What if the dog hurt himself? What means to treat the wound? In an emergency, it can be crucial to get your head together. But be careful! Inappropriate products will only increase the pain and worsen the situation. In this article, we will talk about how and how to treat your dog’s wound at home.
No dog is insured against injuries, no matter how attentive the owner is. A pet can cut his paw while walking, suddenly get involved in an altercation with friends, and get bitten. There can be a lot of cases, and every responsible owner must be prepared for them.
The first thing to do, if the wound is deep, is to stop the bleeding with a tourniquet and bandage and get your dog to the vet as soon as possible.
In other cases, all you need to do is manage the wound yourself, with a suitable treatment that should always be available in your first aid kit. What could be such a treatment?
Contrary to stereotypes, it’s never iodine or herbs. Why not? These products burn the mucous membrane and cannot be used to disinfect wounds. Yes, you can iodine unharmed areas of the skin around the bruise, but such protection is ineffective because the microbes that get into the wound will not be destroyed.
Iodine can be toxic to a cat or small dog!
Hydrogen peroxide is also not the best solution, even though it is suitable for wound care. Peroxide will start to foam and mechanically push out the dirt when applied to the wound. However, it has no disinfectant effect and therefore is not highly effective.
But chlorhexidine, also familiar to all means, is a powerful and safe antiseptic. It can be applied to a wound, it does not burn and is not addictive. The only drawback is a low spectrum of lesions (compared to specialized products for the treatment of wounds).
Specialized medications for the treatment of wounds and infections have a wider spectrum of lesions than chlorhexidine. Like chlorhexidine, they do not irritate the mucous membranes, do not require washing after application, and do not cause addiction. They contain substances similar to those produced by the immune system. To a certain extent, these components are “native” to the body and have no negative impact on healthy tissues.
It is necessary to follow the instructions for use when treating wounds with medical products. You will need to care for the wound approximately 3-4 times a day until it heals completely. If you have an inflammatory process, purulent discharge, or if the injury does not heal for a long time, consult your vet.
Take care of your pets and keep reliable companions at your side – both at home and on the road!