for all types of wounds. Veterinarians recommend this drug when treating sutures. It has an antiseptic and enveloping effect. It is applied to the damaged skin once a day. The duration of the course is no more than 10 days. Spraying must be carried out holding the bubble at a distance of 15-20 cm.
Veterinarian recommendations
When the question arises before the owners about how to treat wounds in dogs, the first thing that comes to mind is a solution of brilliant green or iodine. Yes, indeed, they can lubricate an injured surface. However, it is very important to remember that veterinarians are in no way advised to treat the wound itself. The fact is that these solutions are alcoholic, therefore they can cause burns and irritation. Naturally, this will cause severe pain to the animal. Therefore, iodine or zelenka can only be used to treat the edges of the wound.
Conclusion
So, in this material it was told how to treat wounds in dogs. It is very important for the owner to know how to provide first aid to the animal. If injuries are not complex in nature, then you can cope on your own using the above drugs. However, in serious cases, especially with inflammatory and purulent processes, it is usually not possible to do without taking antibiotics. Therefore, to prescribe treatment, it is imperative to contact a veterinary clinic.